2003
Road manager Phil Kaufman, honoring a pact with his deceased friend Gram Parsons, plans to cremate Gram's body in the desert, enlisting hippie hearse owner Larry Osterberg to steal it from the mortuary before Gram's estranged father can claim it. As Phil and Larry embark on a chaotic road trip with the casket, they are pursued by both Gram's father and his ex-girlfriend Barbara, who suspects Phil and is joined by Phil's conflicted girlfriend, Susie. The group converges at the Joshua Tree Inn, where tensions escalate, and Larry delivers a heartfelt speech, solidifying his commitment to Phil's plan. Ultimately, Phil, Larry, and Susie successfully cremate Gram's body in the desert, fulfilling his wish, as Phil hallucinates a final conversation with Gram and Barbara is pulled over by a traffic cop.
Save the Cat beat sheet
Phil Kaufman, a down-on-his-luck mortician, loses his job and impulsively steals rock star Gram Parsons’ body.
Open full beat sheetPhil Kaufman is listed as Road Manager. Shabby, biker boots, unlit cigar, chaotic but charming. In the parsed data, Phil Kaufman is connected to 50 scenes, 66 dialogue lines, 70 text mentions, first appearing around scene 4.
50 scenes / 66 dialogue linesLarry Osterberg is listed as Hearse owner. Hippie, meditative, owns a yellow hearse named Bernice. In the parsed data, Larry Osterberg is connected to 32 scenes, 49 dialogue lines, 51 text mentions, first appearing around scene 16.
32 scenes / 49 dialogue linesSusie is listed as Phil's girlfriend. Attractive, conflicted about Phil's lifestyle. In the parsed data, Susie is connected to 19 scenes, 3 dialogue lines, 3 text mentions, first appearing around scene 42.
19 scenes / 3 dialogue linesBarbara Mansfield is listed as Gram's ex-girlfriend. Manipulative, stunning, determined to claim Gram's assets. In the parsed data, Barbara Mansfield is connected to 18 scenes, 8 dialogue lines, 8 text mentions, first appearing around scene 12.
18 scenes / 8 dialogue linesStanley Parsons is listed as Gram's father. Nondescript, grieving, estranged from his son. In the parsed data, Stanley Parsons is connected to 16 scenes, 8 dialogue lines, 8 text mentions, first appearing around scene 60.
16 scenes / 8 dialogue linesGram Parsons is listed as Deceased musician. Country-rock star, recently deceased. In the parsed data, Gram Parsons is connected to 4 scenes, 1 dialogue line, 6 text mentions, first appearing around scene 76.
4 scenes / 1 dialogue linesA phone rings in the dark, Phil Kaufman is asleep.
Phil KaufmanPhil Kaufman drives his trike at high speed.
Phil KaufmanA man and woman are struggling in a room.
Gram ParsonsPhil answers the phone.
Phil KaufmanPhil arrives at the hospital to see Gram Parsons.
Phil KaufmanPhil speaks to a nurse about seeing Gram Parsons.
Phil KaufmanPhil changes into a white coat.
Phil KaufmanPhil finds Gram Parsons' body.
Phil Kaufman, Gram ParsonsPhil returns home and is greeted by Susie.
Phil Kaufman, SusiePhil and Susie discuss his job and his recent absence.
Phil Kaufman, SusieStanley Parsons leaves his house.
Stanley ParsonsBarbara Mansfield arrives at Phil's house.
Phil Kaufman, Susie, Barbara MansfieldPhil calls the funeral home.
Phil KaufmanSusie leaves Phil.
Phil Kaufman, SusiePhil arrives at Larry's house.
Phil Kaufman, Larry OsterbergPhil arrives to hire Larry's hearse, Bernice, for a surprise prank.
Phil Kaufman, Larry OsterbergLarry reveals Bernice, his yellow, flower-covered hearse.
Phil Kaufman, Larry OsterbergPhil and Larry get into the hearse and start the engine.
Phil Kaufman, Larry OsterbergThe hearse drives off.
Phil Kaufman, Larry OsterbergBarbara reads the will.
Barbara MansfieldThe hearse arrives at the airport.
Phil Kaufman, Larry OsterbergPhil and Larry wait for the flight.
Phil Kaufman, Larry OsterbergBarbara leaves her home.
Barbara MansfieldStanley arrives to pick up his son's body.
Stanley ParsonsBarbara tries to access Gram's money.
Barbara MansfieldPhil attempts to claim the casket.
Phil KaufmanBarbara is denied access to the funds.
Barbara MansfieldStanley sits on the plane.
Stanley ParsonsPhil discovers the wrong casket.
Phil KaufmanLarry is questioned by a cop.
Larry OsterbergStanley sees the casket being moved.
Stanley ParsonsPhil argues with the clerk about the destination of the casket while under pressure.
Phil KaufmanSusie ignores a phone call from Phil while packing.
SusieStanley attempts to ask a question but leaves.
Stanley ParsonsPhil signs for the casket and leaves with it.
Phil KaufmanA cop questions Larry about the hearse while Phil loads the casket.
Phil Kaufman, Larry OsterbergPhil and Larry drive away, Larry crashes into a wall.
