Editing Five Easy Pieces (section)

==Release==
The film was shown at the [[New York Film Festival]] on September 11, 1970. It opened commercially on September 12 at the Coronet Theatre in New York.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Nicholson In N.Y.: End Of 'Riot Fad' In U.S. Features|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=September 16, 1970 |page=7|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1970-09-16_260_5/page/6/mode/2up|access-date=April 7, 2024|via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>
===Box office===
{{Quote box|width=30em|bgcolor=cornsilk|align=right|fontsize=101%|salign=right|quote="The last sequence is of the finest quality. Bobby decides to leave both girlfriend and family and abandon life entirely...a truck driver gives him a ride to a place where 'it is very cold': the country of death. Rafelson and his cameraman [[László Kovács (cinematographer)|László Kovács]] fix the scene in our minds forever: the filling station and its discreet restroom; the grey surrounding buildings; the dripping autumnal vegetation of the Pacific Northwest; the parked truck waiting to go to Alaska; the face of Nicholson, already aging and filled with premonitory shadows, fixed behind the windshield. Religion, love and family have all failed to work, leaving absolutely nothing at the end but a journey to nowhere."|source=—Biographer [[Charles Higham (biographer)|Charles Higham]] in ''The Art of the American Cinema: 1900-1971''.<ref>{{cite book|first=Charles |last=Higham |year=1973 |title=The Art of the American Film: 1900-1971 |publisher=Doubleday & Company, Inc. |location=New York |isbn=0-385-06935-9 |pages=307–308 |quote=Nicholson gives a performance of sustained brilliance as Bobby Dupea" in ''Five Easy Pieces''}}</ref>}}
In the film's opening weekend at the Coronet, it grossed $10,476.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=N.Y. Fest 'Moveovers' Start Well: 'Suppose A War' $17,000, Astor But Casualty At Embassy East|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=September 16, 1970 |page=9|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1970-09-16_260_5/page/8/mode/2up?view=theater|access-date=April 7, 2024|via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> It grossed $36,710 in its first week.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|title=50 Top-Grossing Films|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1970-09-30_260_7/page/11|date=September 30, 1970|page=11}}</ref> After ten weeks of release, it reached [[List of 1970 box office number-one films in the United States|number one at the US box office]].<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|title=50 Top-Grossing Films|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1970-11-25_261_2/page/11|date=November 25, 1970|page=11}}</ref>

The film earned $1.2 million in the United States in 1970.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Big Rental Films of 1970 |magazine=Variety |date=January 6, 1971 |page=11|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1971-01-06_261_8/page/11/mode/1up}}</ref> By 1976, it had earned $8.9 million in the United States and Canada.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=All-time Film Rental Champs |magazine=Variety |date=January 7, 1976 |page=44}}</ref>

===Critical response===

''Five Easy Pieces'' opened to positive reviews. It currently holds an 89% positive rating on online review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]], based on 55 reviews, with an average rating of 8.60/10. The site's consensus states: "An important touchstone of the [[New Hollywood]] era, ''Five Easy Pieces'' is a haunting portrait of alienation that features one of Jack Nicholson's greatest performances."<ref>{{cite web|title=''Five Easy Pieces''|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/five_easy_pieces/| website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=September 12, 2023}}</ref>

[[Roger Ebert]] gave the film four out of four stars, describing it as "one of the best American films" and "a masterpiece of heartbreaking intensity" and deeming Bobby Dupea "one of the most unforgettable characters in American movies."<ref>{{cite web|title=Five Easy Pieces|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/five-easy-pieces-1970|date=January 1, 1970|last=Ebert|first=Roger|author-link=Roger Ebert|access-date=July 31, 2019|website=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |via=RogerEbert.com}}</ref> Ebert named it the best film of 1970, and later added it to his "[[The Great Movies|Great Movies]]" list.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ebert |first=Roger |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-five-easy-pieces-1970 |title=Five Easy Pieces |date=March 16, 2003 |website=RogerEbert.com}}</ref>

