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Five Easy Pieces | 
 enlarge | Director: Bob Rafelson
Actors: Jack Nicholson, Karen Black, Billy Green Bush, Fannie Flagg, Sally Struthers
Studio: Sony Pictures
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.94
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Rating:  71 reviews
Sales Rank: 6495
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dvd-video, Full Screen, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), Portuguese (Subtitled), Georgian (Subtitled), Chinese (Subtitled), Thai (Subtitled)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
DVD Layers: 1
DVD Sides: 2
Picture Format: Array
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 95 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.6
MPN: 043396096592
ISBN: 0767828054
UPC: 043396096592
EAN: 9780767828055
ASIN: B00002VWE0
Theatrical Release Date: September 12, 1970
Release Date: December 14, 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com essential video
This subtle, existential character study of an emotionally distant outcast (Nicholson) forced to confront his past failures remains an intimate cornerstone of American '70s cinema. Written and directed with remarkable restraint by Bob Rafelson, the film is the result of a short-lived partnership between the filmmaker and Nicholson--the first was the zany formalist exercise, Head, while the equally impressive King of Marvin Gardens followed Five Easy Pieces. Quiet and full of long, controlled takes, this film draws its strength from the acutely detailed, nonjudgmental observations of its complex protagonist, Robert Dupea--an extremely crass and frustrated oil worker, and failed child pianist hiding from his past in Texas. Dupea spends his life drinking beer and sleeping with (and cheating on) his annoying but adoring Tammy Wynette-wannabe girlfriend, but when he learns that his father is dying in Washington State, he leaves. After the film transforms into a spirited road movie, and arrives at the eccentric upper-class Dupea family mansion, it becomes apparent that leaving is what Dupea does best--from his problems, fears, and those who love him. Nicholson gives a difficult yet masterful performance in an unlikable role, one that's full of ambiguity and requires violent shifts in acting style. Several sequences--such as his stopping traffic to play piano, or his famous verbal duels with a cranky waitress over a chicken-salad sandwich--are Nicholson landmarks. Yet, it's the quieter moments, when Dupea tries miserably to communicate and reconcile with his dying father, where the actor shows his real talent--and by extension, shows us the wounded little boy that lurks in the shell of the man Dupea has become. --Dave McCoy
Product Description
Returning home to his father's deathbed, a gifted pianist who has been living a wasted life is forced to face issues which will change his life forever.
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: R
Release Date: 28-AUG-2001
Media Type: DVD
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| Customer Reviews: Read 66 more reviews...
 Landmark Character Study June 22, 2008
David Baldwin (Philadelphia,PA USA)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I'm amazed that you don't hear much about this terrific film these days. Released in 1970, "Five Easy Pieces" heralded a renaissance of highly personal character driven films championed by not only since film's director, Bob Rafelson, but also Robert Altman and Hal Ashby, among others. This film focuses on people, their quirks and their interpersonal relationships. The film's central character, Robert Eroica Dupea, is not a particularly likable person but as written superbly by Carol Eastman and brilliantly assayed by Jack Nicholson he becomes sympathetic. Stifled by an austere artistic clan, Dupea escapes but leads a directionless existence going from one meaningless job after another and engages in a romance with a waitress(Karen Black) that he has little if anything in common with. Nicholson gives a carefully modulated performance, a departure from his more flamboyant work in "Easy Rider", suggesting both the anger, apathy, and sadness that seethes inside. The real revelation here is Black. A lesser actress would have portrayed Rayette as a dumb bunny. Black saw more complexity in her character. Rayette is certainly unlearned but Black brought out the sweetness and the sadness in her. It's unfathomable how Black lost the Oscar to Helen Hayes in "Airport"(?!). On a final note any film that puts Tammy Wynette and Chopin on equal footing has to be great.
California not Texas February 21, 2008
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
For the record, the oil field section of this classic don't take place in Texas. Try California, as in the oilfields north of LA and west of Bakersfiled. You can even see CA roadsigns in the Highway 5 piano playing scene. This may seem to be a trivial point, but it matters in the understanding of Jack's character. All that aside, this flick is a subtle classic.
