A poll about the dinner scene in Five Easy Pieces!

[hedgehog]

Poll question: A poll about the dinner scene in Five Easy Pieces!

I've never seen the movie, but I've seen the dinner scene several times; the one where Nicolson's character is trying to order toast even though toast is not on the menu. My question is this, do you think the Nicolson character is standing up against the corporate establishment, or is he being a jerk to someone who is probably working a minimum wage job?

[IntravenousDemilo]

1. I said give Jack what he wants. And the waitress SHOULD hold it between her knees.

Mind you, I also have a lot of empathy with the Michael Douglas character in Falling Down, when he wants a breakfast egg sandwich at the fast food place just a couple of minutes after the breakfast service is over, and they refuse to give him one because of some arbitrary policy. So he goes postal, which is very satisfying to watch. Well, if the reasons behind a frustrating policy haven't been or cannot be properly explained, one is perfectly justified in flouting it. All authority should be questioned vigorously, pointedly and often, and no rules without a suitable explanation should be taken seriously.

[DS1]

3. That's why the "Falling Down" scene worked for me, and the clip for 5 Easy Pieces didn't

It's totally unrealistic that a breakfast joint wouldn't serve a side of toast. If I could get past that, it would be a good scene.

[IntravenousDemilo]

4. Good point. I still wouldn't want to cross Jack, though. He might have golf clubs in his car. n/m

[hedgehog]

5. The point for me is that he is not questioning authority but rather

the minimum wage worker who has to answer to that authority. I might have gone with him as far as bring me a toasted chicken sandwich, hold the mayo, hold the lettuce, hold the chicken, but when he insulted the waitress, he lost me.

[IntravenousDemilo]

6. I think he was more insulting her obedience to an arbitrary rule and her violation of the maxim...

...that the customer is always right. That can get a little frustrating at times. In situations like that, I ask to see the person in charge, preferably the owner, since I know the server's paycheque depends on his or her blind, unquestioning servitude.

[DS1]

11. I got myself into a similar situation a few years ago at the college commuter lounge

Tuesdays they would make some killer Buffalo Chicken Wraps, but always wanted to serve them with a large drink and a large order of fries. One day, I just wanted the wrap, it's not available as a separate menu option, so I asked "How much for just the wrap"? The cashier said she couldn't do that, I offered various prices getting closer and closer to the full amount until she finally flipped out and yelled "We DON'T SERVE JUST THE WRAP, YOU HAVE TO BUY THE COMBO MEAL"! What a drone she was. No initiative, no taking a moment to ask a manager what to charge.

I got 'just the wrap' for free the next week anyway, after fixing their network :D

[hedgehog]

12. Some cash registers are set up with menu items rather than the

number keys. It may be that her register only had combo 1, combo 2, etc.

[DS1]

16. I got that

but she could have charged me for something like a cheesesteak, and made the profit, and we would all be happy. My point with that register-cashier was that she was willing to lose the sale in order to enforce the combo or nothing options.

[begin_within]

2. If you get a chance, watch "Five Easy Pieces" all the way through.

There are many good scenes that make it worth watching. As "Psycho" was the moment the 1950s ended and the 1960s began, so "Five Easy Pieces" was the moment the 1960s ended and the 1970s began. The only problem is, the sound quality on the DVD of "Five Easy Pieces" is terrible. It's best to watch it with the subtitles on, because a lot of dialog gets lost in the lo-fi monaural sound.

[ashling]

7. Nicholson is a jerk who

ought to be able to order toast and a tomato omelet

[deucemagnet]

8. Nicholson was being a jerk, imo.

Judge for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wtfNE4z6a8

[KG]

9. i would've just punched her out, too.

[MonkeyFunk]

10. He's Jack Fucking Nicholson!

Just get him his damned toast.

[Gold Metal Flake]

13. He should have just slammed down a .45 auto and shouted "I AM the fucking shore patrol!"

[swag]

14. I do not judge, I just enjoy the scene.

p.s. - See the movie. It's great.

[swag]

15. I do not judge, I just enjoy the scene.

p.s. - See the movie. It's great.

[Iggo]

17. Both.

He's a jerk, standing up to "the man."