I Wish I Could Give This Film 20 Stars!

Rating: 10/10 (7 February 2007)

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest is the essential landmark triumph of all cinema. It is the standard by which other movies are judged. Nothing will ever surpass this film for its acting, directing, plot development, and the best landmark scenes in any film, period! My own family when acting dysfunctional often quotes scenes and phrases from this film!!!! Who doesn't know this story? Randle P. MacMurphy fakes mental illness to get out of a work farm jail sentence for statutory rape. He is sent to an asylum for a psychiatric evaluation. Being the fun rebel that he is, he sets out to challenge the hospital's no-nonsense rules and regulations overseen by the cold-hearted, controlling head nurse Mildred Ratched. (Or "Nurse Rat-Sh*t" as I like to call her!) Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher deliver some of the greatest lines and scenes in movie history. MacMurphy inspires the other patients to instill confidence in themselves, and to rebel against Nurse Ratsh*t so that they can try to get some of their freedoms and dignity back. But she continues to demand that her authority and rules are never to be questioned, constantly belittling her patients with negativity by making them feel uncomfortable in HER "therapy" sessions.
MacMurphy leads a revolt against the system in several brilliant scenes. The gem is trying to persuade Nurse Ratsh*t to allow the schedule to be changed so that the patients can watch the World Series! (Hysterical comedy here, as well as throughout the movie.) But some scenes are painful to watch, such as a patient's suicide and Nurse Ratsh*t's vindictive cold remarks that the patients should just ignore it as if nothing happened and "go on with the day." This callus comment prompts MacMurphy to attack Nurse Ratsh*t in a scene that will leave you cheering! But as punishment, MacMurphy gets lobotomized in a heartbreaking conclusion that you will remember for the rest of your life.
This movie was filmed at a real psychiatric hospital in Oregon. Most of the extras were authentic mental patients. The actor who played the Admissions Doctor, Dr. John Spivey was a real doctor, and head director at the hospital where the movie was filmed. Several of the admissions interview lines with Nicholson were improvised.
This is the movie experience of a lifetime! Probably several lifetimes!