It’s always more powerful to see someone try to *not* cry rather than to cry.

Absolutely love this film. One of the All-Time greats.

I just watched the movie again tonight. I managed not to shed a tear, however, the scene with his father was a real tear-jerker. Loved the movie.

Jack Nicholson is one of the greatest movie actors ever

One of Jack's greatest films.

This movie grew on Me. And now as an adult I totally get it.

Truly great actor. I've enjoyed most of his work. Chinatown still one of my favourites.

A masterful actor

The scene that always gets talked about is where Jack clears the table in the cafe, but this scene in the field with his father is my favorite in the movie. I think it's very moving and as well acted as anything I've ever seen in a film. Thanks for posting the story behind it.

Jack has to be recognised as one of America's great actors.

This film and The Last Detail are my favourite Jack Nicholson films

My favorite Nicholson movie

Only watched this movie once but it made scary sense to me, and everytime i see it mentioned i remember how it made me feel. I don't want to watch it again because I'm afraid that feeling will get messed up. Maybe someday.

Funny, insightful, and VERY moving. Two geniuses made an unforgettable scene together: Rafelson and the actor who played Bobby D's mute, uncomprehending father both turned aside and let Jack find the moment and the words. Thanks, Chief, for posting this

Of course the scene most people remember is the restaurant scene with the chicken salad sandwich.

One of the top 10 greatest American movies from the seventies.

The reason Jack didn’t want to do this scene is because he was loyal to the writer for this particular film (he said he’d usually be loyal to the director but this was the exception). He was close friends with the writer and they both felt this scene wasn’t necessary as it was spoon feeding the audience. She’d written this film and character with it being loosely based on her own family, but on Jack and his family as well (what she knew anyway). This was the second film they had worked on together. He wanted to stay true to her vision and script and also agreed with her. Judging by some of the comments maybe they were both right?

Only saw movie once, a long time ago, but remember this scene well. What I took from it was the utter futility of the outburst (from the character himself) because the father is too senile to even register the proffered olive branch let alone embrace it. A familiar case where you have to accept that some family issues will never be resolved and even if broached earlier the result would probably have been the same. What you can’t change, you’ll have to learn to live with. The other scene I remember is the ending. I won’t spoil it for anyone, but I’ve seldom seen something so harrowing. Letting the credits roll over continued action adds real poignancy. The same technique is used at the end of Midnight Run, though to different effect.

Great film, one of Jack's best, which is saying something.

I would think crying for a scene has to be one of the hardest things to pull off believably.

"I Said ! I'm Not Gonna Hurt Ya Windy . . . I'm Just Gonna Bash Your Brains In."

Never let the truth stand in the way of a good story. That was NOT a locked down camera.

Nicholson at his best. It might be the only time he got into the heart of a character.

I love this film!

great movie...just watched it today

Jack Nicholson ❤

Some of these comments seem to confuse Jack Nicholson with Robert Eroica Dupea the character he portrays. This is a fairly sophisticated movie, not for everyone.

Great film, great anecdote.

Jack is extraordinary talented actor. So talented he made you think he was crying 😂

I do recall Jack crying at the end of About Schmidt, and it broke my heart.

Karen Black is time-machine worthy.

Great film. Saw it when it came out. A few misgivings. No one plays the Chopin fm Fantasy on a broken down upright after not touching the piano for years. Especially after months of oil rig work outdoors. But it's a film of course, and you accept the premise for the sake of the story.

A truly great film.

Bob should've listened. Jack is not a cryer

Great heroes of American cinema. Too bad movies are dead now. Thanks to Marvel

at the beginning of five easy pieces Jack Nicholson has a southern accent but when he goes home he doesn't. check it out.

Not one tear shed by Jack on this one.

An amazing film, start to finish.

Loved Billy Greenbush in this film. The casting was a very good all around.

Great scene

Loved Jack is the best in The Witches of Eastwick, The Crossing Guard, The Pledge, The Shining and About Schmidt

2 huge personalities!

perfect voice

But let's not forget Bruce Dern in The King Of Marvin Gardens an actor who mined his manic type cast vs Jack. Another fascinating Rafalson. Black Sunday 1974 stands out as a stunning expliotation film about the Palestinian vs Isreal conflict. Dern totally maniacal / Marthe Keller ( raise a dead man) and bonkers Robert Shaw doing an absurd accent as the Mossad agent in an insane 007 plot. 😂 A film for our time. 😂 Jeez they don't make em like the 70s anymore.

Only one problem with Bob's "I was the only one with Jack" story is that the camera is being operated by someone...

Karen Black great act

The crying seemed forced in the scene. Contrived

Wonderfully humane movie

When we find someone or a few people who we can be "naturally" creative with magic happens. We compliment each other as we work off each other.

So the camera was in a box and only the director was around with him facing the other way but the scene has the camera moving? What the?

Heeeeeeeere’s Johnny!!!

