History Theatre / TheLastFiveYears

** Also, him telling her she's "being crazy" in "See I'm Smiling", to which she screams, "No, I'm not, NO, I'M ''NOT''!" Especially upon a second viewing, when you realize that [[spoiler:she's absolutely correct about her suspicions that Jamie's cheating on her]], so, no, she's really ''not'' being crazy. In that context, Jamie telling her she's being totally irrational just comes off as needlessly mean.

-->-- '''Cathy Hiatt''', "Still Hurting."

-->-- '''Jamie Wellerstein''', "Goodbye Until Tomorrow/I Could Never Rescue You."

* AbsenceMakesTheHeartGoYonder: Downplayed or perhaps subverted. Yes, Cathy is off touring in Ohio when Jaime cheats on her during "Nobody Needs to Know." But her absence isn't ''why''--the real cause is their failing marriage, which was happening even before Cathy left. Her physical absence is largely happenstance.

** The sign outside Cathy's summer stock theatre is used several times as an establishing shot; however, these shots are so far apart from each other, and are so similar on first glance, it's easy to miss that the ''year'' on the sign keeps changing.

* ABirthdayNotABreak: "See I'm Smiling," which is one of the most depressing songs in an already very depressing show -- it being the fight between Jamie and Cathy where the latter finally hits her RageBreakingPoint, and realizes her marriage is damaged beyond repair -- happens to take place on Cathy's birthday. [[LoveHurts Ouch.]]

** Jamie's kind, "I could be in love with someone like you," first appears in his first song, addressed to Cathy, and later (and miserably) addressed to his mistress, Elise, in his last song.
** The first lines of the show are about how "Jamie is over and Jamie is gone… and I'm still hurting." Three songs later and five years ago, in "Moving Too Fast," Jamie sings about how "Some people analyze every detail… But I keep rolling on," using the same melody, if in a different key and tempo.

** In Cathy's second song, "See I'm Smiling," and second-to-last song, "I Can Do Better Than That," she talks about Jamie: "You, and you, and nothing but you / Miles and piles of you." One is a fresh-new-love celebration of her boyfriend, the other a bitter screed about his egotism.

** In "Nobody Needs to Know," as he leaves the woman he's sleeping with to visit Cathy in Ohio, Jamie sings "Hold on, clip these wings." In the next song, "Goodbye Until Tomorrow," a euphoric Cathy sings that Jamie "...can cut through these strings/And open my wings!" The motif contrasts what she hoped for the relationship (that he would free her to achieve her dreams) and what happened (her needs made him feel tied down and burdened).

** Even worse, there's evidence that neither of them has learned from their mistakes. In "A Miracle Would Happen," Jamie mentions kinda-semi-flirting with an attractive woman… at least until Cathy shows up, "'cause she knows (they always know)", implying his unfaithful streak has gotten him in trouble before. Meanwhile, in "I Can Do Better Than That," Cathy mentions how she "gave up [her] life for the better part of a year" for her ex, only to have the fellow blow her off "with a heartfelt letter".

** The ''real'' one, despite being in the exact middle of the musical, is "The Next Ten Minutes," the song where they get married. It should also be pointed out that Jason Robert Brown has a CreatorThumbprint when it comes to love duets, which (with minor variations) holds true across all five he's written[[note]]They're typically in 12/8; the man sings the first verse, the woman sings the second, there's a bridge for both of them and then a third verse for both of them; they typically end with both singers singing the exact same pitch[[/note]], and "The Next Ten Minutes" fits better than the final number. (Actually, the final number is the formula ''backwards'' in some ways, which [[FridgeBrilliance might have been intentional]].)

** The show opens with "Still Hurting," where a stunned and heartbroken Cathy mourns her ended marriage, and wonders where it all went wrong.

* IronicEcho: Cathy's arc is about total parallel. To start, we have the "BookEnds" entry above. In the third song, "A Part of That," she admits that she tends to "follow in his stride; instead of side-by-side, I take his cue," whereas in "Climbing Uphill" she pledges that she "will not be the girl who gets asked how it feels/to be trodding along at the genius's heels." In the song just before she gets married (chronologically) she's waiting for "When You Come Home To Me," and in the song just after, "A Summer in Ohio," she's waiting for him to come away to her. And she has not only the first song, chronologically ("Goodbye Until Tomorrow", sung to end their first date), but the last. The ''only'' song she has that is not a direct echo or parallel to another number is, of course, "The Next Ten Minutes".
** Also the first time Cathy sings "When You Come Home To Me," she does so earnestly and sweetly, conveying her affection for Jamie at this point in their relationship. When she sings it leading into "If I Didn't Believe In You," it's loud and aggressive, as if she's trying to drown him out and vocally assert her career needs over his.

