To attempt to address jimg-9's concern about Robert driving 5,000 miles in a couple of days....look closely when Robert is driving just before he sees his sister....the freeway signs indicate Los Angeles and Hollywood....so I've always assumed that she is in Los Angeles for her work....that's still a long drive to Seattle but not nearly as far as from Texas. Californians might also notice that the "piano-on-the-truck" scene was shot on a freshly completed stretch of Interstate 5 not far from Bakersfield (much of I-5 in that area was completed in 1969-1970 I believe)which likely means that the whole oil rig portion of the film was shot in that area.
I absolutely love this film! Jack N. is a master of complex characters. I can't decide which is my favorite scene, there are so many good ones. Certainly at the top of the list would be the hitchhiker harping about filth, along with the diner scene. I'm not a big country music fan, but the Tammy Wynette songs stay with me as much as the classical music. Karen Black is so realistic, so believable as Rayette. She and Jack both should have won Oscars, particularly since this was the year (I think) that George C. Scott refused his Oscar. The ending is nearly perfect, albeit abrupt. This is essential viewing for those who have the attention span for quality cinema.
I absolutely love this film! Jack N. is a master of complex characters. I can't decide which is my favorite scene, there are so many good ones. Certainly at the top of the list would be the hitchhiker harping about filth, along with the diner scene. I'm not a big country music fan, but the Tammy Wynette songs stay with me as much as the classical music. Karen Black is so realistic, so believable as Rayette. She and Jack both should have won Oscars, particularly since this was the year (I think) that George C. Scott refused his Oscar. The ending is nearly perfect, albeit abrupt. This is essential viewing for those who have the attention span for quality cinema.