list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Five Easy Pieces on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Five_Easy_Pieces/11822/default.aspx Title: Five Easy Pieces
Year: 1970
Director: Bob Rafelson
Plot: A disaffected man seeks a sense of identity in one of the key films of Hollywood's 1970s New Wave. Once a promising pianist from a family of classical musicians, Bobby Eroica Dupea (Jack Nicholson, in his first major starring role) leads a blue-collar life as an oil rigger, living with needy waitress girlfriend Rayette (Karen Black) and bowling with their friends Elton (Billy "Green" Bush) and Stoney (Fannie Flagg). Feeling suffocated by responsibilities, Bobby seeks out his sister, Tita (Lois Smith), and, discovering that his father is gravely ill, he reluctantly heads back to the patrician family compound in Puget Sound with a pregnant Rayette in tow. After a road trip featuring a harangue from hitchhiker Palm (Helena Kallianiotes) about filth, and Bobby's ill-fated attempt to make a menu substitution in a diner, he tucks Rayette away in a motel before heading to the house. There Bobby seduces his uptight brother Carl's cultured fiancée, Catherine (Susan Anspach), but Rayette shows up unexpectedly. As Rayette's crassness collides with the snobbery of the Dupea circle, Bobby loses patience with both sides. After trying to reconcile with his mute father, Bobby departs, unwilling to give in to either destiny. Director Bob Rafelson and screenwriter Adrien Joyce (aka Carole Eastman) used the creative control afforded by the low budget to craft a European-influenced character study, catching a cultural mood of anomie and resentment as it was embodied in Bobby. Neither older generation nor hippie, Bobby fits in nowhere, and his desire for independence conflicts with his emotional emptiness. Nicholson's nuanced performance of simmering frustration resonated with 1970 audiences caught between Nixon's "silent majority" and the troubled counterculture; a substantial hit, Five Easy Pieces was nominated for several Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor, and established Nicholson as a star. Offering no "easy" answers to Bobby's existential crisis, Five Easy Pieces is one of the pre-eminent films in the early-'70s cycle of alienated American art movies, as even the fantasy of rebellion is reduced to merely running away. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 48
Number of Lists: 26
Number of blog posts: 6
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Sun, 26 Oct 2008 23:21:24 GMTFive Easy Pieces1970Bob RafelsonA disaffected man seeks a sense of identity in one of the key films of Hollywood's 1970s New Wave. Once a promising pianist from a family of classical musicians, Bobby Eroica Dupea (<a href="/players/P___104455/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Jack Nicholson</a>, in his first major starring role) leads a blue-collar life as an oil rigger, living with needy waitress girlfriend Rayette (<a href="/players/P____82001/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Karen Black</a>) and bowling with their friends Elton (Billy "Green" Bush) and Stoney (<a href="/players/P____89933/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Fannie Flagg</a>). Feeling suffocated by responsibilities, Bobby seeks out his sister, Tita (<a href="/players/P____66486/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Lois Smith</a>), and, discovering that his father is gravely ill, he reluctantly heads back to the patrician family compound in Puget Sound with a pregnant Rayette in tow. After a road trip featuring a harangue from hitchhiker Palm (<a href="/players/P____36709/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Helena Kallianiotes</a>) about filth, and Bobby's ill-fated attempt to make a menu substitution in a diner, he tucks Rayette away in a motel before heading to the house. There Bobby seduces his uptight brother Carl's cultured fiancée, Catherine (<a href="/players/P_____1885/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Susan Anspach</a>), but Rayette shows up unexpectedly. As Rayette's crassness collides with the snobbery of the Dupea circle, Bobby loses patience with both sides. After trying to reconcile with his mute father, Bobby departs, unwilling to give in to either destiny. Director <a href="/players/P___107395/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Bob Rafelson</a> and screenwriter Adrien Joyce (aka Carole Eastman) used the creative control afforded by the low budget to craft a European-influenced character study, catching a cultural mood of