We are now less than one week away from the Academy Awards and I thought it would be a good time to visit one of the biggest Oscar winning movies of the 1970’s – the classic 1975 motion picture One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – which took home five of the biggest prizes; namely, Best Picture (a young Michael Douglas won for producing the movie), Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Directed by Milos Forman (Amadeus), the story follows R.P. McMurphy (Jack Nicholson in an Oscar winning performance), a newly admitted patient to a mental institution, as he turns the sedentary and highly regulated ways of the staff and residents upside down. The free- wheeling, high-spirited party animal irks the frigidly stern head nurse, Ratched (Louise Fletcher in the other Academy Award winning performance), who does not take kindly to the man’s shenanigans.
McMurphy makes it his goal to get under the caretaker’s skin. The anti-hero gambles with the other men, does not take his medication, tries to lead his newfound buddies in changing their long-time routines (like watching the World Series and turning down the classical music) and breaks out of the compound only to steal a bus with some of the other patients, taking them on a deep-sea fishing adventure. As you can probably tell, he is willing to do anything to overthrow the nurse’s stranglehold on his friends.
McMurphy even organizes a wild party with women and booze, but all he really wants is to be free. He asks his good friend, the feigning deaf and dumb Chief Bromden (Will Sampson) to come with him as he plans to escape from the institution.
Much like my earlier review of Billy Jack, this film captures some similar counter-cultural ideals of the 1970’s such as oppressive, heavy-handed rules; anti-establishmentism; institutional authority; following the status quo; and the lack of freedom.
Some brilliant performances can also be found in this movie. Nicholson is perfect as the boundary-breaking, free spirited man who is trying to affect change on his newfound friends. Fletcher is excellent as the cold, oppressive authority figure who lacks empathy. Secondary roles are played by superb character actors Scatman Crothers (The Shining), Danny DeVito (L.A. Confidential), Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future), Vincent Schiavelli (Ghost), and Brad Dourif (Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers), not to mention other lesser known actors – all of whom bring their ‘A’ game to the picture.
There are so many memorable scenes in this film and I will try to highlight a few. One of the best has to be the fishing scene where McMurphy covers for his fellow friends by introducing them as very important and eccentric doctors. Also, the basketball and imaginary baseball World Series scenes are heartwarming, funny and touching. On the darker side, some of the moments where we see the harsh ways that the institution treats its patients are hard to watch.
Recently, I sat down for lunch with Aboriginal Canadian leader Phil Fontaine, the only three time National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, and his favourite film of all-time is One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. To him, it was the magnificent acting from Nicholson in the leading role along with the superb performances from Fletcher, DeVito, Sampson and Dourif that elevate the movie to another level. He also agreed that the standout scene, as mentioned above, was the iconic introduction of the fake doctors on the boat. Their facial expressions and the spur of the moment tale make for a truly classic cinematic moment.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is one of the most well-respected American movies of all-time – and for good reason. It is beautifully adapted for the screen, and when you mix in the powerhouse acting of its cast along with the superb direction from Forman, you are left with a classic motion picture that simply cannot be forgotten.
Classic book. Good movie. Solid acting all around.