** In "See, I'm Smiling" Jamie comes out to visit Cathy in Ohio like he promised, but tells her he "has to leave early." That night. Without even seeing her show. ''On her birthday''. [[spoiler:On a rewatch, you know he is only making a token effort to be a supportive husband--remember, this song takes place ''after'' "Nobody Needs To Know" chronologically--making him look even more cowardly. And his reaction just confirms what she has already suspected.]]

** The show starts with a quaint waltz. It is played again just after the wedding, often staged for the newlyweds' first dance. Its third use is as the melody of "I Could Never Rescue You."

* PainfulRhyme: In "The Schmuel Song," Jamie describes those who "can't get out of Klimovich" and suggests Cathy is one of them because she's afraid to "go out onto a limb… o-vich." In the movie, he {{lampshades}} this with an agonized noise.

* PimpedOutDress: The dress of Schmuel's dreams is ''definitely'' this, though we can only imagine it. His hope was to sew "a dress to fire the mad desire of girls from here to Minsk," and he obviously succeeds, considering that the girl whom he brings it to marries him the very next day. (And since she wears it at the altar, that also makes this a FairytaleWeddingDress.)

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech[=/=]TheHeroSucksSong: Both characters deliver one to each other. Cathy's is "See I'm Smiling," Jamie's is "If I Didn't Believe In You," which is laced with ToughLove but gets harsh.

* StayInTheKitchen: Defied by Cathy, who declares, "I will not be the girl stuck at home in the 'burbs / With the baby, the dog, and the garden of herbs." In the CareerVersusMan debate, she picks her career. Unfortunately, so does Jamie.
* StepfordSmiler: In "A Part of That," very strongly in "See I'm Smiling," and even as early as "A Summer in Ohio" we see Cathy gritting her teeth and making the best of a situation she is not happy about. By the time of "See I'm Smiling", the facade is visibly cracking.
* StylisticSuck: Cathy gets hit with this in the opening moments of "Climbing Uphill." In the Original Cast Recording and movie soundtrack, the accompanist takes off at a very sprightly pace and a half-step higher than written, forcing Sherie Rene Scott and/or Anna Kendrick to scramble in their wake. In the 2013 Off-Broadway Revival, Betsy Wolfe gets afflicted with someone who can't piano whatsoever, taking some six beats before they consent to be in a key at all.

* TakeThat: The entirety of "Climbing Uphill" is pretty much a middle finger to the audition process of Broadway musicals. Of note is the line, "Why am I working so hard? These are the people who cast Creator/LindaBlair in a musical." A reference to Blair's brief time playing Rizzo in the 1994 Broadway revival of ''Theatre/{{Grease}}''. The film changed it to Creator/RussellCrowe, in reference to his questionable singing in the [[Film/LesMiserables2012 film version]] of ''Theatre/LesMiserables''.
* ThereAreNoTherapists: Averted. Jamie tells Cathy when he breaks up with her "It's not about another shrink," indicating they have seen a therapist, and perhaps several, but it didn't help.
* TimeDissonance: In a way that comments on how love affects our sense of time. In "Still Hurting" and "See I'm Smiling," Cathy is being Jamie to give her a little more time so they can fix their marriage. In "Schmuel Song," Jamie gives her the gift of "unlimited time," and in "The Next Ten Minute," he promises her forever.

** Subverted in "Nobody Needs To Know," which is in A-flat for its entirety up until the last six measures, when it modulates ''down'' a half-step into G major.
** Played straight in "Goodbye Until Tomorrow."
** Played With in "Moving Too Fast," Jamie's triumphant litany of newfound success. It ratchets up the half-step an astounding ''seven times times'', putting us a fifth above where we started… at which point Jason Robert Brown resolves it as a dominant, and lands us back in the original key. [[RuleOfSymbolism So, getting super excited just to go nowhere, huh?]]

---->'''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7bGcERnXA8 Jason Robert Brown]]:''' There are points when you're in those discussions where anything you say could be the thing that sort of capsizes the entire rest of the night, at least, if not the rest of your entire life. So he does not know he's walking into "I will not fail so you can be comfortable." He thinks it, but he's never going to say it, you know--and then eventually he gets himself to a point where he has to.

* WhenSheSmiles: GenderFlipped in "A Part of That."

A one-act, [[MinimalistCast two-person]] [[TheMusical musical]] by Jason Robert Brown (the Tony-winning composer behind ''Theatre/{{Parade}}'' and ''Theatre/{{Thirteen}}''), ''The Last Five Years'' tells the story of an ordinary couple as they fall in--and out of--love, inspired by Brown's own failed first marriage.

