What would the Platonic ideal of a George Jones concert tribute film look like? It would not approach the spectacle of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, nor would it brilliantly mete out the sheer cinematic pleasure of Stop Making Sense, to pick notable concert docs whose methods suit their subjects’ respective madness. Recorded in Huntsvillem, Alabama’s Von Braun Center, Still Playin’ Possum covers a heartfelt all-star event held to remember the 10th anniversary of Jones’ death. Director Jeff Richter, a veteran editor whose worked on music videos for everybody from Michael Jackson to Rage Against the Machine, deploys the standard swooping camera set-ups of the concert trade circa 2023. But the slick, professional production largely distracts from what are for the most part effective performances, and one wishes the roving camera would sit still and let the consistently fine music speak for itself.
After a screen displays vintage footage of Jones on tour, Jamey Johnson, whose long hair evokes ZZ Top more than the Opry, opens with “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes,” leaning into a spot-on impersonation of Jones’ signature phrasing. The camera coverage and shot rhythms here set the tone for the next 100 minutes, swinging at a regular rhythm like a glitzy awards show: tight on the singer, side on the keyboards, wide on the audience and swooping at the edge of the stage. It’s immersive, sure: the cameras get viewers as close to the musicians as possible. But, especially for such straightforward music, it’s almost better to just close your eyes and listen to Johnson and the assembled band move through their heartfelt professional paces.
Time and again, the music wins over the snazzy visuals. Travis Tritt doesn’t try to impersonate Jones on “The Race Is On,” but the material suits Tritt’s own homegrown voice. Which seems to be part of Jones’ message: That a consummate professional, without appearing to show off, can convey a strong personality just by virtue of being his consummately professional self.
In one talking head testimonial, Gretchen Wilson gets at Jones’ legendary appeal: “…George is just a real regular kinda guy. I think that’s what endeared him to so many people…that he was like the guy sitting right next to them.” Which is how the film should have unspooled. In a glittering outfit, Lorrie Morgan herself conveys that balance of glamour and regularity in her shiny presence, and her performance of “A Picture of Me Without You” is impeccable; she channels Jones without aping him, and a series of static camera shots would have been a fine way to capture that persona.
One does wish the camera would stop moving, but during Sara Evans’ “He Thinks I Still Care,” the set-up means you do get to see couples slow dancing in the aisles. Wilson’s “I Always Get Lucky with You” turns into a poker table torch song, but again, that slick, predictable camerawork undercuts the genuine honesty of these songs. Tim Watson’s elder energy on “I’m a One-Woman Man” sells one of the straightest impersonations here, somehow conveying a younger Jones on the mid-career staple. Watson is one of the biggest hams here, and for one song at least, the moving camera finally meets its match.
Of course, the $20 question at a George Jones tribute show is: Who gets to try “He Stopped Loving Her Today”? It’s Brad Paisley, one of the biggest names on the bill, and it’s not his fault he’s not up to selling Jones’ gut-wrenching, definitive ballad.
Still Playin’ Possum is rolling out to theaters as a Fathom Event, and there’s enough good music here to make it worth it for country music fans. But it’s not exactly the multi-camera equivalent of somebody you want to have a beer with.
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