Five Easy Pieces - What the hell was that?

[poindexter]

We watched Jack Nicholson's Five Easy Pieces last night. How on earth was this nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award?

Jack Nicholson is a trust fund baby who leaves his boring family and ****s around on a Bakersfield oil rig. And bangs a couple of broads. And goes home to his boring, piano playing family to see his dad who is dying. Good god, what a waste of time. Okay, fine, it happens. But this movie is considered one of the best of all time? Roger Ebert's best movie of 1970?

 

[Songbird]

Because this ...



... and you know it's because that.

Now, other than that scene for the ages, who knows.

Also, Karen Black is in it and she's in Coppola's best movie of all time, You're a Big Boy Now.

 

[poindexter]

Because this ...



... and you know it's because that.

Now, other than that scene for the ages, who knows.

Also, Karen Black is in it and she's in Coppola's best movie of all time, You're a Big Boy Now.

Jack Nicholson tries an end-around on the Denny's waitress in order to get his plain omelette and toast. And it almost worked, except the waitress sussed it out. And he got mad.

Whoop-de-damn do. That movie sucks.

The good old days weren't always that good.

 

[poindexter]

As the credits rolled at the end, my wife said to me, "You're not picking movies anymore". I couldn't argue with her.

 

[Songbird]

except the waitress sussed it out. And he got mad.

Of course and that’s why it’s a great scene.

Amusing more than great.

Speaking of Ebert …

 

[DanOregon]

You can still eat at that restaurant. Its a Dennys just south of the University of Oregon exit off southbound I-5.

And I think they've eased up on the no substitutions rule.

PS - apparently movie spoke about "class and alienation with heartfelt performances. It's one of the first examples of the New Hollywood era of the 1970s."

I didn't think the movie was "all that" when I saw it, but I imagine when it came out it was a very novel type of storytelling as opposed to the plot-driven fare of the day. It was viewed as more of a character study.

 

[DanielSimpsonDay]

It's no Ordinary People

 

[poindexter]

It's no Ordinary People

That's pretty funny, because Ordinary People is one of my all time favorite movies.

But if were are going to go there, the breakup of a family over the accidental drowning of a son, and the survivor's guilt of the lesser-favored brother who survived, is a ****load more interesting than a trust fund ne'er do well who can't solve life's eternal puzzle of getting a plain omelette and toast at an Oregon Denny's.

 

[Songbird]

Was he ne’er do welling here too?

 

[micropolitan guy]

That's pretty funny, because Ordinary People is one of my all time favorite movies.

But if were are going to go there, the breakup of a family over the accidental drowning of a son, and the survivor's guilt of the lesser-favored brother who survived, is a ****load more interesting than a trust fund ne'er do well who can't solve life's eternal puzzle of getting a plain omelette and toast at an Oregon Denny's.

I also thought it was a pretty darn good movie. Anytime MTM makes you dislike her, she's done a helluva acting job.

 

[DanOregon]

You really need to "pair" Five Easy Pieces with Easy Rider, a movie where Nicholson played a "square" who joins along with Fonda and Hopper on their trip. Very similar films, similar themes, Toni Basil is also in both movies as well. And like "bob and carol and ted and alice" they are all movies somewhat about people "escaping" societal norms. Of course, the success of of all three of these films seems to reflect a growing disenchantment and alienation of the viewing audience with society and expectations.

 

[poindexter]

You really need to "pair" Five Easy Pieces with Easy Rider, a movie where Nicholson played a "square" who joins along with Fonda and Hopper on their trip. Very similar films, similar themes, Toni Basil is also in both movies as well. And like "bob and carol and ted and alice" they are all movies somewhat about people "escaping" societal norms. Of course, the success of of all three of these films seems to reflect a growing disenchantment and alienation of the viewing audience with society and expectations.

lol, "escaping societal norms". He was escaping his weirdo piano-playing family who had money. He banged a few broads, and acted like a jerk for one hour, 38 minutes.

The only redeeming quality of this POS movie was that it was one hour and 38 minutes long.

 

[DanOregon]

I didn't think it was all that either, but movies are a reflection of the current culture. The people of the US were going through some weird "stuff" when it was made. You realize it when you see which movies were considered "emblematic" of their era.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Here's a classic Nicholson role.

 

[DanielSimpsonDay]

That's pretty funny, because Ordinary People is one of my all time favorite movies.