anomie and resentment as it was embodied in Bobby. Neither older generation nor hippie, Bobby fits in nowhere, and his desire for independence conflicts with his emotional emptiness. Nicholson's nuanced performance of simmering frustration resonated with 1970 audiences caught between Nixon's "silent majority" and the troubled counterculture; a substantial hit, Five Easy Pieces was nominated for several Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor, and established Nicholson as a star. Offering no "easy" answers to Bobby's existential crisis, Five Easy Pieces is one of the pre-eminent films in the early-'70s cycle of alienated American art movies, as even the fantasy of rebellion is reduced to merely running away. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide48Tag Target (>10)2663http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t044915a2pb.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Five_Easy_Pieces/11822/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/dibot/archive/2008/5/16/29304.aspx Post By: dibot
Post To: dibot Blog
Post Date: 5/16/2008 4:30:39 PM
Body: Okay, round two for today.The Awful Truth wasn't terrible, nor was it good. Irene Dunne ("It Grows on Trees") and Cary Grant ("Walk Don't Run") have good chemistry and Grant is gorgeous as always, but I just didn't feel the repartee. The two star as a married couple who have suspicions about each other and so decide to get a divorce. Then they interfere into each other's new romantic attempts. It's a screwball comedy. And I've shown before that I don't always "get" this genre. And since it's 89% fresh here on RT, it probably is just me.Insatiable is an After Dark film and it represents on of the worst of the bunch. A really lame guy witnesses a hot vampire chick killing a homeless man. He becomes obsessed with her and attempts to capture her and teach her to feel. Boring. Poorly acted. Ludicrous plot. Please avoid.The Raven is a strange Roger Corman ("Searchers 2.0") film about warring wizards, starring Vincent Price ("Edward Scissorhands"). It's a B-movie in all its glory. There's overacting by Price and costars Peter Lorre ("The Patsy") and Boris Karloff ("The Fear Chamber"). The plot is silly. The dialogue too. The colors are over the top, and a very young Jack Nicholson ("The Bucket List") wanders around too. I quite enjoyed it. Plus, it has Price reading "The Raven" in that awesome voice.Five Easy Pieces stars Jack Nicholson ("The Bucket List") as an classical pianist who abandons his upper class life and starts working on an oil-rig. When he receives word that his father is ill, he goes to visit the life he left behind. Bringing along his somewhat trashy girlfriend, Rayette (Karen Black, "One Long Night"), he confronts his old life. This is definitely a character study, and a good one. Nicholson is very revealing as he wars between his desire to rebel and his talent. I need to see this again, but enjoyed this first viewing.I took my four-year-old nephew to see Nim's Island and he mostly enjoyed it. Though he got bored a few times, I think those were the times I was most interested. Jodie Foster ("The Brave One") plays an adventure writer afraid to leave her house. She receives a S.O.S. email from a young girl, Abigail Breslin ("Definitely, Maybe"), who thinks Foster is the hero from her books. Breslin is wounded and alone on a secluded island trying to survive storms and invading tourists. Foster tries to brave the world and save her. It was amusing, especially Foster's bits. And Breslin's interactions with the island animals were really sweet. Take the youngsters.
]]>Fri, 16 May 2008 20:30:39 GMTdibotdibot Blog5/16/2008 4:30:39 PMOkay, round two for today.The Awful Truth wasn't terrible, nor was it good. Irene Dunne ("It Grows on Trees") and Cary Grant ("Walk Don't Run") have good chemistry and Grant is gorgeous as always, but I just didn't feel the repartee. The two star as a married couple who have suspicions about each other and so decide to get a divorce. Then they interfere into each other's new romantic attempts. It's a screwball comedy. And I've shown before that I don't always "get" this genre. And since it's 89% fresh here on RT, it probably is just me.Insatiable is an After Dark film and it represents on of the worst of the bunch. A really lame guy witnesses a hot vampire chick killing a homeless man. He becomes obsessed with her and attempts to capture her and teach her to feel. Boring. Poorly acted. Ludicrous plot. Please avoid.The Raven is a strange Roger Corman ("Searchers 2.0") film about warring wizards, starring Vincent Price ("Edward