Those who praise Five Easy Pieces call it a great character study. Maybe it is, but that doesn't make it a great movie. The character of Robert Dupea may have made for a nice subject for an article in a psychology journal. But as the lead character in a film he leaves a lot to be desired. Not even the fact that Dupea is played by the great Jack Nicholson can mask the truth that the movie which tells his story is downright dull. Yeah, there's a pretty interesting story in here somewhere but the way that story unfolds on the screen leaves a lot to be desired.<br /><br />The biggest problem with this movie is quite simply that nothing happens. We are just forced to sit and watch as Robert Dupea tries to "find himself". While Dupea's finding himself you'll probably be stifling yawns. The fact that the lead character we're following is an irredeemable louse doesn't help matters either. Robert Dupea treats all those around him, most notably his ever-loyal girlfriend, like absolute garbage. He's completely full of himself, which is rather odd for someone working a menial job on an oil rig. Where does this guy get off being so high and mighty? Who the heck is he to think he's so much better than those around him? About halfway through the film we see where that attitude comes from as Dupea goes on a journey back to his childhood home to reconnect with the person he truly is or at least used to be. This is where all that "great character study" malarkey kicks in. Yes, it turns out Robert Dupea isn't exactly what he initially seems to be. Yes, he's a very complex character. But he's still at heart an awful human being. And this is still a boring movie.<br /><br />Jack Nicholson is certainly one of our finest actors and he does the best he can here but this film just isn't salvageable. The character Nicholson plays is impossible to root for. You end up sympathizing with everyone in the movie but him, a problem since the movie is really about him alone. For the first half of the movie absolutely nothing happens as the filmmakers go out of their way to establish what a mean-spirited jerk Dupea is. Actually that was established in the first five minutes but they belabor the point to tedious effect. Then the great journey home begins and the movie for a few minutes veers off into Bizarro World when Dupea picks up a pair of hippie, lesbian hitchhikers. One of these hitchhikers, named Palm Apodaca which tells you about all you need to know, launches into one of the most bizarre, comical rants in film history. Only she's not trying to be funny, she's deadly serious. If nothing else, at least you the viewer can laugh at the sheer stupidity of it all, which is about all the enjoyment you'll get out of this film. Soon enough Palm and friend are gone and we're back to focusing on Robert Dupea. Who's still a selfish, obnoxious, jerk stuck in an utterly boring movie. A great character study? You can judge that for yourself. A great movie? Absolutely not.