Five Easy Pieces
Short description
Robert Dupea comes from a cultured family and was once a gifted classical pianist, but he has turned his back on that world. He now drifts through a series of manual jobs, spending his free time drinking, playing poker and avoiding any real commitment to Rayette, his affectionate but uncomplicated girlfriend. When his sister tracks him down and word arrives that his father is dying, Robert takes Rayette with him to the family home, where he meets Catherine, a refined woman who draws him back toward the life he abandoned. Caught between two very different worlds, he is forced to confront questions about who he is and what he wants.
Five Easy Pieces was released in 1970 and was directed by Bob Rafelson, whose filmography also includes Head before it and Stay Hungry, The Postman Always Rings Twice, Black Widow, Man Trouble and No Good Deed after it. Carole Eastman wrote the screenplay, and Rafelson produced with Richard Wechsler. Jack Nicholson leads as Robert, with Karen Black as Rayette, Susan Anspach as Catherine, Lois Smith as Partita, Ralph Waite as Carl and Billy Green Bush as Elton.
Made for about 2 million dollars by Columbia Pictures and BBS Productions, the film took roughly 18 million dollars worldwide. It holds a 7.4 rating on IMDb from around 44,000 votes and a 7.1 on TMDB from a much smaller number. The critics' rating of 8.8 from 55 reviews is notably higher than either audience score.
What's left behind the scenes
- The situation in the film's ending at the cafe, when Bobby sweeps all the dishes off the table after a quarrel with the waitress, was inspired by a real-life incident. Jack Nicholson did the same thing when his coffee was taken away and carried off, even though he had just arrived and placed an order. This happened because a group of actors who had been there for several hours were being kicked out of the cafe, and Nicholson had just entered and joined them.
- “Five Easy Pieces” is the title of a collection of pieces for beginning pianists.
- In the original script, Katherine was supposed to be much older, but director Bob Rafelson made her a young beauty, the protégé of the character played by Ralph Waite (1928-2014).
- A disagreement occurred between director Bob Rafelson and Jack Nicholson over how to play the scene where Bobby talks to his father. The director insisted that Nicholson's character burst into tears, but the actor flatly refused. Eventually, they decided not to complicate things and allowed Nicholson to play the scene as he saw fit, and at a certain point, the actor actually did cry. The scene was filmed in one take.
Similar movies
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
