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Drama

Five Easy Pieces (1970): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot

Five Easy Pieces (1970) movie poster

Five Easy Pieces is a 1970 drama directed by Bob Rafelson, starring Jack Nicholson, Billy Green Bush and Karen Black. It runs 1 hour 38 minutes and earned $127 worldwide. It won 1 award from 10 nominations, among them 4 Oscar nominations. Critics gave it 89% on Rotten Tomatoes and 85 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.4/10.

IMDb rating
7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes
89%
worldwide gross
$127
award won
1
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Five Easy Pieces (1970) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 38m (98 min)
Director
Bob Rafelson
Genre
Drama
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Five Easy Pieces About?

The premise of Five Easy Pieces without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

A talented pianist rejects his privileged background and chooses a life working in the oil fields of California. He finds connection and romance with a waitress named Rayette, embracing a more unconventional lifestyle. However, a sudden family emergency forces him to return to his wealthy relatives in Washington, bringing his two disparate worlds into conflict and challenging his sense of identity.

Five Easy Pieces Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • pianist
  • alienation
  • on the road
  • drifter
  • father son relationship
  • diner
  • oil field
  • sex standing up
  • pregnancy
  • infidelity
  • rough sex
  • piano
+38 more
  • brother sister relationship
  • national film registry
  • classical music
  • sandwich
  • lesbian
  • musician
  • stroke
  • california
  • bowling
  • violin
  • see through gown
  • hitchhiking
  • wheelchair
  • washington state
  • road trip
  • quitting a job
  • ferry boat
  • dating
  • brother brother relationship
  • self discovery
  • class differences
  • dysfunctional family
  • gas station
  • premarital sex
  • female nudity
  • neck injury
  • eccentricity
  • f rated
  • mirror
  • domestic drama
  • no music during end credits
  • mentor
  • marriage
  • pantyhose
  • road trip adventure
  • legs
  • woman wears pantyhose
  • southern california
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Cast & crew

Five Easy Pieces Cast

Jack Nicholson leads the cast, with Billy Green Bush and Karen Black. Directed by Bob Rafelson; 10 actors are credited in all.

From the director

More from Bob Rafelson

More films directed by Bob Rafelson, best-rated first: Black Widow, The Postman Always Rings Twice, Stay Hungry and Tales of Erotica.

Full filmography
Ratings

Five Easy Pieces Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave Five Easy Pieces 89% on Rotten Tomatoes and 85 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.4/10.

Plot

Five Easy Pieces Plot Summary

What happens in Five Easy Pieces from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Bobby Dupea, portrayed by Jack Nicholson, toils away in a rural oil field in California alongside his friend Elton, played by Billy Green Bush, who has a wife and baby son. During his breaks, Bobby often finds solace at a local diner, cherishing moments with his girlfriend, Rayette, depicted by Karen Black, who harbors dreams of becoming a country music singer. Their weekends are filled with leisure activities, such as bowling and drinking, though Bobby engages with other women, keeping a major aspect of his life hidden—his past as a classical pianist from a quirky musical family.

Full summary

The whole story of Five Easy Pieces, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

Five Easy Pieces Box Office

Five Easy Pieces grossed $127 worldwide.

1970 box office

Worldwide gross

$127

International
$127
Awards

Five Easy Pieces Awards & Nominations

Five Easy Pieces won 1 award from 10 nominations, among them 4 Oscar nominations. Its biggest night was the Golden Globes 1971, with 1 win from 5 nominations.

1 win10 nominations3 ceremonies

  • Golden Globe Awards logo
    Golden Globes 1971 1 win · 5 nominations
    • Won Best Supporting Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama, Comedy or Musical (Supporting Actress) – Karen Black
    • Nominated Best Director – Bob Rafelson
    • Nominated Best Motion Picture – Drama
    • Nominated Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama (Actor) – Jack Nicholson
    • Nominated Best Screenplay
  • Academy Awards (Oscars) logo
    Oscars 1971 4 nominations
    • Nominated Actor – Jack Nicholson
    • Nominated Actress in a Supporting Role – Karen Black
    • Nominated Best Picture
    • Nominated Writing (Story and Screenplay—based on factual material or material not previously published or produced)
  • Directors Guild of America Awards logo
    DGA Awards 1971 1 nomination
Videos

Five Easy Pieces Trailers & Videos

4 videos: 1 trailer, 1 clip and 2 behind-the-scenes videos.

Five Easy Pieces (1970) ORIGINAL TRAILER [HD 1080p]
  • Clip Three Reasons: FIVE EASY PIECES
  • Behind the Scenes Jack Nicholson and Bob Rafelson on Five Easy Pieces’ Diner Scene
  • Behind the Scenes Bob Rafelson - Soul Searching In Five Easy Pieces (2009) (Making of Five Easy Pieces)
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Five Easy Pieces?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What was Bobby Dupea's occupation before abandoning it?

Cars

Cars in Five Easy Pieces

18 cars on screen, including the 1963 Mercury Monterey and the 1966 Volvo Canadienne Station Wagon.

All 18 cars
  • 1963 Mercury Monterey in Five Easy Pieces 1963 Mercury Monterey Main role
  • 1966 Volvo Canadienne Station Wagon in Five Easy Pieces 1966 Volvo Canadienne Station Wagon Important role
  • 1963 Austin A60 Cambrian in Five Easy Pieces 1963 Austin A60 Cambrian Minor role
  • Case 530 CK in Five Easy Pieces Case 530 CK Minor role
Details

Five Easy Pieces Also Known As

22 alternative titles, including “Mi vida es mi vida” and “Cinq pièces faciles”.

Also known as
  • Mi vida es mi vida
  • Cinq pièces faciles
  • 잃어버린 전주곡
  • Cinque pezzi facili
  • Five Easy Pieces - Ein Mann sucht sich selbst
  • Destinos Opostos
  • Öt könnyű darab
  • 五支歌
  • Πέντε Εύκολα Κομμάτια
  • רסיסי חיים
  • Cada Um Vive Como Quer
  • Beş Kolay Parça
+10 more
  • Пет леки пиеси
  • Пять легких пьес
  • Pięć łatwych utworów
  • 浪蕩子
  • Malé životné etudy
  • Rajut kuviot
  • Malé životní etudy
  • ファイブ・イージー・ピーセス
  • Cinc peces fàcils
  • รักสลายที่ปลายทาง

Seen Five Easy Pieces?

FAQ

Five Easy Pieces FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of Five Easy Pieces, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Five Easy Pieces?

Five Easy Pieces runs 1 hour 38 minutes (98 minutes).

When was Five Easy Pieces released?

Five Easy Pieces was released on September 12, 1970.

Who directed Five Easy Pieces?

Five Easy Pieces was directed by Bob Rafelson.

More films by Bob Rafelson

Who is in the cast of Five Easy Pieces?

Five Easy Pieces stars Jack Nicholson, Billy Green Bush and Karen Black, among 10 credited actors.

How much did Five Easy Pieces make at the box office?

Five Easy Pieces grossed $127 worldwide.

How is Five Easy Pieces rated?

Five Easy Pieces has 7.4/10 on IMDb, 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, 85 on Metacritic and 71% on TMDB.

What awards did Five Easy Pieces win?

Five Easy Pieces won 1 award from 10 nominations, including Best Supporting Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama, Comedy or Musical (Supporting Actress) at the Golden Globes 1971.

Does Five Easy Pieces have a post-credit scene?

No. Five Easy Pieces has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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