Jack Nicholson Movie Extravaganza 1 – Five Easy Pieces (1970)

Following Jack Nicholson’s breakout supporting turn in Easy Rider, director Bob Rafelson devised a powerful leading role for the new star in the searing character study Five Easy Pieces. Nicholson plays the now iconic cad Bobby Dupea, a shiftless thirtysomething oil rigger and former piano prodigy immune to any sense of responsibility, who returns to his upper-middle-class childhood home, blue-collar girlfriend in tow, to see his estranged, ailing father. Moving in its simplicity and gritty in its textures, Five Easy Pieces is a lasting example of early 1970s American alienation. (Criterion)

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This is a 3 part discussion series extravaganza on movies starring Jack Nicholson, hosted by Sam. Please watch the movie before each discussion. You can stream Five Easy Pieces here or rent it on various platforms online (for best quality.)

1. Wednesday December 13 – Five Easy Pieces (1970) directed by Bob Rafelson
2. Wednesday December 20 – The Passenger (1975) directed by Michelangelo Antonioni
3. Friday December 29 – Chinatown (1974) directed by Roman Polanski

Jack Nicholson is not only a top-notch actor but the choices he made are an intriguing way of getting a better handle on the "last golden age" of (New) Hollywood which lasted roughly from 1967 to 1975. 1974 is considered the peak year when Chinatown was released, and with the malignant arrival of Jaws and Star Wars shortly afterwards, the era when "movies meant something" came to a juddering halt. Or, so they say and we can go over these salty opinions in these 3 year-end tributes to a great actor and a great era ;)