Scissorhands"). It's a B-movie in all its glory. There's overacting by Price and costars Peter Lorre ("The Patsy") and Boris Karloff ("The Fear Chamber"). The plot is silly. The dialogue too. The colors are over the top, and a very young Jack Nicholson ("The Bucket List") wanders around too. I quite enjoyed it. Plus, it has Price reading "The Raven" in that awesome voice.Five Easy Pieces stars Jack Nicholson ("The Bucket List") as an classical pianist who abandons his upper class life and starts working on an oil-rig. When he receives word that his father is ill, he goes to visit the life he left behind. Bringing along his somewhat trashy girlfriend, Rayette (Karen Black, "One Long Night"), he confronts his old life. This is definitely a character study, and a good one. Nicholson is very revealing as he wars between his desire to rebel and his talent. I need to see this again, but enjoyed this first viewing.I took my four-year-old nephew to see Nim's Island and he mostly enjoyed it. Though he got bored a few times, I think those were the times I was most interested. Jodie Foster ("The Brave One") plays an adventure writer afraid to leave her house. She receives a S.O.S. email from a young girl, Abigail Breslin ("Definitely, Maybe"), who thinks Foster is the hero from her books. Breslin is wounded and alone on a secluded island trying to survive storms and invading tourists. Foster tries to brave the world and save her. It was amusing, especially Foster's bits. And Breslin's interactions with the island animals were really sweet. Take the youngsters. http://www.spout.com/blogs/cinemarian/archive/2008/5/12/28571.aspx Post By: CinemaRian
Post To: CinemaRian Blog
Post Date: 5/12/2008 11:12:28 AM
Body: Five Easy Pieces (1970)Note: Once again, a surprise plot development is revealed in this review. Five Easy Pieces is best remembered for two things: as the movie that proved that Jack Nicholson was a great actor, and as a transition of New Hollywood from 60's counterculture films to more restrained efforts. It's lost much of its uniqueness now, but it's still a good movie with a great performance. Nicholson stars as an eccentric and somewhat mean-spirited guy named Bobby Dupree. Bobby works as an oil worker in a field in either Oregon or northern California and lives in a trailer park with his girlfriend Rayette (Karen Black). Their relationship is not good- Bobby verbally abuses Raylette and cheats on her. He seems despises himself and the world he lives in, berating a friend as being white trash even though the friend's situation is no better than Bobby's. Then, there is a surprise turn of events. Bobby is summoned to a recording studio by his pianist sister (Lois Smith) and told that his father (Ralph Waite) is dying. We now learn the truth about Bobby- he was born in an upper class family, but could never fulfill his parents expectations of being a great musician. Bobby does return home to Seattle to say goodbye to his father, but the trip nearly tears him apart psychologically- he is miserable in both white and blue collar worlds. In his essay on the film, Roger Ebert noted that the movie might be considered the first Sundance film, though I don't think that's really a good thing. It is certainly a forerunner to the popular independent dramadies we've had since the late '90's, with an emphasis on quirky humor (a lot of which is actually funny here, including the famous scene set at a diner) and dysfunctional families. The problem is that I've seen this material so many times that any originality this movie might have had in 1970 is long since gone. The movie's best asset is obvious- Nicholson's performance. This is the Jack persona we would see variations on in countless future films- eccentric, manic, sarcastic, driven. In addition to the comedy, there is a scene near the end of the film where Bobby addresses his now-mute father that is extremely well played. It is not easy to take what is essentially a light comic character and do serious dramatic material with it, but Nicholson does it effortlessly. I think he probably deserved to win the Oscar for Best Actor of 1970 instead of George C. Scott. The movie though, is merely good. After the big surprise in the middle of the film, you won't be surprised by much else, though the film is pleasant. But Nicholson's performance will stay with you. His character is more compelling than what happens to him. I wish Bob Rafelson had done a sequel to this movie sometime in the 90's or beyond, a totally dramatic film that would so what happened to Bobby. I want to know whether he fits in anywhere after thirty years.
