Five Easy Pieces (1970)

The Worst Film Ever

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

I'm an agnostic. Not a religious type. But I'm pretty sure this movie is a parable of some sort. The journey of a sinner being reborn. SPOILERS FROM THIS POINT FORWARDWe meet a sinner. Jack Nicholson. He has a friend who's part loon and part trouble. A bimbo girlfriend with a heart of gold. Two bimbos on the side in heat. He drinks, shows up to work drunk, mistreats strangers and friends like. No real friends, family, or direction in his life. Apart from drilling girls and drilling oil.Frustrated with his life he SUDDENLY is in Los Angeles meeting up with someone who's either his sister or Mom. I state it this way because I feel it was intentionally vague. This woman is a little looney herself but she has a big heart and can play the piano. This juxtaposition of oil rigs and perfectly tuned pianos comes absolutely out of nowhere, which means this a meandering mess of a movie, or it serves a bigger purpose and is actually perfectly crafted. I vote the latter. But stay with me.Jack is told to visit his Dad who's had a stroke. His Dad lives on an island, has a big white beard, and is basically cast to appear like Santa Claus. Or God.God living on an island is important. It puts his 'almighty' Father in a different place. Full of nature, green, and beauty. Instead of sand and oil rigs.It's a place Jack hates. A house (of God) that makes the sinner's skin crawl. One key reason is that his family and relations in the house all play music. The way their Dad did before his stroke. Music, here, is analogous to 'grace'.Jack came from this house and knows how to play the piano. But he gave it all up years ago. That is: being shown the way to make the world more pure and beautiful he chose instead to be a sinner and make it more ugly and... wait for it...... dirty. If you've seen this film you know the term 'dirty' holds a great deal of meaning. On his way to his Dad's house he picks up a stranded woman who won't shut her annoying mouth about dirt and filth. She hilariously promises not to even want to talk about such things but actually won't shut her angry mouth about it.I fell for this red herring at first. That her place in the story was comic relief. Think about the entire story again and you realize she's the 'wise man in the cave'. Speaking on behalf of the author. Hidden right in plain sight. Back in the 'house of God' Jack meets a better woman than his typical bimbo. She's all about (God's grace) 'music'. He plays her a tune, she's moved, he isn't. Because he is a dirty filthy sinner. (I'm not judging him. I'm saying the story is. Everyone in that house... as cartoonish as they appear... are not dirty or filthy. Except maybe that nurse dude.)So when the end of this story happens... and you're not on this page yet... the ending will make no sense to you. However, if you believe Jack has come to realize he is dirty and filthy and needs to be reborn to a better life ---- you get what I'm seeing in this film. And, again, I'm no religious type. But this is the only way I can coherently explain this incoherent looking piece.By the way: if you left BREAKING THE WAVES confused as hell, you missed a similar trick there. That story is NOT about a simple minded girl. It's about someone returning to Earth and would we recognize him if he was standing right in front of us as... a simple minded girl.Cheers. I hope this helped someone.

Jack Nicholson is one of the world's finest actors who has enjoyed a long and successful career. To 21st century audiences who may not know him from movies other than The Departed, The Bucket List and frequent appearances at Knicks games he was probably one of the most in-demand actors of the 70's and 80's who starred in memorable movie after memorable movie, turning in fantastic performances gaining two academy awards along the way (another in '97). Five Easy Pieces was released one year after his breakthrough performance in 1969's Easy Rider and includes Karen Black and Toni Basil from that film as well and not including Basil earn much meatier roles in FEP. Jack plays Bobby Dupea in this movie, a seemingly tough but sentimental character. His wide acting range is in full display here showcasing lots of emotion and the typical Jack Nicholson fire he is known for. Some key examples to look out for are his interactions with Black who plays his girlfriend, the famous chicken salad sandwich restaurant scene, the bedroom with Susan Anspach and the scene with his father close to the end. The end of that restaurant scene is actually pretty funny .."See this sign ????.." You can see Helena Kallianiotes before it cuts to the next scene try not to break out laughing.While the ending left me in confusion, it didn't ruin the story as a whole. Its always refreshing to check out the early movies that famous movie stars we know today built their careers on and led them on the path to stardom. At one point they were once struggling actors as well. It might just be me but it feels like Leonardo DiCaprio honed a lot of his craft on early Nicholson. Check out this movie and maybe Easy Rider then watch a 2005-present Leo movie. Anyway Five Easy Pieces = Great Movie, Great Story, Jack Nicholson. CHECK IT OUT

The film Five Easy Pieces was a classic film that I thought was pretty enjoyable to watch. I thought the main character in this film was portrayed by a great actor and he really made the film great. While watching this film you can tell that it is a an new Hollywood film. Throughout this film there is the use of vulgarity that would not have been allowed when the Hays code was still a regulation. I thought that the parts of this film that made it new Hollywood were a good part of this film. Another thing I wanted to comment on about this film was the cinematography. I noticed during the whole film that the cinematography was great. I would say that the cinematography in this film is one of the things that made this film come together so great. Overall this was a movie that I enjoyed a lot.

An effective, emotionally ravaging story concerning a drifter who runs away from his problems and picks up every odd job he can find. Nicholson has that magnetic quality that few actors possess so well, and his strong, utterly superb performance drives this film all the way through. Although it does bog down from time to time, director Bob Rafelson displays his mastery of the art of subtlety, using this for most of the film, before nailing his most important scenes with sudden outbursts from his characters that catch you off guard. Nicholson's character is definitely flawed, and he's a time-bomb ready to explode at any moment, but his mysterious character always keeps you glued to your seat, and the end of the film is just perfect beyond words.