Five Easy Pieces

Everybody has a past. It’s part of what makes us who we are and why we do the things we do. The scars it leaves however, are never far away. People deal with their past in many ways, be it learning from it, reflecting on it, or burying it. Others, like the man in today’s recommendation deal with it another way...he runs from it. This running has taken him far from his childhood estate on an island Washington to a small home in Texas where we join him in a masterpiece of the seventies.

So if you’re like me and you enjoy film and the impact and emotions they convey, then grab a glass of your preferred liquid and join me for the next little while. For me that’s a glass of Pinot Grigio from our friends at Sutter Home. So sit back, relax and let’s talk about the love of film. Welcome to Glazed Cinema.

Today’s subject is a very interesting subject and one that had a big influence on how films were both made and approached back in the seventies. Taking its namesake from a beginner piano songbook, Five Easy Pieces is a legendary film from 1970. Released under BBS Productions, also responsible for films like Easy Rider and the Last Picture Show, Five Easy Pieces remains a beacon of realism in film.

Although it was released alongside such classics I feel that Five Easy Pieces stands out for a few reasons. One such reason is that its an incredibly honest and real film that shows its grit. There aren’t any frills or extra bits, just a window into one man’s life, shown for what it is and how it is. another reason is how the story is told and the brilliant acting performances turned in by Jack Nicholson, Karen Black, and Lois Smith.

The film follows a man named who works on an oil rig. He goes by Bobby and despite coming from a wealthy and musically inclined family from Washington he lives in Texas, working a blue collar job outdoors. He lives with his girlfriend in a small one bedroom house and doesn’t talk of his past. One day that changes as his self carved path through life is interrupted when he has to return home to visit his ill father.

The film starts with dirt and rocks being poured out of a construction vehicle. There are men banging at pipes under a blue and violet dusk sky. Soon Tammy Wynette’s “Stand by your man” begins to play as we see a car driving down the road, headlights cutting through the night. Behind the wheel is Bobby, played by Jack Nicholson. He enters his home with a six pack of beer in hand. Putting the alcohol in the fridge he keeps one metal cylinder with him. As he cracks it open, taking sip he walks through the living room and peers into the bathroom. Sitting on the sink and applying mascara in the mirror is his girlfriend Rayette, played by Karen Black. They talk of their work days and Rayette’s singing before he tells her they’re going out to see their friends. Now at the bowling alley they sit at a table with their friends Elton and Stoney who are clearly winning the game. Elton works with Bobby and Stoney is his other half. Each time Rayette approaches the line she releases the ball only to watch it go in the gutter. Annoyed by his girlfriend's lack of bowling skill we can can almost see the layers being stripped away as his patience wears thin. Rayette finally hits a strike before they begin taking their shoes off. Wrapping up Rayette is excited about finally hitting the pins, which leads to Bobby verbally lashing out as she leaves the alley to sit in the car. After a conversation with two other ladies he joins her at the car walks where Rayette tells him she doesn’t appreciate the way he talks to her sometimes. As they make up we cut to daytime where Elton and Bobby are working at the oil rig and eating lunch.

These sequences reveal the human character of each individual, baring their warts for us to see. There’s a lot that I appreciate about this film, but its hard hitting grit is among the top. It's incredibly real and nothing is forced...everything feels authentic. I also appreciate how Rayette sticks up for herself and tells him she deserves to be treated better, as she does. He's also a man that is insecure with himself...we get a sense that he's scarred from his past and doesn't want to confront it, only run. In doing so he buries his emotions under jesting or anger. However, that's just what I feel, nothing to the effect is ever really communicated.

Jack’s character is two things to be certain. Complex and flawed. It’s also clear that he doesn’t really know what he wants. He's made a habit of causing problems and then running from those problems. We see him do a few things in the beginning that show us this fact. For instance, he has a nice girlfriend with whom he lives with, but mistreats and cheats on her. There is another side of him that we see short glances of, which we only really see come out when he’s with his family. The most noteworthy moment is when he’s speaking to his father. It's the most fragile and tender we see him and is a wonderful moment. He also loves his sister, who we meet unexpectedly.