]]>Mon, 12 May 2008 15:12:28 GMTCinemaRianCinemaRian Blog5/12/2008 11:12:28 AMFive Easy Pieces (1970)Note: Once again, a surprise plot development is revealed in this review. Five Easy Pieces is best remembered for two things: as the movie that proved that Jack Nicholson was a great actor, and as a transition of New Hollywood from 60's counterculture films to more restrained efforts. It's lost much of its uniqueness now, but it's still a good movie with a great performance. Nicholson stars as an eccentric and somewhat mean-spirited guy named Bobby Dupree. Bobby works as an oil worker in a field in either Oregon or northern California and lives in a trailer park with his girlfriend Rayette (Karen Black). Their relationship is not good- Bobby verbally abuses Raylette and cheats on her. He seems despises himself and the world he lives in, berating a friend as being white trash even though the friend's situation is no better than Bobby's. Then, there is a surprise turn of events. Bobby is summoned to a recording studio by his pianist sister (Lois Smith) and told that his father (Ralph Waite) is dying. We now learn the truth about Bobby- he was born in an upper class family, but could never fulfill his parents expectations of being a great musician. Bobby does return home to Seattle to say goodbye to his father, but the trip nearly tears him apart psychologically- he is miserable in both white and blue collar worlds. In his essay on the film, Roger Ebert noted that the movie might be considered the first Sundance film, though I don't think that's really a good thing. It is certainly a forerunner to the popular independent dramadies we've had since the late '90's, with an emphasis on quirky humor (a lot of which is actually funny here, including the famous scene set at a diner) and dysfunctional families. The problem is that I've seen this material so many times that any originality this movie might have had in 1970 is long since gone. The movie's best asset is obvious- Nicholson's performance. This is the Jack persona we would see variations on in countless future films- eccentric, manic, sarcastic, driven. In addition to the comedy, there is a scene near the end of the film where Bobby addresses his now-mute father that is extremely well played. It is not easy to take what is essentially a light comic character and do serious dramatic material with it, but Nicholson does it effortlessly. I think he probably deserved to win the Oscar for Best Actor of 1970 instead of George C. Scott. The movie though, is merely good. After the big surprise in the middle of the film, you won't be surprised by much else, though the film is pleasant. But Nicholson's performance will stay with you. His character is more compelling than what happens to him. I wish Bob Rafelson had done a sequel to this movie sometime in the 90's or beyond, a totally dramatic film that would so what happened to Bobby. I want to know whether he fits in anywhere after thirty years. http://www.spout.com/blogs/bitelittledogy4/archive/2007/12/25/23215.aspx Post By: bitelittledogy4
Post To: bitelittledogy4 Blog
Post Date: 12/25/2007 9:03:18 PM
Body:  This is one of my favorite films, a friend  turned me on to it...she actually recites the dialogue when ever she watches the movie.
]]>Wed, 26 Dec 2007 02:03:18 GMTbitelittledogy4bitelittledogy4 Blog12/25/2007 9:03:18 PM  This is one of my favorite films, a friend  turned me on to it...she actually recites the dialogue when ever she watches the movie. http://www.spout.com/blogs/jakestevens/archive/2007/10/12/20755.aspx Post By: JakeStevens
Post To: JakeStevens Blog
Post Date: 10/12/2007 1:10:10 PM
Body: This is the first of six Bob Rafelson and Jack Nicholson collaborations, and according to Rafelson the first of an informal trilogy (Five Easy Pieces, The King Of Marvin Gardens and Blood And Wine) where Nicholson plays, in sequence, son, brother and father. I've watched this several times now and it's easy to see why Nicholson became such a big star - his acting is top notch here and something new in Nicholson's performance shines through with each viewing. At the time of it's release, it spoke to a confused, angry generation that didn't seem to fit in anywhere - and it couldn't be more relevant today. Nicholson can turn from raging to sullen to amiable at the drop of a hat, and you're with him every second (see the classic 'diner scene' for a concise example). His Bobby Dupea character is a tragic figure on an emotional island - you see him struggle with the Blue Collar mentality and wrestle with high-brow pomposity. Quite a sad film, I must say - and the ending's ambiguity couldn't be more apt (I don't want to give it away). Genius!
