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Five Easy Pieces

  • 19701970
  • RR
  • 1h 38m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
37K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,990
50
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Jack Nicholson in Five Easy Pieces (1970)
Home Video Trailer from Columbia Tristar
Play trailer2:38
1 Video
99+ Photos
  • Drama

A dropout from upper-class America picks up work along the way on oil rigs when his life isn't spent in a squalid succession of bars, motels, and other points of interest.A dropout from upper-class America picks up work along the way on oil rigs when his life isn't spent in a squalid succession of bars, motels, and other points of interest.A dropout from upper-class America picks up work along the way on oil rigs when his life isn't spent in a squalid succession of bars, motels, and other points of interest.

IMDb RATING
7.4/10
37K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,990
50
  • Director
    • Bob Rafelson
  • Writers
    • Carole Eastman(screenplay)
    • Bob Rafelson(story)
  • Stars
    • Jack Nicholson
    • Karen Black
    • Billy Green Bush
Top credits
  • Director
    • Bob Rafelson
  • Writers
    • Carole Eastman(screenplay)
    • Bob Rafelson(story)
  • Stars
    • Jack Nicholson
    • Karen Black
    • Billy Green Bush
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 241User reviews
    • 109Critic reviews
    • 85Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 4 Oscars
      • 10 wins & 21 nominations total

    Videos1

    Five Easy Pieces
    Trailer 2:38
    Five Easy Pieces

    Photos129

    Jack Nicholson in Five Easy Pieces (1970)
    Jack Nicholson in Five Easy Pieces (1970)
    Jack Nicholson and Billy Green Bush in Five Easy Pieces (1970)
    Jack Nicholson in Five Easy Pieces (1970)
    "Five Easy Pieces" Jack Nicholson 1970 Columbia
    Jack Nicholson in Five Easy Pieces (1970)
    Jack Nicholson and Bob Rafelson in Five Easy Pieces (1970)
    Jack Nicholson, Karen Black, and Fannie Flagg in Five Easy Pieces (1970)
    Jack Nicholson and Karen Black at an event for Five Easy Pieces (1970)
    Karen Black at an event for Five Easy Pieces (1970)
    "Five Easy Pieces" Karen Black and Jack Nicholson at the premiere September 11, 1970
    Five Easy Pieces (1970)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Jack Nicholson
    Jack Nicholson
    • Robert Eroica Dupeaas Robert Eroica Dupea
    Karen Black
    Karen Black
    • Rayette Dipestoas Rayette Dipesto
    Billy Green Bush
    Billy Green Bush
    • Eltonas Elton
    Fannie Flagg
    Fannie Flagg
    • Stoneyas Stoney
    Sally Struthers
    Sally Struthers
    • Bettyas Betty
    • (as Sally Ann Struthers)
    Marlena MacGuire
    • Twinkyas Twinky
    • (as Marlena Macguire)
    Richard Stahl
    Richard Stahl
    • Recording Engineeras Recording Engineer
    Lois Smith
    Lois Smith
    • Partita Dupeaas Partita Dupea
    Helena Kallianiotes
    • Palm Apodacaas Palm Apodaca
    Toni Basil
    Toni Basil
    • Terry Grouseas Terry Grouse
    Lorna Thayer
    Lorna Thayer
    • Waitressas Waitress
    Susan Anspach
    Susan Anspach
    • Catherine Van Oostas Catherine Van Oost
    Ralph Waite
    Ralph Waite
    • Carl Fidelio Dupeaas Carl Fidelio Dupea
    William Challee
    William Challee
    • Nicholas Dupeaas Nicholas Dupea
    John P. Ryan
    John P. Ryan
    • Spiceras Spicer
    • (as John Ryan)
    Irene Dailey
    Irene Dailey
    • Samia Glaviaas Samia Glavia
    Garrett Cassell
    • Junkieas Junkie
    • (uncredited)
    Clay Greenbush
    Clay Greenbush
    • Babyas Baby
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Bob Rafelson
    • Writers
      • Carole Eastman(screenplay) (story)
      • Bob Rafelson(story)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Robert Dupea has given up his promising career as a concert pianist and is now working in oil fields. He lives together with Rayette, who's a waitress in a diner. When Robert hears from his sister that his father isn't well, he drives up to Washington to see him, taking Rayette with him. There he gets confronted with his rich, cultured family that he had left behind. —Leon Wolters <wolters@strw.LeidenUniv.nl>
    • road movie
    • pianist
    • piano playing
    • alienation
    • on the road
    • 128 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • He Rode The Fast Lane On The Road To Nowhere.
    • Genre
      • Drama
    • Certificate
      • R
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      "Five Easy Pieces" refers to a book of piano lessons for beginners.
    • Goofs
      When Bobby plays the piano for Catherine about three quarters through the movie, the music in front of him is clearly not what he is playing (Chopin's "Prelude in E Minor"). On one hand, this emphasizes his improvisational nature and rejection of the life prescribed to him by his class, but it also shows his musical prowess and memory. He reveals that the song was memorized when he later says "I picked the easiest piece I could think of".
    • Quotes