** The show opens with "Still Hurting," where a stunned and heartbroken Cathy mourns her ended marriage, and wonders whee it all went wrong.

Jamie Wellerstein is a Jewish novelist from NYC who gets his big break at the age of 23. Just prior to this, he meets Cathy Hiatt, a struggling Irish-Catholic actress, and romance blooms immediately. They get married, but things keep getting in the way: Jamie has frequent press gigs to attend, where he is assailed by [[AllMenArePerverts endless temptation]], and Cathy is unable to get her career off the ground, her greatest success being summer theatre in Ohio (and the LongDistanceRelationship that requires). Cathy accuses him of [[ItsAllAboutMe egotism]], Jamie accuses her of being too insecure to handle his success. Ultimately, they can't make it work.

What elevates the show to a different level is its structure. The score consists of alternating solos; Cathy or Jamie occupy the stage separately, and while each song is being sung to a specific person (sometimes each other, sometimes to friends and family), that person is rarely present and certainly never responds. This gives both characters a chance to tell their side of the story, without anyone interrupting to rebut, defend or correct. Furthermore, there is AnachronicOrder involved: Cathy, the careful and introspective one, tells the story BackToFront, starting [[ForegoneConclusion after Jamie has left her]] and moving towards their first date; headstrong, reckless Jamie goes in the normal chronological direction. The only moment the timelines cross, the exact {{Climax}} of the show, is their wedding day. The show's structure accents its characters, who, despite their love, are fundamentally at odds with each other, while also ensuring the show constantly alternates between the perspective of someone experiencing the successful courtship, and someone experiencing the failing marriage.

* IrishmanAndAJew: Cathy is Irish-American, and Jamie is Jewish.

* RaceLift: In universe. In the summer stock company Cathy joins, "a gay midget named Carl" plays both Tevye in ''Theatre/FiddlerOnTheRoof,'' a Jewish milkman in Russia, and Porgy in ''Theatre/PorgyAndBess,'' a black beggar in South Carolina. Also Cathy, who's of Irish descent, plays Puerto Rican-American Anita in ''Theatre/WestSideStory''.

The show was adapted into [[Film/TheLastFiveYears a film]] starring Creator/AnnaKendrick and Creator/JeremyJordan in 2014. An AcclaimedFlop, it garnered praise for its leads (particularly Kendrick, who was described as having given her best performance to date) but made a mere 7% of its budget back in ticket sales.

* TheOner: "Still Hurting" is only five shots, two short ones at either end and three stitched together using {{wipe}}s so that they appear to be a seamless whole. With the song itself over five minutes long, that's a lot of long takes. No wonder they got actors who have been on Broadway!
** "If I Didn't Believe in You" manages to beat that, being ''one take all the way through.''

The show was adapted into a film starring Creator/AnnaKendrick as Cathy and Creator/JeremyJordan as Jamie in 2014. An AcclaimedFlop, it garnered praise for its leads (particularly Kendrick, who was described as having given her best performance to date) but made a mere 7% of its budget back in ticket sales.

* {{Gaslighting}}: In "Nobody Needs To Know", Jamie admits to his unseen lover that he outright lies to Cathy about seeing another woman ("Swearing to her that I never was with you and praying I'll hold you again"). In the movie version of "See I'm Smiling", he goes a step further and responds to Cathy's (accurate) accusations by calling her "crazy".

* AdaptationExpansion: The film has an extremely minor case of this, as there are no new songs, no new singers, and only one other character who even has ''dialogue''. But it does add a couple dances (a diegetic one in "A Summer in Ohio" and a… less-diegetic one in "Moving Too Fast"), and some direct interaction between the characters during most songs. This was enough to offend some purists, who pointed out that part of the charm of the stage play is that, since the other character is absent, you are free (and, indeed, required!) to imagine for yourself what their side of the story is.

* AllThereInTheManual: The story's AnachronicOrder, which is the most important element of its narrative, is not mentioned anywhere in the film proper or its marketing. There are reviewers who, lacking this information, are on record as having no idea why the movie made sense.

* AutoErotica: The movie throws this at "I Can Do Better Than That." For added amusement, it includes the lines, "You, and you, and nothing but you… Fresh, undiluted and pure, top of the line, and totally mine!"

* {{Bowdlerize}}: To satisfy the MPAA, the film version does away with a fair bit of swearing, resulting in a PrecisionFStrike where there used to be quite a few more of them. The movie's soundtrack re-adds at least one F-bomb but leaves the rest of it as is.