In a mixed review, critic [[John Simon (critic)|John Simon]] criticized ''Five Easy Pieces'' for its "pretentiousness" but praised the performances of Karen Black, Lois Smith, and Billy Green Bush.<ref>{{cite book |title=Reverse Angle |url=https://archive.org/details/reverseangledeca0000simo |url-access=registration |last1=Simon|first1=John |publisher=Crown Publishers Inc. |year=1982 |page=[https://archive.org/details/reverseangledeca0000simo/page/22 22]|isbn=9780517544716 }}</ref>

The February 2020 issue of ''[[New York Magazine]]'' lists ''Five Easy Pieces'' as among "The Best Movies That Lost Best Picture at the Oscars."<ref>{{cite news|title=The Best Movies That Lost Best Picture at the Oscars|url=https://www.vulture.com/article/best-oscar-best-picture-losers.html|magazine=[[New York Magazine]]|access-date=March 17, 2025}}</ref>

In 2022 retrospective review, Polish writer Jacek Szafranowicz called the film "flawless" and "one of the masterpieces of the New Hollywood era".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ponapisach.pl/2022/01/piec-latwych-utworow.html|title = Pięć łatwych utworów|date = January 28, 2022 |language=pl |website=ponapisach.pl |first=Jacek |last=Szafranowicz}}</ref>

===Accolades===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Award
! Category
! Nominee(s)
! Result
! Ref.
|-
| rowspan="4"| [[43rd Academy Awards|Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]]
| [[Bob Rafelson]] and Richard Wechsler
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="4"| <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1971 |title=The 43rd Academy Awards (1971) Nominees and Winners |access-date=July 4, 2015 |work=oscars.org |date=October 4, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150702005544/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1971 |archive-date=July 2, 2015}}</ref>
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| [[Jack Nicholson]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]
| [[Karen Black]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]]
| [[Carole Eastman|Adrien Joyce]] and Bob Rafelson
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[23rd Directors Guild of America Awards|Directors Guild of America Awards]]
| [[Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film|Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures]]
| Bob Rafelson
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dga.org/Awards/History/1970s/1970.aspx?value=1970 |title=23rd DGA Awards |website=[[Directors Guild of America Awards]] |access-date=July 5, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[Fotogramas de Plata]]
| Best Foreign Movie Performer
| Jack Nicholson <small>(also for ''[[Chinatown (1974 film)|Chinatown]]'')</small>
| {{won}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| rowspan="5"| [[28th Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama|Best Motion Picture – Drama]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="5"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/film/five-easy-pieces |title=Five Easy Pieces – Golden Globes |website=[[HFPA]] |access-date=July 5, 2021 |ref={{harvid|HFPA|1971}}}}</ref>
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama|Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama]]
| Jack Nicholson
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture|Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture]]
| Karen Black
| {{won}}{{efn|Tied with [[Maureen Stapleton]] for ''[[Airport (1970 film)|Airport]]''.}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Director|Best Director – Motion Picture]]
| Bob Rafelson 
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay – Motion Picture]]
| Adrien Joyce and Bob Rafelson
| {{nom}}
|-
| Kansas City Film Circle Critics Awards
| colspan="2"| Best Film
| {{won}}{{efn|Tied with ''[[Patton (film)|Patton]]''.}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://kcfcc.org/kcfcc-award-winners-1970-79/ |title=KCFCC Award Winners – 1970-79 |date=December 14, 2013 |access-date=July 10, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="7"| [[Laurel Awards]]
| colspan="2"| Best Picture
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="7"| 
|-
| Top Male Dramatic Performance
| Jack Nicholson
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| Top Female Supporting Performance
| Karen Black
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Lois Smith]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| Top Cinematographer
| [[László Kovács (cinematographer)|László Kovács]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| Star of Tomorrow – Female
| [[Susan Anspach]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| Karen Black
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Nastro d'Argento]]
| Best Foreign Director
| Bob Rafelson
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[National Board of Review Awards 1970|National Board of Review Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[National Board of Review: Top Ten Films|Top Ten Films]]
| {{draw|4th Place}}
| align="center" rowspan="2"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://nationalboardofreview.org/award-years/1970/ |title=1970 Award Winners |website=[[National Board of Review]] |access-date=July 5, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]
| Karen Black
| {{won}}
|-
| [[National Film Preservation Board]]
| colspan="2"| [[National Film Registry]]
| {{won|Inducted}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/ |title=Complete National Film Registry Listing |website=[[Library of Congress]] |access-date=December 16, 2015}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="6"| [[1970 New York Film Critics Circle Awards|New York Film Critics Circle Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film|Best Film]]
| {{won}}
| align="center" rowspan="6"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nyfcc.com/awards/?awardyear=1970 |title=1970 New York Film Critics Circle Awards |website=[[New York Film Critics Circle]] |access-date=July 5, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| Bob Rafelson 
| {{won}}
|-
| [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| Jack Nicholson
| {{Runner-up}}
|-
| [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| rowspan="2"| Karen Black
| {{Runner-up}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]
| {{won}}
|-
| Lois Smith
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[23rd Writers Guild of America Awards|Writers Guild of America Awards]]
| [[Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Drama – Written Directly for the Screen]]
| Adrien Joyce and Bob Rafelson
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1551 |title=Awards Winners |work=wga.org |publisher=Writers Guild of America |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121205095022/http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1551 |archive-date=2012-12-05 |access-date=2010-06-06}}</ref>
|}