      Bobby: I'd like a plain omelette, no potatoes, tomatoes instead, a cup of coffee and wheat toast.

      Waitress: [points at his menu] No substitutions.

      Bobby: What do you mean? You don't have any tomatoes?

      Waitress: Only what's on the menu. You can have a number two, a plain omelette, it comes with cottage fries and rolls.

      Bobby: Yeah, I know what it comes with, but it's not what I want.

      Waitress: Well, I'll come back when you make up your mind

      Bobby: Wait a minute, I have made up my mind. I'd like a plain omelette, no potatoes on the plate, a cup of coffee and a side order of wheat toast.

      Waitress: I'm sorry, we don't have any side orders of toast. I'll give you an English muffin or a coffee roll.

      Bobby: What do you mean you don't make side orders of toast? You make sandwiches, don't you?

      Waitress: Would you like to talk to the manager?

      Palm Apodaca: Hey, mac...

      Bobby: Shut up.

      [to the waitress]

      Bobby: You've got bread and a toaster of some kind?

      Waitress: I don't make the rules.

      Bobby: OK, I'll make it as easy for you as I can. I'd like an omelette, plain, and a chicken salad sandwich on wheat toast, no mayonnaise, no butter, no lettuce, and a cup of coffee.

      Waitress: A number two, a chicken salad sand. Hold the butter, the lettuce, and the mayonnaise, and a cup of coffee. Anything else?

      Bobby: Yeah, now all you have to do is hold the chicken, bring me the toast, give me a cheque for the chicken salad sandwich, and you haven't broken any rules.

      Waitress: You want me to hold the chicken, huh?

      Bobby: I want you to hold it between your knees.

      [Palm Apodaca sniggers]

      Waitress: [points at a sign behind her] You see that sign, sir? Yes, you'll all have to leave! I'm not taking any more of your smartness and sarcasm!

      Bobby: You see this sign?

      [he sweeps all the glasses off the table onto the floor]

    • Connections
      Featured in America at the Movies (1976)
    • Soundtracks
      Stand by Your Man
      Written by Billy Sherrill (as B. Sherril) & Tammy Wynette (as T. Wynette)

      Performed by Tammy Wynette

      [Played over the opening titles]

    User reviews241

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    Definitely one of the great American films.
    This movie is most famous for a scene in which Jack Nicholson tells a waitress to hold the chicken salad between her knees so he can get some plain wheat toast, but, in a movie as good as this, that very famous scene may be its least memorable one. After that scene, I hadn't heard anything about what this film was really about, and its depth and power took me completely by surprise. It's a story of a man trapped in his own life, unable to find a place to settle. All the locations at which he has arrived have lead to nothing but disappointment and the realization that there just might not be a life for him. God, how I can sympathize. Just as I was starting to question whether Nicholson was as good an actor as everybody seems to think he is, I've come upon his very best performance. Karen Black plays his girlfriend, a hick who loves him to death. He's not sure if she's good enough for him, or vice versa. Lois Smith, Ralph Waite, and Susan Anspach give good supporting performances. A flat-out masterpiece.
    helpful•60
    17
    • zetes
    • Jan 31, 2005

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    FAQ10

    • What is "Five Easy Pieces" about?
    • Is "Five Easy Pieces" based on a book?
    • What does the title mean?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 12, 1970 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Пет лаких комада
    • Filming locations
      • Denny's Restaurant - 3652 Glenwood Drive, Eugene, Oregon, USA
    • Production companies
      • BBS Productions
      • Columbia Pictures
      • Five Easy Pieces Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $1,600,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 38 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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