* TheCameo: Besides the CreatorCameo listed below, the film adaptation has a couple of other notable cameos, both uncredited:
** Betsy Wolfe, who played Cathy in the 2013 Off-Broadway revival at Second Stage, appears during "A Summer in Ohio" as Cathy's roommate, the "former stripper and her snake, Wayne."
** Sherie Rene Scott, the original Cathy, appears as a casting director at one of Cathy's auditions, alongside her husband, Kurt Deutsch.

* ComplimentBackfire: In the film, Cathy has some extra lines of dialogue in "The Schmuel Song," including, "Wait, I'm ''Schmuel'' in this story?" By the end of the song, though, she's visibly touched.

* CreatorCameo: In the film, Brown shows up during the rambling audition in "Climbing Uphill."
** SelfDeprecatingHumor: …as the pianist who isn't good enough to keep up with Cathy's sheet music.

** The show opens with "Still Hurting," where a stunned and heartbroken Cathy mourns her ended marriage, and wonders whee it all went wrong. The movie shows her sitting around the house in a depressed stupor, before finally pulling herself together enough to remove her wedding ring, and the watch Jamie gave her.

** This depends on the delivery, but in the movie, Jamie's line, "I will not fail so you can be comfortable, I will not lose because you cannot win," comes off as this, judging by how obviously hurt Cathy is by that line in particular.

* LightIsGood: In the film the color is more vibrant during the happier/beginning parts of Jamie and Cathy's relationship, and the light gets duller when their relationship is falling apart, and eventually the light completely drains when their relationship ends. The same happens with their clothes. The happier they are in their relationship, the clothes are more vibrant and colorful, while at the end of their relationship their clothes are more dull and grey.

* RaceLift: In universe. In the summer stock company Cathy joins, "a gay midget named Carl" plays both Tevye in ''Theatre/FiddlerOnTheRoof,'' a Jewish milkman in Russia, and Porgy in ''Theatre/PorgyAndBess,'' a black beggar in South Carolina. Also Cathy, who's of Irish descent, plays Puerto Rican-American Anita in ''Theatre/WestSideStory''. Played for laughs in the movie, where Kendrick is briefly shown wearing a short black wig to look like Rita Moreno.

* SettingUpdate: The 2014 film changes a few lyrics to make it clear that the show is set in the 2010s instead--for example, Cathy sings "well-placed tattoos" instead of "looked like Creator/TomCruise" to describe an attractive guy (although this change was previously implemented in the 2013 off-Broadway revival, when Cruise was no longer considered the standard for "hotness") and "these are the people who cast Creator/RussellCrowe [[Film/LesMiserables2012 in a musical]]" as opposed to "Linda Blair" to describe her frustrations with the theater industry. And she has to find Jamie's book in "a Target in Kentucky," since there are no longer any Borders open there (or, indeed, anywhere).

* SungThroughMusical: Though not without at least a little bit of dialogue to set the scene for "If I Didn't Believe In You". There is also a lengthy monologue after "Climbing Uphill" where Jamie reads a passage from his book for a public appearance. (It also should be noted that the only time Cathy ever has a spoken monologue is during "Moving Too Fast", when she is speaking to her agent on the phone.) Averted in the movie, which adds a bit of dialogue (though not much).

* TwirlOfLove: In the movie, Jamie picks Cathy up, slings her over his shoulder, and spins her around during "The Schmuel Song."

* IWantSong: In "I Can Do Better Than That", Cathy wants to escape the suburban fate of her school friends, but still wants to find true love, too.

* LoveTriangle: Jamie, Cathy and Jamie's mistress Elise.

* {{Gaslighting}}: In "Nobody Needs To Know", Jamie admits to his unseen lover that he outright lies to Cathy about seeing another woman. In the movie version of "See I'm Smiling", he goes a step further and responds to Cathy's (accurate) accusations by calling her "crazy".
* GreenEyedMonster: Aside from Cathy's suspicions about the large number of flirtatious girls Jamie finds himself surrounded with at various press events, there's an extent to which she is jealous of Jamie ''himself''. Cathy believes herself just as talented as he is, and just as deserving of the runaway success he's received. Thus, it frustrates her that, so far, absolutely no one else in the world agrees. [[ThisIsUnforgivable Not even Jamie.]]

* UnwantedHarem: In "A Miracle Would Happen" Jamie laments that, no sooner is he married, his literary success suddenly makes him a huge hit with lots of co-ed undergrads. As time passes, it becomes clear that its not the harem that's unwanted, but rather his wife's disapproval.

* ShiksaGoddess: A whole song by this title, in which Jamie rejoices that his new girlfriend is not Jewish and admits that he doesn't really care about anything else. If you were infer from this that Jamie's and Cathy's relationship is a little shallow… you might be right.