 Edited DVD from Original January 22, 2008
Bronte Fan (Livermore, California)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I saw this movie when it first came out, and upon viewing it recently (2008), it appears to be different. I remember it being in black and white, and I remember the confrontation with the character's father as being far more emotional and extended in time. Duprea said a great deal more to his father than - we never did talk much, did we? I think portions of the movie, which serve to give a much clearer picture of the relationship between father and son, have been edited out - to the detrement of artist and audience. I grew up in just such a family and had the exact same reactions of Duprea, to the sterile, narrow minded, judgemental environment in which the character was raised. I recognized the cold, life-less atmosphere of the house, peopled by those ignorant of real life, yet dangerous because of their imagined insight and superiority. I would have liked to see the original movie, uncut.
A fascinating character study.... Some of Jack Nicholson's finest work January 17, 2008
Taylor X (Las Vegas, NV (USA))
14 out of 15 found this review helpful
Five Easy Pieces is directed by Bob Rafelson. The film stars Jack Nicholson and co-stars Karen Black, Toni Basil, Loma Thayer, Susan Anspach, Billy Green Bush, Fannie Flagg, Lois Smith, Sally Struthers, and Helena Kallianiotes. Tammy Wynette contributes numerous songs to the film's soundtrack, and the score consists of classical piano pieces by Chopin, Bach, and Mozart.
Five Easy Pieces is the story of Bobby Dupea. Dupea comes from an upper-class family in which music and performances played a prominent role in his upbringing. But has the years have passed, he has grown increasingly distraught and distant from his family - abandoning his life with the family and starting a new, less-glamorous life working at an oil rig. He is an unstable man, frequently fighting with his girlfriend and cheating on her with girls he meets at the local bowling alley. During a visit with his mother, he learns that his father is dying. He reluctantly decides to visit his ailing father, taking his girlfriend along with him despite their relationship drifting apart. Following a lengthy cross-country trip, he eventually arrives back home - having to face the family he left behind so long ago.
This film is a brilliantly-crafted character piece that has stood the nearly four-decade test of time. The main character is brilliantly player, the supporting cast and their respective characters equally impressive, and from start to finish there are a plethora of excellent scenes, ranging from comedic to dramatic alike. It's a character study at its finest.
Jack Nicholson plays Bobby Dupea, the main character the film follows. Nicholson is an extremely-gifted actor, able to play any role well. Five Easy Pieces is one of the many triumphs that beautifully demonstrates this. He brings the character of Bobby Dupea to life, and from the film's first moments to its strange conclusion, you never want to take your eyes off the screen. His performance is priceless, especially in the now-iconic "diner" scene. He does things with this character no one else would ever have been able to.
The supporting cast is more than competent as well. Amongst the film's memorable characters are the girlfriend Bobby grows increasingly distant with, two sassy hitchhikers he picks up en route to his parents' home, a roadside café waitress who becomes the victim of a now-classic Jack Nicholson dialogue, and of course, the various family members Bobby must face upon his return home.. It's a great ensemble of characters that nicely complements the leading man.
The tone of the film is generally dramatic, following Dupea through his life, which has certainly become a far cry from his upper class musical prodigy upbringing. But there's no shortage of brief comedic scenes that come along to "break the ice" every now and then, most notably the classic diner scene. Director Bob Rafelson succeeds at creating a film just the right length that never outlasts its welcome - and keeps us interested all the way through.
Music in the film is equally impressive, soundtrack and score alike. The soundtrack consists of songs by the legendary country singer Tammy Wynette. Amongst these tunes are her classic Stand By Your Man and D-I-V-O-R-C-E. The score, on the other hand, reflects Dupea's past as a music prodigy, and consists of piano pieces by Chopin, Bach, and Mozart. All the music employed here fits perfectly in numerous scenes of the film.
If you want to see why Jack Nicholson is one of the greatest actors of all time, this is one of the finest examples of his dramatic work. Don't overlook this little gem!
Thumbs up
One of Jack Nicholson's best films September 30, 2007
Scott N. Burton (Bridgeport,CT USA)
I saw "Five Easy Pieces" back in 1974-I was completely blown away by Jack Nicholson's performance-It turns out he was nominated for Best Actor in 1970-Unfortunately,he lost to George C.Scott,who ironically refused to accept his Oscar for "Patton"-Sharp eyed viewers will catch a then unknown actress named Sally Struthers,who went on to play Gloria in the hit TV series "All In The Family"-My favorite scene in "FEP" is when Nicholson gets testy with the waitress in the diner-That's a keeper!-This is Jack Nicholson at his best.
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