Phil Kaufman, Larry OsterbergThe clerk confirms to Stanley that he gave the body to a man named John Nobody.
Stanley ParsonsBarbara tries to get official death records for Gram.
Barbara MansfieldPhil and Larry stop for gas.
Phil Kaufman, Larry OsterbergBarbara discovers the body is missing and confronts Susie.
Susie, Barbara MansfieldSusie is packing when Barbara arrives, accusing Phil of stealing Gram's body.
Susie, Barbara MansfieldPhil calls home from a roadside phone while Larry waits in the hearse.
Phil Kaufman, Larry OsterbergBarbara and Susie argue about Phil; Barbara answers the phone.
Susie, Barbara MansfieldPhil speaks to Barbara on the phone; Larry gets sick.
Phil Kaufman, Larry OsterbergBarbara leaves to find Phil; Susie follows.
Susie, Barbara MansfieldPhil and Larry discuss their route.
Phil Kaufman, Larry OsterbergStanley questions the melon woman about the hearse.
Stanley ParsonsLarry talks about Yin and Yang; they crash into a sign.
Phil Kaufman, Larry OsterbergA motorcycle cop stops to investigate the crash.
Phil Kaufman, Larry OsterbergThe cop cuffs Phil and Larry; Larry escapes the cuffs.
Phil Kaufman, Larry OsterbergBarbara and Susie argue about their motivations.
Susie, Barbara MansfieldPhil and Larry spot a dinosaur-themed restaurant.
Phil Kaufman, Larry OsterbergPhil and Larry eat at the restaurant.
Phil Kaufman, Larry OsterbergStanley drives alone.
Stanley ParsonsPhil and Larry discuss their situation while Phil drinks beer and ignores his food.
Phil Kaufman, Larry OsterbergStanley drives and discovers his flask is empty.
Stanley ParsonsPhil tries to make a call while Stanley arrives at the diner.
Phil Kaufman, Larry Osterberg, Stanley ParsonsPhil attempts to call his home but gets no answer.
Phil KaufmanPhil returns to Larry; Stanley orders a drink and reveals his son's body was stolen.
Phil Kaufman, Larry Osterberg, Stanley ParsonsPhil and Larry argue about the stolen body and check the casket.
Phil Kaufman, Larry OsterbergStanley sees the hearse drive away.
Stanley ParsonsSusie and Barbara discuss their motivations and hatred for Phil.
Susie, Barbara MansfieldPhil and Larry argue about their mission; Larry hits Phil.
Phil Kaufman, Larry OsterbergLarry takes control of the hearse and drives back to town.
Phil Kaufman, Larry Osterberg, Stanley ParsonsLarry confronts Stanley; Barbara and Susie arrive.
Susie, Larry Osterberg, Barbara Mansfield, Stanley ParsonsPhil wakes up and exits the hearse.
Phil KaufmanPhil confronts Susie and Barbara.
Phil Kaufman, Susie, Barbara MansfieldThe group confronts each other; Phil locks Barbara in the bathroom.
Phil Kaufman, Susie, Larry Osterberg, Barbara Mansfield, Stanley ParsonsPhil prepares to leave.
Phil Kaufman, Susie, Larry OsterbergPhil and Larry discuss the plan, Larry backs out, and Phil decides to proceed.
Phil Kaufman, Susie, Larry OsterbergPhil confronts Stanley, Larry and Susie join, and Larry gives a long speech about his drug history to justify his actions.
Phil Kaufman, Susie, Larry Osterberg, Barbara Mansfield, Stanley ParsonsThe group leaves the room, Phil checks the hearse, and they drive off as Barbara pursues.
Phil Kaufman, Susie, Larry Osterberg, Barbara MansfieldBarbara is pulled over by a traffic cop and tries to report the theft.
Barbara MansfieldPhil, Larry, and Susie burn the casket.
Phil Kaufman, Susie, Larry Osterberg, Gram ParsonsPhil wakes up and hallucinates a conversation with Gram.
Phil Kaufman, Gram ParsonsBernice is a Cadillac Superior Royale Tiara Limousine Funeral Coach. We've got a Seven gallon V8 engine offering three hundred and forty bhp at four thousand six hundred revolutions per minute. You're looking at a twenty one feet beauty with a one hundred and fifty six inch wheelbase containing a four barrel Rochester Quadrajet carburetor with Turbo Hydramatic transmission. Bernice weighs over six thousand pounds.
It means that you were never there when it mattered to Gram. It means that you stopped being a father the moment he stopped doing your bidding.
I don't have to do anything, Mister Kaufman. This is MY loss! This was MY son! How dare you try to take my grief away from me.
I do what I do because it puts food on my table, and because if I don't look after myself, no-one else will.
You're not a very nice person, are you?
Why do you ask so many damn questions?
And how may I help you, Phil Kaufman?
Do you have a telephone I might use?
SlugDB turns parsed screenplays into scene, character, dialogue, trivia, semantic search, Save the Cat, and API-ready analysis.
Use SlugDB when you need screenplay API data, movie dialogue search, character evidence, scene context, or MCP tools without building a scraper first.