One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Rating: 10/10 (25 February 2005)

From Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe winning director Milos Forman, this is an excellent story based on the novel by Ken Kesey. Basically Randall P. (Patrick) McMurphy (Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe winning Jack Nicholson, in his greatest role) is the free spirit with several assault convictions who, after convincing guards he is crazy, is put into a state mental home. He has a different point of view though, and is ultimately a rebel in amongst the real mental patients and the hospital staff, particularly his main enemy, ward sister Nurse Mildred Ratched (Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe winning Louise Fletcher). But during his time in the hospital, he actually helps some of the patients make progress. These patients are a variety of then unknown actors, including Harding (William Redfield), stuttering Billy Bibbit (introducing BAFTA winning, and Oscar nominated Brad Dourif), Charlie Cheswick (Sydney Lassick, who played another Cheswick in Carrie), Taber (introducing Back to the Future's Christopher Lloyd), Martini (Danny DeVito), and faker Chief Bromden (Will Sampson). The best sequences I always remember are all the group meetings, McMurphy jumping over the fence and stealing the bus of patients taking them fishing, the late night party (and attempted escape), and of course the tear-jerking ending where (after choking Nurse Ratched) McMurphy has had a lobotomy (taking out some of his brain), Chief kills him (euthanasia) and chucks the sink at the window to escape. Also starring Ghost's Vincent Schiavelli as Frederickson, The Shining's Scatman Crothers as Turkle, Louisa Moritz as Rose, Mews/Marya Small as Candy and Delos V. Smith Jr. as Scanlon. The film was produced by Michael Douglas, who had played McMurphy on stage. It won the Oscars for Best Picture and Best Writing, Screenplay Adapted From Other Material, and it was nominated for Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing and Best Music for the great score by Jack Nitzsche, it won the BAFTAs for Best Film and Best Film Editing, and it was nominated for the Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music, Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay and Best Sound Track, and it won the Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture - Drama and Best Screenplay. Jack Nicholson was number 6 on The 100 Greatest Movie Stars, he was number 71 on The 100 Greatest Pop Culture Icons, he was number 63 on The 100 Greatest Sex Symbols, and he was number 7 on The World's Greatest Actor, Nurse Ratched was number 5 on 100 Years, 100 Heroes & Villains, the film was number 59 on The Ultimate Film, it was number 17 on 100 Years, 100 Cheers, it was number 20 on 100 Years, 100 Movies, and it was number 14 on The 100 Greatest Films. Outstanding!