]]>Fri, 12 Oct 2007 17:10:10 GMTJakeStevensJakeStevens Blog10/12/2007 1:10:10 PMThis is the first of six Bob Rafelson and Jack Nicholson collaborations, and according to Rafelson the first of an informal trilogy (Five Easy Pieces, The King Of Marvin Gardens and Blood And Wine) where Nicholson plays, in sequence, son, brother and father. I&#39;ve watched this several times now and it&#39;s easy to see why Nicholson became such a big star - his acting is top notch here and something new in Nicholson&#39;s performance shines through with each viewing. At the time of it&#39;s release, it spoke to a confused, angry generation that didn&#39;t seem to fit in anywhere - and it couldn&#39;t be more relevant today. Nicholson can turn from raging to sullen to amiable at the drop of a hat, and you&#39;re with him every second (see the classic &#39;diner scene&#39; for a concise example). His Bobby Dupea character is a tragic figure on an emotional island - you see him struggle with the Blue Collar mentality and wrestle with high-brow pomposity. Quite a sad film, I must say - and the ending&#39;s ambiguity couldn&#39;t be more apt (I don&#39;t want to give it away). Genius! http://www.spout.com/blogs/jlgdrd/archive/2007/8/14/18033.aspx Post By: jlgdrd
Post To: Wicked Fun
Post Date: 8/14/2007 3:09:00 AM
Body: Often there comes a time when a bad (or inept, or failed) movie will unwittingly tip its hand. It could be a piece of dialogue that encapsulates a central flaw, or it might be a device that functions as damage control. In Gypsy 83, it’s a chapter when Gypsy and Clive, en route to a singing competition in New York, spend an evening with a more or less retired singer, Bambi LeBleau (Karen Black). She is congenial, down-to-earth, unperturbed and dishonest only in the sense that she is trying to put a brave face on adversity. Black has been acting for at least thirty years now (Five Easy Pieces, Nashville, Easy Rider) and her screen presence and skill are so effortless that they too often go unnoticed. Her performance appears to infect Sara Rue (Gypsy) and Kett Turton (Clive) who seem completely different in this sequence, and outshines them in the rest of the film. She’s invested in the role, but experienced enough to trust her intuitions. When they decide to leave Bambi behind as if she were some kind of albatross, the irony could bring down a skyscraper. And you have to wonder if even the director, Todd Stephens, was in on the joke. Twenty minutes into Gypsy 83, watching Clive and Gypsy tape each other in a graveyard, chilling in Clive’s basement and shocking the bourgeoisie bumpkins in Sandusky, Ohio, I wanted to pull out my hair. It’s not that I couldn’t understand why they loved each other, spent all their time together, or sought refuge in Goth regalia. Living in a middle-class, Midwestern wasteland, I’m sure jet-black hair dye and purple eye shadow would provide a great sense of relief. But it all felt so contrived. So lame. When I compare it to other films where we’re asked to sympathize with outcasts and fringe dwellers or at least enjoy their anarchy, it rings hollow. In movies like Rumble Fish , Prey For Rock and Roll , Better Luck Tomorrow, even Rebel Without a Cause, we care about the protagonists, we understand their struggles, but we never feel sorry for them. When the Greasers kicked ass at the end of The Outsiders, you’d better believe I was cheering for them. I was yelling at the screen. Gypsy and Clive don’t even play out as antiheroes, they’re just a little too waiflike. To an excessive degree, Stephens doesn’t trust us to recognize their frailties without having them spelled out in dialogue. To let the camera convey meaning. Sara Rue’s best moments are when she’s singing, though I think making her a Stevie Nicks clone was a mistake. She’s confident and instinctive, and it’s truly pleasurable to listen to her gravelly, magnificent voice. The rest of the time her performance and Kett Turton’s feel just horribly forced. They look really good, but lack conviction. And frankly, I never thought a film of this sort could be so hokey. During their road trip to The Big Apple the two pick up an Amish hitchhiker (Anson Scoville) and he’s so stiff (not because he’s Amish but amateurish) that you get the impression Stephens chose him solely on pretty-boy appeal. In an early scene where Gypsy tells off a dowager, clearly intended to represent Decent Society, the movie just comes to a halt. The old woman’s speech sounds so flat and didactic. This may be in a sense accurate, but it’s bad writing, bad acting. The two women aren’t connecting with each other or the audience. It’s pretty sad when a film can’t incite animosity for a character we’re predisposed to hate. Gypsy 83 has all the earmarks of a project that looked good on paper. And it has the plot elements for good narrative: search for identity, the missing mother, coming clean, owning up, painful truths, escape to the shining Metropolis, the homoeroticism behind fraternities. Though, of course, the problem is less about content than execution. Stephens wastes numerous opportunities to dramatize what he pisses away on text. The film is 92 minutes long, but goes it on and on. There are plausible, impressive episodes like when Gypsy succumbs to fear at a karaoke contest, or Zechariah (Amish boy on the lam) spontaneously kisses Clive on the mouth, but unfortunately, these are rare. It’s unusual, I think, to find a low-budget, Independent film that seems so facile, so self-congratulatory. There’s no tension, no enhancement between the interpretive attitude of the filmmaker and the attitude of the actors. Such as it is. There isn’t a lot of steam behind Rue and Turton’s work. They don’t seem to be tapping into genuine passion or seething with it underneath. In a way it’s inexplicable, we see Clive and Gypsy at times of emotional upheaval; traumatic, humiliating, life-changing moments when we want to empathize, but there’s nothing to engage us. To pull us in. When we care less about the characters than we would for a Smurf.
