Drive, He Said
Encyclopedia
Drive, He Said is an American motion picture released by Columbia Pictures
, based upon the 1964 novel of the same title by Jeremy Larner
. The film is mainly notable as the first directorial effort of Jack Nicholson
after his success as an actor in Easy Rider
(1969) and Five Easy Pieces
(1970).
It stars Karen Black
, Bruce Dern
, and regular Nicholson collaborators Robert Towne
and Henry Jaglom
in leading roles. Familiar faces such as David Ogden Stiers
and Cindy Williams
were also featured in small supporting roles. It was filmed on the campus of the University of Oregon
and other locations in Eugene, Oregon
.
) that goes nowhere. This, and many other events occur within a heated early 1970s backdrop of university politics, sporting hijinx, and anti-war
sentiments.
.
Contemporary reviewers of the film were split in their reception of it. Steven Scheuer found the film "utterly downbeat, and unfortunately dated" (Scheuer, 1990: 294) even at the time of its release. Roger Ebert
found the film “disorganized”, but also said it was “occasionally brilliant” with the performances being “the best thing in the movie”.
In contrast, Leonard Maltin
found the film “confusing”, and in spite of fine acting performances still "loses itself in its attempt to cover all the bases". Vincent Canby
was complimentary when he lauded the film as being "so much better than all of the rest of the campus junk Hollywood has manufactured in the last couple of years" but felt that the lead male performance was a let-down for the film as a whole.
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
, based upon the 1964 novel of the same title by Jeremy Larner
Jeremy Larner
Jeremy Larner is an author, poet, journalist and speechwriter. He won an Academy Award in 1972 for Best Original Screenplay, for writing The Candidate.-Childhood:...
. The film is mainly notable as the first directorial effort of Jack Nicholson
Jack Nicholson
John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is renowned for his often dark portrayals of neurotic characters. Nicholson has been nominated for an Academy Award twelve times, and has won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice: for One Flew Over the...
after his success as an actor in Easy Rider
Easy Rider
Easy Rider is a 1969 American road movie written by Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Terry Southern, produced by Fonda and directed by Hopper. It tells the story of two bikers who travel through the American Southwest and South with the aim of achieving freedom...
(1969) and Five Easy Pieces
Five Easy Pieces
Five Easy Pieces is a 1970 American drama film written by Carole Eastman and Bob Rafelson, and directed by Rafelson. The film stars Jack Nicholson, Karen Black, and Susan Anspach. The cast also includes Billy 'Green' Bush, Fannie Flagg, Ralph Waite, Sally Struthers, Lois Smith, Toni Basil, and...
(1970).
It stars Karen Black
Karen Black
Karen Black is an American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. She is noted for appearing in such films as Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Great Gatsby, Rhinoceros, The Day of the Locust, Nashville, Airport 1975, and Alfred Hitchcock's final film, Family Plot...
, Bruce Dern
Bruce Dern
Bruce MacLeish Dern is an American film actor. He also appeared as a guest star in numerous television shows. He frequently takes roles as a character actor, often playing unstable and villainous characters...
, and regular Nicholson collaborators Robert Towne
Robert Towne
Robert Towne is an American screenwriter and director. His most notable work may be his Academy Award-winning original screenplay for Roman Polanski's Chinatown .-Film:...
and Henry Jaglom
Henry Jaglom
- Life and career :Born January 26, 1941 in London, England to Simon and Marie Jaglom, Henry Jaglom trained with Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio in New York, where he acted, wrote and directed off-Broadway theater and cabaret before settling in Hollywood in the late 1960s...
in leading roles. Familiar faces such as David Ogden Stiers
David Ogden Stiers
David Ogden Stiers is an American actor, director, vocal actor, and musician, noted for his roles in Disney movies, as well as his performances in the television series M*A*S*H as Major Charles Emerson Winchester III and the science fiction drama The Dead Zone as Reverend Gene Purdy...
and Cindy Williams
Cindy Williams
Cynthia Jane "Cindy" Williams is an American actress best known for starring in the television situation-comedy series Laverne & Shirley, in the role of "Shirley Feeney", and for her role as Laurie Henderson in the classic film American Graffiti.-Early life:Williams was born in Van Nuys,...
were also featured in small supporting roles. It was filmed on the campus of the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
and other locations in Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
.
Synopsis
The film is an examination of libidinous basketball star Hector Bloom (William Tepper), and contrasts his sporting prowess on the court to his bedroom antics. Most notably, Hector has an affair with his favorite professor's wife Olive (Karen BlackKaren Black
Karen Black is an American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. She is noted for appearing in such films as Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Great Gatsby, Rhinoceros, The Day of the Locust, Nashville, Airport 1975, and Alfred Hitchcock's final film, Family Plot...
