Watch Five Easy Pieces

Five Easy Pieces is a 1970 drama film directed by Bob Rafelson and starring Jack Nicholson, Karen Black, and Billy Green Bush. The plot follows Robert Eroica Dupea (played by Nicholson), a former pianist and oil rig worker living a blue-collar life in California. Despite his working-class roots, Robert is intelligent and well-educated, having been raised in a cultured family of musicians. However, he is disillusioned with his life and relationships, and he struggles to find meaning and purpose.

The film opens with Robert working on an oil rig in California with his friend Elton (Billy Green Bush). He is dissatisfied with his life and frequently rebels against his superiors, often getting himself into trouble. Robert leaves the rig and visits his sister Partita (Lois Smith) in Los Angeles before returning to his old life. However, when Robert learns that his father is dying, he decides to visit him at their family home in Washington state.

On the way, Robert picks up a pair of female hitchhikers, Rayette (Karen Black) and Palm (Helena Kallianiotes). Rayette is a working-class waitress with dreams of becoming a country singer, and Robert starts a relationship with her, despite her limited intellectual capacity. The road trip is fraught with tension and conflict, as Robert tries to reconcile his past with his present and future.

Once Robert arrives at his family home, he is forced to confront his past and the expectations of his family. His father is dying, and his sister is struggling to care for him. Robert's brother Carl (Ralph Waite) is a successful pianist who believes that Robert has wasted his potential, and their relationship is strained.

As the family struggles to come to terms with their father's death, Robert's relationship with Rayette deteriorates. He feels trapped by his working-class roots and his relationship with Rayette, and he distances himself from her. Robert eventually decides to leave his family home and return to his old life, but not before he has a final confrontation with Carl.

Five Easy Pieces is a character-driven drama that explores themes of class, identity, and family. Jack Nicholson's performance is captivating, and he brings depth and nuance to his portrayal of Robert. Karen Black is also impressive as Rayette, the working-class waitress who becomes Robert's love interest. The film's cinematography is stark and simple, reflecting the characters' blue-collar lives and the barren landscape they inhabit.

Overall, Five Easy Pieces is a powerful and thought-provoking film that has stood the test of time. It is a must-see for fans of Jack Nicholson and lovers of character-driven dramas.

Five Easy Pieces is a 1970 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 36 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.4 and a MetaScore of 85.