Maybe the five easy pieces are 1. Bobby 2. Rayette 3. Sister 4. Brother 5. Father These are the characters Bobby is trying to run away from. Maybe

Love the hate love relationship there

EASY RIDER is my fav JN flick

It's an excellent film which I've seen a few times over the decades, but I've absolutely no recollection of that scene. As per the discussion with Rafeson, it was forced on Jack and he just caved.

Wow.

If the camera was fixed, how does it track him while he's performing??

Of course how could I forget China Town and Antonionni's the Passenger jeez massive films of the 70s. Jack was really the first actor I noticed who just dropped any pretense to acting and was just Jack. Really far more original than Pacino Dinero. His face off with Brando in The Missouri Breaks and I gotta say Brando won it. Some one once said Alain Delon worst actor in the world ( vs Vincent Cassel) But the point about Delon - he wasn't actin. Never went anywhere near an actin school. Jack was his level ect.

Seeing Jack cry is so poignant

Listen to his commentary on the The Passenger Dvd totally blow your mind his voice is even more double Jack than his film Jack 😂

Always remember the hitch hike ending when he abandoned Karen Black. Truck Driver : Haven't you got a Jacket? Dupea: No Truck Driver : Were we're going is cold as hell ( Truck drives off End Credits)

I agree with Wow.

If the camera was locked then why does it follow Jack when he moves his head?

I saw it as any man about crying. Your emotions balance on a rim, teeterin around trying not to fall in. Jack had to bring that emotion but did not want to fall in.

"From two of the people who gave you 'Head'." Of course, there's the diner scene, but can we hear it for Jack's fit in the front seat of the car?

LOIS SMITH is 93.

RIP Bob Rafelson.

Does he mean by "cracking up" as in: laughing or weeping in tears?

I’ve seen a lot of men look and act like that when they’re getting emotional for the first time in their adult life. Bobby and Jack crossed paths in that scene. It was supposed to look pathetic.

the greatest actor of all time.

A great film, but was never convinced by Jack’s crying scene, close, but no cigar.

Spoiler alert: when he sneaks away from Karen Black at the end of the movie - she knows where his family lives so she could likely have access to him again (or his family).

Jack Nicholson has not aged at all since Anger Management and the Shining.

WHAT WERE THE FIVE EASY PIECES?

Jack was right.

There were much better scenes in this movie.

I saw the movie in college and remembered that scene when I again look at it maybe 20 years latter.. I was right, it was forced acting all the way!! Jack was not that good yet!!

There's a another credited writer to Five Easy Pieces not mentioned here, which is Carole Eastman. Wonder how much of the script she wrote and what's her take on this scene. In any case, Jack was right, the crying while monologuing comes across as insencere.

Sorry. I never bought Jack Nicholson in that scene. It felt untrue to me. The emotion was not coming from inside him. It was false.

is susan anspach married to the male cellist ?

✨🎁✨

Really? Seemed pretty laboured to me.

The ending was poignant to say the least

Love Jack to pieces but to me he didn't get it. (the crying) it doesn't feel honest.

The scene looks phony. Jack was right not to want to do it.

I don’t believe his crying one minute; Not under the spell of Jack Nicholson at all.

that was terrible 😂

but Alaska is very clean?

It’s a nice story but rather embellished. The camera isn’t locked off, you can see that it pans and tilts to follow Nicholson. Why make crap up instead of just telling what really happened?

that cry scene was garbage. jack was right.

I understand why Jack didn’t want to do it now, it looks contrived and fake!

driest crying I ever saw.......should have used some onion on the glove

Jack's crying is not really authentic is it?

Never met a guy who pushed his glasses up on his forehead who wasn’t full of himself.

Bob Rafelson is like a comedic sketch of what a pretentious artist seems like😂

Karen Black was massive in the 70s like Jack she got sidelined in the 80s. Actually funny thing She's in my favourite picture of all time just last year suddenly found something that was 2020s but had forgotten about. Day Of The Locust 1975 ( Schlesinger) shot on a lunatic scale the ending is the 2nd greatest in Hollywood 70s. according to one critic. It bombed. That type of Gothic and Tinsel nihilism was way too much for Amurika. But now it's very dark indeed. Replaced Un Flic 1973 / Melville. Of 8 years at number 1. Be careful what you wish for.

My memory of this film, I didn't like it al all. Nicholson's character was a pissed off asshole over absofkn lutely nothing. And to start such a character with the iconic "Stand By Your Man" song, if the character was a mentally ill homeless fuck that noone would be with then maybe it could've had Monty Python level humor to it. Idk.

I never thought I'd say this about Jack, but that was some shitty acting

Jack should stuck to his guns, that scene was forgetable

I recently watched “Five Easy Pieces” after hearing of it’s greatness for years. And I must say: I didn’t get it. It was a weak story, with spotty acting at best and an ending that left me feeling as if I just waisted two hours of my life.