) that goes nowhere. This, and many other events occur within a heated early 1970s backdrop of university politics, sporting hijinx, and anti-war
Anti-war
An anti-war movement is a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conflicts. Many...
sentiments.
Cast
- William Tepper as Hector
- Karen BlackKaren BlackKaren Black is an American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. She is noted for appearing in such films as Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Great Gatsby, Rhinoceros, The Day of the Locust, Nashville, Airport 1975, and Alfred Hitchcock's final film, Family Plot...
as Olive - Michael MargottaMichael MargottaMichael Margotta is an American actor of Italian descent who currently serves as Artistic Director of The Actor's Center—ROMA after an industry appreciated but popularly under noticed career in Hollywood...
as Gabriel - Bruce DernBruce DernBruce MacLeish Dern is an American film actor. He also appeared as a guest star in numerous television shows. He frequently takes roles as a character actor, often playing unstable and villainous characters...
as Coach Bullion - Robert TowneRobert TowneRobert Towne is an American screenwriter and director. His most notable work may be his Academy Award-winning original screenplay for Roman Polanski's Chinatown .-Film:...
as Richard - Henry JaglomHenry Jaglom- Life and career :Born January 26, 1941 in London, England to Simon and Marie Jaglom, Henry Jaglom trained with Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio in New York, where he acted, wrote and directed off-Broadway theater and cabaret before settling in Hollywood in the late 1960s...
as Conrad - Michael WarrenMichael Warren (actor)Michael Warren is an American TV actor and former college basketball player, best known for playing Officer Bobby Hill on the NBC television series Hill Street Blues.-College basketball career:...
as Easly - June Fairchild as Sylvie
- Don Hanmer as Director of Athletics
- Lynette Bernay as Dance Instructor
- Joseph WalshJoseph WalshJoseph Walsh , was a Representative from Massachusetts....
as First Announcer - Harry Gittes as Second Announcer
- Charles RobinsonCharles RobinsonCharles Robinson may refer to:*Charles Robinson , English politician, MP for Canterbury*Charles Robinson , physician and politician in Ontario, Canada*Charles Robinson , British book illustrator...
as Jollop - Bill Sweek as Finnegan
- David Ogden StiersDavid Ogden StiersDavid Ogden Stiers is an American actor, director, vocal actor, and musician, noted for his roles in Disney movies, as well as his performances in the television series M*A*S*H as Major Charles Emerson Winchester III and the science fiction drama The Dead Zone as Reverend Gene Purdy...
as Pro Owner - B.J. Merholz as Pro Lawyer
- I.J. Jefferson as Secretary
- Kenneth PayneKenneth PayneKenneth Martin Payne was a British rower who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics.Payne was the son of Dr John Ernest Payne, a surgeon, and his wife psychoanalyst Sylvia Payne. His father had rowed for Cambridge in the Boat Race in 1899 and 1900, and stroked the winning Leander Club four in the...
as President Wallop - Cathy Bradford as Rosemary
- Eric JohnsonEric JohnsonEric Johnson is an American guitarist. Though he is best known for his success in the instrumental rock format, Johnson regularly incorporates jazz, fusion, gospel and country and western music into his recordings...
as Private First Class Johnson
Critical reception
The film was entered into the 1971 Cannes Film Festival1971 Cannes Film Festival
- Jury :*Michèle Morgan *Pierre Billard *Michael Birkett *Anselmo Duarte *István Gaál *Sergio Leone *Aleksandar Petrović *Maurice Rheims *Erich Segal...
.
Contemporary reviewers of the film were split in their reception of it. Steven Scheuer found the film "utterly downbeat, and unfortunately dated" (Scheuer, 1990: 294) even at the time of its release. Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
found the film “disorganized”, but also said it was “occasionally brilliant” with the performances being “the best thing in the movie”.
In contrast, Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin is an American film and animated film critic and historian, author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives.-Personal life:...
found the film “confusing”, and in spite of fine acting performances still "loses itself in its attempt to cover all the bases". Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby was an American film critic who became the chief film critic for The New York Times in 1969 and reviewed more than 1000 films during his tenure there.-Life and career:...
was complimentary when he lauded the film as being "so much better than all of the rest of the campus junk Hollywood has manufactured in the last couple of years" but felt that the lead male performance was a let-down for the film as a whole.