Five Easy Pieces

Bobby Dupea has been drifting in his life over the last several years. He currently works on an oil rig in southern California, and partakes in stereotypical working class activities during his free time. He is a brooding, irresponsible cad. When he isn't cheating on her, he treats his waitress girlfriend, Rayette Dipesto, poorly. Not the brightest light in the world, Rayette, who lives by the code of Tammy Wynette songs, continually complains to Bobby about his treatment of her, but still clings to him for dear life. This life belies the fact that Bobby grew up in a privileged life as "Robert", who, along with his two siblings, were destined for musical greatness, Robert as a classical pianist. Their parents even gave each of the three some classical musical reference as part of their given names. While his siblings followed that path, Robert rebelled against it, he who has not seen his father in three years. He hears from his classical pianist sister, Partita, that their father has suffered a couple of strokes which has rendered him semi-comatose. As such, Bobby, with Rayette tagging along much to his chagrin, decides to return to the home he grew up in - a musical compound where his father and two siblings still live - to visit with his father. This reunion, which includes seeing his siblings' current lives, provides the stepping stone for what Bobby decides to do in the next immediate phase of his life. This reunion, which includes his violinist brother Carl's mentoring of young beautiful pianist named Catherine Van Oost, makes Bobby contemplate running toward instead of running away from something for the first time in a long time.