At one point he enters a recording studio where we hear a piano being played brilliantly. Standing against the wall Bobby smiles, looking through the glass at a woman playing, passion oozing through her fingers. This is Partita, Bobby’s sister, played by Lois Smith. We can tell that like her brother she is highly skilled at the instrument and through her conversation with the producer that she keeps going off on tangents while playing. Entering the studio at a break in the music Bobby speaks with his sister and learns that their father is very ill. He’s had two stroked and she suggests that he visit him one last time. He agrees, but decides to drive up himself. We can tell through their interaction that they both care about each other despite not having seen one another for years.

He begins to leave by himself, but ends up inviting Rayette to come with him. On the way they pick up two women, who’s car has crashed into a ditch. The pair are quite eccentric and interesting is quite an understatement. They're on their way to Alaska and one of them always talks about how everything is crap. Everything is filth and dirt and the world is crap, but she doesn’t want to talk about it. The pair are on their way to Alaska because it’s cleaner and untouched by man. I can’t begin to count how many times the word crap is uttered here, but by the time they enter the diner I think I’d be as wound up as Bobby is. This tension and annoyance comes out in its own way. What happens is one of the most famous sequences in the film and it’s possible you’ve witnessed that scene alone.

It isn’t until he arrives home that we see what is under the multi layered exterior. He arrives home in Washington by boarding a ferry to an island. Arriving at a two story Victorian mansion we are from from his abode in Texas. Here, instead of Bobby they call him Robert. His family is full of talented musicians, which includes his brother Carl, sister Partita, and sister in law Catherine. His father too was a concert pianist in his youth. Bobby is a counter image of his upbringing, seemingly rebelling and running from his past…in whatever form that takes.

At its core Five Easy Pieces is a character study of a rather complex man who has come to a crossroads. Through this snippet of his life we see the duality of the character. One who is insecure, short tempered, and lustful and another who is fragile, emotional, and fun loving. He hides this second side of himself under his hardened exterior, afraid or ashamed to show or share his emotions.

One of my favorite scenes is when Bobby and Elton are driving down the freeway when they hit traffic. Losing his temper over the honking horns he exits the vehicle. Getting out of the car he yells at cars declaring “Why don’t you line up like a goddamn bunch of ants at the most beautiful part of the day a…..” A car pulls up with a dog peaking through the window, obscuring the driver and interrupts him with loud and aggressive barking. He answers with his owns scowling and barking in a fashion that only the great Jack Nicholson could perform. Soon he gets up onto a truck bed and begins playing a piano. As cars honk we can hear the brilliant sound of the piano play as his head and fingers wave with passion. The truck slowly starts to pull away and exit, leaving Elton behind in the car a she continues to play.

I love that scene. It’s so unexpected and it’s the first glimpse we get that Bobby has musical abilities and underlying talents. That there is something more behind the man than what we’ve seen thus far. It's a scene that despite being short conveys quite a bit about the man we're following.

Five Easy Pieces is directed by Bob Rafelson and he did a tremendous job here. I'm familiar with a couple of his other works, but this is definitely his masterpiece. Besides being a director he also was a writer and producer who helped several films under the BBS brand succeed. As a co-founder he and Bert Scheider worked to release dramas that were low budget projects. Like Roger Corman of sci-fi this helped young creatives an outlet to make films. Along with Bob, Jack Nicholson, and Karen Black also played a part in that, having starred in a number of their films released by the company in the 60s and 70s.

This film does many things for me. It makes me sympathize, question, and sympathize. Through emotions like laughter, shock, and confusion it keeps me guessing and wanting to see more. I enjoy Five Easy Pieces because it’s a glance at a life foreign to my own. One that is messy and erratic, but deeply affecting and honest. Like any character study I find it extremely interesting as it’s a look at an experience very different from my own. A look at a flawed individual, seemingly looking toward self destruction.

If you have never witnessed Five Easy Pieces I highly recommend you tune in, especially if you really enjoy film. It’s a journey worth experiencing and one that I’m sure will affect you in some way. The director Bob Rafelson hit a hone run with this film. It has gone down in film history for it’s impact and influence on audiences and creatives alike. I hope if you do press play on this classic you enjoy the journey.

If you'd like to watch Five Easy Pieces for yourself you can find it on a variety of streaming services. At the time of this recording you can find Five Easy Pieces on streaming services like Prime Video, YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV, and Vudu for ether $2.99 or $3.99 to rent.

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