"That's what's it's all about, all right. But talkin' about it and vein' it, that's two different things." -George Hanson (Jack Nicholson) on 'freedom' in the movie Easy Rider.
Released in 1969,
Easy Rider was written by Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Terry Southern. The film, about two men on a sort of 'hippy freedom ride' throughout the country, reportedly changed the face of Hollywood. Today, the iconic movie gives us a glimpse of American culture and politics, as well as some of the nation's actual landscape, during that era. Wikipedia reports real drugs were used in scenes showing the use of marijuana and other substances. The film was added to the Library of Congress National Registry in 1998.
In this scene, George Hanson (Jack Nicholson) gets high on marijuana for the first time, then does his best to explain freedom to his new friend Billy (Dennis Hopper), while Wyatt (Peter Fonda) listens by the camp fire. Given the information above, all three actors were probably high while filming this scene which makes the dialogue particularity amusing, as well as poignant and haunting.
Here is a short youtube clip of the scene followed by the dialog in text.
George Hanson (Jack Nicholson): Oh, no. What you represent to them is freedom.
Billy (Dennis Hopper) : What the hell is wrong with freedom? That's what it's all about.
George Hanson: Oh, yeah, that's right. That's what's it's all about, all right. But talkin' about it and bein' it, that's two different things. I mean, it's real hard to be free when you are bought and sold in the marketplace. Of course, don't ever tell anybody that they're not free, 'cause then they're gonna get real busy killin' and maimin' to prove to you that they are. Oh, yeah, they're gonna talk to you, and talk to you, and talk to you about individual freedom. But they see a free individual, it's gonna scare 'em.
Billy: Mmmm, well, that don't make 'em runnin' scared.
George Hanson: No, it makes 'em dangerous.
Today, April 22, 2015
Jack Nicholson turns 78. In addition to his small role in Easy Rider, the actor is best known for his diverse and dynamic roles in movies that include:
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Five Easy Peaces, The Departed, Good As It Gets, Terms of Endearment, A Few Good Men, The Departed, and The Shining. Nicholson received the Kennedy Center Honor in 2001. In 1994, he became one of the youngest actors to be awarded the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award.
Nicholson has called himself a “lifelong Irish Democrat,” and has been outspoken about many Liberal issues over the years, including solar energy, believing big oil/corporations were keeping it from becoming a widespread phenomena.
I wanted to do solar energy. I wanted to legalize drugs versus the terrorist problem, which I was aware of in the ’70s. Because where else are they getting illegal money at that level?
The article in Hollowverse claims Nicholson might be one of the originals who set the tone for later incarnations of Tinseltown politics.
Happy Birthday, Jack Nicholson.
Thank you to Arthur R. on the Daily Kos Facebook Page for pointing out Nicholson's birthday. Special thanks to Wojtek Wacowski and Samuel Wynn Warde for inspiring this walk down memory lane.