Review of Five Easy Pieces (1970) by Byron B — 27 Aug 2013

"You're a strange person, Robert. I mean, what will you come to? If a person has no love for himself, no respect for himself, no love of his friends, family, work, something - how can he ask for love in return? I mean, why should he ask for it?" -Cathy (Susan Anspach) says.

This BBS Production written by Carole Eastman and Bob Rafelson is rife with late 60's, early 70's ennui. Rafelson is careful to create a character who is not self-destructive, but always searching. Bobbie Dupea (Jack Nicholson) fills his life with meaningless sex and unfulfilling work, since he says he finds no emotional connection with his intellectual family or the career as concert pianist that was expected of him. The soundtrack mixes several classical pieces with Tammy Wynette country to interesting effect. Also beautiful photography is juxtaposed with somewhat random scenes of disconnected people who temporarily cross through Bobbie's life. Karen Black is Bobbie's girlfriend Rayette. She is a bit ditzy, but really very sweetly in love with Bobbie, who won't return the love as he sleeps around and pushes her away by various methods. Bobbie's sister (Lois Smith) and brother (Ralph Waite) have remained at home on an island off of Washington state to care for their invalid father. Cathy (Anspach) is Bobbie's brother's girlfriend, but he decides to make her a conquest too. Some of the biggest laughs come when unpretentious Rayette eventually intrudes on the Dupea family and their friends. Yet there is a lot of tension beneath the surface amongst all these people who are broken in one way or another.