===Home media===
''Five Easy Pieces'' was released on [[VHS]] by [[RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video]] in 1988.

On November 16, 1999, [[Columbia TriStar Home Video]] released the film on two-sided [[DVD-Video]], featuring both fullscreen (4:3) and [[widescreen]] formats.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thecinemalaser.com/archives/1999/0999/news-tidbits.htm#09/27/99five|title=Five Easy Pieces and the Loss of Sexual Innocence Come to DVD|date=September 27, 1999|website=TheCinemaLaser.com|access-date=June 19, 2015}}</ref>

Grover Crisp of [[Sony Pictures]] conducted a [[4K resolution|4K]] restoration of the film, which was screened in [[Digital Cinema Package|DCP]] in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parkcircus.com/films/5855-five-easy-pieces|website=Park Circus|title=Five Easy Pieces|access-date=July 19, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.filmjournal.com/content/leading-repertory-cinema-film-forum-showcase-digital-cinema-packages|website=Film Journal International|title=Leading repertory cinema Film Forum to showcase Digital Cinema Packages|date=February 10, 2012|access-date=July 19, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150727023113/http://www.filmjournal.com/content/leading-repertory-cinema-film-forum-showcase-digital-cinema-packages |archive-date=July 27, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The film was released on DVD and [[Blu-ray]] by [[The Criterion Collection]] in November 2010 as part of the box set ''America Lost and Found: The BBS Story''. This release includes audio commentary by Rafelson and interior designer Toby Rafelson; ''Soul Searching in "Five Easy Pieces"'', a 2009 video piece with Rafelson; ''BBStory'', a 2009 documentary about [[Raybert Productions|Raybert/BBS Productions]], with Rafelson, Nicholson, Black, Burstyn, Peter Bogdanovich, and Henry Jaglom, among others; and audio excerpts from a 1976 AFI interview with Rafelson.<ref>{{cite web|title=Five Easy Pieces|url=http://www.criterion.com/films/27529-five-easy-pieces|website=The Criterion Collection}}</ref> On June 30, 2015, the film was released as a stand-alone DVD and Blu-ray by the Criterion Collection.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-ray_reviews_67/five_easy_pieces_blu-ray.htm|website=DVDBeaver|first=Gary |last=Tooze|title=HD-Sensei: Five Easy Pieces [Blu-ray]}}</ref>