]]>Tue, 14 Aug 2007 07:09:00 GMTjlgdrdWicked Fun8/14/2007 3:09:00 AM Often there comes a time when a bad (or inept, or failed) movie will unwittingly tip its hand. It could be a piece of dialogue that encapsulates a central flaw, or it might be a device that functions as damage control. In Gypsy 83, it&rsquo;s a chapter when Gypsy and Clive, en route to a singing competition in New York, spend an evening with a more or less retired singer, Bambi LeBleau (Karen Black). She is congenial, down-to-earth, unperturbed and dishonest only in the sense that she is trying to put a brave face on adversity. Black has been acting for at least thirty years now (Five Easy Pieces, Nashville, Easy Rider) and her screen presence and skill are so effortless that they too often go unnoticed. Her performance appears to infect Sara Rue (Gypsy) and Kett Turton (Clive) who seem completely different in this sequence, and outshines them in the rest of the film. She&rsquo;s invested in the role, but experienced enough to trust her intuitions. When they decide to leave Bambi behind as if she were some kind of albatross, the irony could bring down a skyscraper. And you have to wonder if even the director, Todd Stephens, was in on the joke. Twenty minutes into Gypsy 83, watching Clive and Gypsy tape each other in a graveyard, chilling in Clive&rsquo;s basement and shocking the bourgeoisie bumpkins in Sandusky, Ohio, I wanted to pull out my hair. It&rsquo;s not that I couldn&rsquo;t understand why they loved each other, spent all their time together, or sought refuge in Goth regalia. Living in a middle-class, Midwestern wasteland, I&rsquo;m sure jet-black hair dye and purple eye shadow would provide a great sense of relief. But it all felt so contrived. So lame. When I compare it to other films where we&rsquo;re asked to sympathize with outcasts and fringe dwellers or at least enjoy their anarchy, it rings hollow. In movies like Rumble Fish , Prey For Rock and Roll , Better Luck Tomorrow, even Rebel Without a Cause, we care about the protagonists, we understand their struggles, but we never feel sorry for them. When the Greasers kicked ass at the end of The Outsiders, you&rsquo;d better believe I was cheering for them. I was yelling at the screen. Gypsy and Clive don&rsquo;t even play out as antiheroes, they&rsquo;re just a little too waiflike. To an excessive degree, Stephens doesn&rsquo;t trust us to recognize their frailties without having them spelled out in dialogue. To let the camera convey meaning. Sara Rue&rsquo;s best moments are when she&rsquo;s singing, though I think making her a Stevie Nicks clone was a mistake. She&rsquo;s confident and instinctive, and it&rsquo;s truly pleasurable to listen to her gravelly, magnificent voice. The rest of the time her performance and Kett Turton&rsquo;s feel just horribly forced. They look really good, but lack conviction. And frankly, I never thought a film of this sort could be so hokey. During their road trip to The Big Apple the two pick up an Amish hitchhiker (Anson Scoville) and he&rsquo;s so stiff (not because he&rsquo;s Amish but amateurish) that you get the impression Stephens chose him solely on pretty-boy appeal. In an early scene where Gypsy tells off a dowager, clearly intended to represent Decent Society, the movie just comes to a halt. The old woman&rsquo;s speech sounds so flat and didactic. This may be in a sense accurate, but it&rsquo;s bad writing, bad acting. The two women aren&rsquo;t connecting with each other or the audience. It&rsquo;s pretty sad when a film can&rsquo;t incite animosity for a character we&rsquo;re predisposed to hate. Gypsy 83 has all the earmarks of a project that looked good on paper. And it has the plot elements for good narrative: search for identity, the missing mother, coming clean, owning up, painful truths, escape to the shining Metropolis, the homoeroticism behind fraternities. Though, of course, the problem is less about content than execution. Stephens wastes numerous opportunities to dramatize what he pisses away on text. The film is 92 minutes long, but goes it on and on. There are plausible, impressive episodes like when Gypsy succumbs to fear at a karaoke contest, or Zechariah (Amish boy on the lam) spontaneously kisses Clive on the mouth, but unfortunately, these are rare. It&rsquo;s