But if were are going to go there, the breakup of a family over the accidental drowning of a son, and the survivor's guilt of the lesser-favored brother who survived, is a ****load more interesting than a trust fund ne'er do well who can't solve life's eternal puzzle of getting a plain omelette and toast at an Oregon Denny's.

I appreciate Ordinary People now more than I did when I was in high school, when it was an in-class assignment and it did not resonate with me AT ALL. Re-watching it in recent years, I was blown away at how against type - and effective - MTM and Sutherland were and how perfect Judd Hirsch was at being who I envision him to be (and creating the archetype for Good Will Hunting's Sean Maguire). Great performances in a story that still does not move the needle (maybe because I haven't fully shaken that first impression).

I still cannot believe OP got the nod over the ambition and performances of Raging Bull or The Elephant Man (one of my all-time favorite movies), especially because they are peak Oscar bait.

5EP's message about searching for belonging and personal fulfillment and, in a remarkably bleak ending, coming up empty, doesn't hit because Robert is so contemptible. He's a miserable ******* at the start and finish of the film and nowhere in that journey does he seem worthy of being otherwise.

Nicholson's character crosses from being an antihero you want to find happiness or redemption to a guy you want to see punished. Maybe the film's ending is intended to be that punishment, but it doesn't seem that way. The movie seems like a pointless journey because there's no growth, change, or catharsis for Robert or the audience. You look forward to the ending of only so you no longer have to spend time with him.

I also think Robert's reatment of women is much more appalling (and rightly so) when viewed through 2025's lens rather than 1970's, and that will definitely lead one to conclude, "What the **** was THAT?"

 

[poindexter]

Re Ordinary People - MTM, Hirsch and especially Sutherland are fantastic in that movie... but Timothy Hutton's teen angst in the whirlpool of his life, (brother drowning, survivor's guilt, seeing a therapist, and just trying to navigate trying to be a normal high school kid) is honestly the best movie performance I've ever seen. The scene in the McDonalds, where he is just trying to have a conversation with a girl he likes, and the high school class clowns come in, reflects the angst and awkwardness of teenagers better than any movie I've ever watched.

If Five Easy Pieces is the best movie of 1970, then 1970 movies were being made by plumbers and firemen, to borrow a phrase from JJ Redick.

 

[Bubbler]

View attachment 19688

lol, "escaping societal norms". He was escaping his weirdo piano-playing family who had money. He banged a few broads, and acted like a jerk for one hour, 38 minutes.

The only redeeming quality of this POS movie was that it was one hour and 38 minutes long.

Always appreciate an appearance from How About No bear. He is eternal.

Never have seen “Five Easy Pieces”. Never really wanted to. There are, of course a ton of movies nominated for Best Picture where you kind of had to be there. Those coming-of-age movies involving Boomers haven’t aged very well, but they’re a reflection of the mores of the time, dated or not.

I’d start a thread about Overrated Movies, but you’d have people nominating stupid **** like superhero flicks and the like.

That would still happen even if the thread title was refined to Overrated Movies Nominated For Best Picture, because guidelines are too hard for many. Or you’d have folks griping about “How are they an arbiter for taste? If I think ‘Fast And The Furious 16’ is the greatest flick evah, then who are they to judge?”

 

[Songbird]

coming-of-age movies

How Vision Quest didn't win Best Picture is beyond me and short of that ...

... how JC Quinn wasn't even ****ing nominated for "6 minutes" is absurdity at its worst*.



* on par with Ditka not letting Walter Payton score a touchdown in the Super Bowl.

 

[DanielSimpsonDay]

Re Ordinary People - MTM, Hirsch and especially Sutherland are fantastic in that movie... but Timothy Hutton's teen angst in the whirlpool of his life, (brother drowning, survivor's guilt, seeing a therapist, and just trying to navigate trying to be a normal high school kid) is honestly the best movie performance I've ever seen. The scene in the McDonalds, where he is just trying to have a conversation with a girl he likes, and the high school class clowns come in, reflects the angst and awkwardness of teenagers better than any movie I've ever watched.

If Five Easy Pieces is the best movie of 1970, then 1970 movies were being made by plumbers and firemen, to borrow a phrase from JJ Redick.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hercules_in_New_York

 

[Bubbler]

Never saw “Ordinary People”, but my hot take is that “Raging Bull” is overrated. Every time I’ve given it a chance, I just get bored, while appreciating the cinematography, etc.