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Five Easy Pieces: The story in stills

Jack Nicholson

Main details

Year: 1970
Language: English
Country: USA
Runtime: 98 minutes
Color: Color
Sound: Mono
Genre: Drama

Sweden 11
Italy VM14
Argentina 13
Peru 14
Australia M
Finland K-16
New Zealand R16
USA R
UK AA

Mi vida es mi vida - Argentina, Peru, Spain
Cada Um Vive Como Quer - Brazil
Cinque pezzi facili - Italy
Destinos Opostos - Portugal
Ein Mann sucht sich selbst - West Germany
Five Easy Pieces - Denmark
Pente efkola kommatia - Greece
Piec latwych utworów - Poland
Rajut kuviot - Finland

Academy Awards 1971, USA
Nominated Best Actor -> Jack Nicholson
Nominated Best Actress in a Supporting -> Role Karen Black
Nominated Best Writing, -> Bob Rafelson and Carole Eastman
Nominated Best Picture

Directors Guild of America 1971, USA
Nominated Outstanding Directorial Achievement -> Bob Rafelson

Golden Globes 1971, USA
Won Best Supporting Actress -> Karen Black
Nominated Best Motion Picture
Nominated Best Motion Picture Actor -> Jack Nicholson
Nominated Best Motion Picture Director -> Bob Rafelson
Nominated Best Screenplay -> Bob Rafelson and Carole Eastman

National Society of Film Critics Awards 1971, USA
Won Best Supporting Actress Lois Smith

New York Film Critics Circle Awards 1970
Won Best Director -> Bob Rafelson
Won Best Film
Won Best Supporting Actress -> Karen Black

Writers Guild of America 1971, USA
Nominated Best Drama Written Directly for the Screen -> Carole Eastman

Five Easy Pieces

I'm sorry it didn't work out.

Photo of Jack Nicholson and William Challee

Bobby Eroica Dupea (Jack Nicholson) leads a blue-collar life as an oil rigger, living with needy waitress girlfriend Rayette (Karen Black). He used to be a talented musician, raised in a musical family. Bobby is as much of a misfit among the common community as he is among the musical atmosphere of his family.

He learns from his sister (Lois Smith) that his father had a stroke, and agrees to see his father one last time. Bobby must rejoin his family but he finds the same boring, elite upper-class atmosphere he left years before. After trying to reconcile with his mute father, Bobby departs, unwilling to give in to either destiny.

Cast:

Jack Nicholson ... Robert Eroica Dupea
(Bob Rafelson ... Director)
Susan Anspach ... Catherine Van Oost
Toni Basil ... Terry Grouse
Karen Black ... Rayette Dipesto
William Challee ... Nicholas Dupea
Fannie Flagg ... Stoney
Billy Green Bush ... Elton
Helena Kallianiotes ... Palm Apodaca
Marlena MacGuire ... Twinky
Lois Smith ... Partita Dupea
Richard Stahl ... Recording Engineer
Sally Struthers ... Betty
Ralph Waite ... Carl Fidelio Dupea

Trailers:

http://akas.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2460418329/

Bibliography » Books:

Bibliography » Web:

News

74 years ago, Karen Black was born. (Rayette Dipesto)
(July 01, 1939)

85 years ago, Ralph Waite was born. (Carl Fidelio Dupea)
(June 22, 1928)

Trivia

The title refers to the five classical pieces that are played during the movie.

Chopin: Fantasy in F Minor Op. 49, played by Dupea on the back of a moving truck.

Bach: Chromatic fantasia and Fugue, played by Dupea's sister, Partita, in a recording studio.

Mozart: E-flat Maj. Concerto K.271, played by Dupea's brother, Carl, and Catherine upon Bobby's arrival to the island.

Chopin: Prelude Opus 28, No. 4 in E Minor, played by Dupea for Catherine.

Mozart: Fantasy in D Minor K.397

Robert Eroica Dupea was named after Beethoven's Third Symphony (1804).

Carl Fidelio Dupea was named after an opera by Beethoven (1805).

Partita Dupea was named after an instrumental piece composed of a series of variations.

The song played by Dupea on the piano in the back of the truck driving down the road is Chopin's "Fantasy" in F.

Carole Eastman wanted Jeanne Moreau as Catherine.

Ellen Burstyn was considered for the role of Rayette.

Jack Nicholson wanted Lauren Hutton as Catherine.

In Carole Eastman's original script, Catherine Van Oost was supposed to be an older woman. But director Bob Rafelson transformed her into a young beauty who is Carl's protégé.

Susan Anspach was actually tested for the part of Rayette, but won the part of Catherine after Carol Lynley withdrew.

Jack Nicholson wanted Janis Joplin to have the part of Palm Apodaca, but it was never offered to her.

The traffic jam on the freeway was shot on a new and unopened section of Interstate 5 near Bakersfield, Ca.

The movie's conversation "You want me to hold the chicken, huh?" - "I want you to hold it between your knees." between Robert and the waitress was voted as the #98 of "The 100 Greatest Movie Lines" by Premiere in 2007.

Jack Nicholson wrote some of his own lines for the monologue Bobby says to his father.

Janis Joplin was approached to play Palm, the hitchhiking ecology freak.

SPOILER: Carole Eastman's original ending had Dupea driving his car off a bridge. Rayette survives the crash, Dupea does not.

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Five Easy Pieces

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Five Easy Pieces

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Trivia