unusual, I think, to find a low-budget, Independent film that seems so facile, so self-congratulatory. There&rsquo;s no tension, no enhancement between the interpretive attitude of the filmmaker and the attitude of the actors. Such as it is. There isn&rsquo;t a lot of steam behind Rue and Turton&rsquo;s work. They don&rsquo;t seem to be tapping into genuine passion or seething with it underneath. In a way it&rsquo;s inexplicable, we see Clive and Gypsy at times of emotional upheaval; traumatic, humiliating, life-changing moments when we want to empathize, but there&rsquo;s nothing to engage us. To pull us in. When we care less about the characters than we would for a Smurf. http://www.spout.com/blogs/chesterfilms/archive/2007/7/7/13352.aspx Post By: chesterfilms
Post To: chesterfilms Blog
Post Date: 7/7/2007 2:28:53 PM
Body: 1. Almost Famous (2000) - I know a lot of people who dismiss this film, but It's one of my favorites. I truly captures the spirit of the era. 2. Nashville (1975) - An epic, sprawling masterpiece. One of Altman's finest achievements. 3. This Is Spinal Tap (1984) - What more should be said. Fantastic music & possible the funniest movies of all time.4. High Fidelity (2000) - Frears & company perfectly capture the spirit of the book. Made the whole Top 5 list process even more relevant.5. A Hard Day's Night (1964) - Obviously the songs are amazing, but this is one of the most fun films you could ever see.Runners Up:The Red ShoesFive Easy Pieces Amadeus
]]>Sat, 07 Jul 2007 18:28:53 GMTchesterfilmschesterfilms Blog7/7/2007 2:28:53 PM1. Almost Famous (2000) - I know a lot of people who dismiss this film, but It's one of my favorites. I truly captures the spirit of the era. 2. Nashville (1975) - An epic, sprawling masterpiece. One of Altman's finest achievements. 3. This Is Spinal Tap (1984) - What more should be said. Fantastic music &amp; possible the funniest movies of all time.4. High Fidelity (2000) - Frears &amp; company perfectly capture the spirit of the book. Made the whole Top 5 list process even more relevant.5. A Hard Day's Night (1964) - Obviously the songs are amazing, but this is one of the most fun films you could ever see.Runners Up:The Red ShoesFive Easy Pieces Amadeus http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Classic/MemberTagFilms.aspxClassic
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]]>Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:15:30 GMT28668160Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/roadtrip/MemberTagFilms.aspxroadtrip
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]]>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:43:41 GMT5955391Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/piano/MemberTagFilms.aspxpiano
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]]>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:56:22 GMT4893252Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/fear/MemberTagFilms.aspxfear
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]]>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:28:42 GMT4613190Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/oscar/MemberTagFilms.aspxoscar
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]]>Tue, 07 Jul 2009 01:03:17 GMT11024103Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/bowling/MemberTagFilms.aspxbowling
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Number of people who tagged: 21

Number of times used: 24

]]>Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:39:36 GMT502124Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Texas/MemberTagFilms.aspxTexas
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Number of people who tagged: 19

Number of times used: 44

]]>Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:05:36 GMT391944Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/extramaritalaffair/MemberTagFilms.aspxextramaritalaffair
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Number of people who tagged: 18

Number of times used: 31

]]>Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:13:22 GMT31211831Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Jack/MemberTagFilms.aspxJack
Number of films tagged: 18

Number of people who tagged: 17

Number of times used: 28

]]>Sat, 09 Aug 2008 04:59:13 GMT181728Tag