One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

User Rating:

8.9/10   

Director:

Milos Forman

Writers:

Lawrence Hauben (screenplay) and
Bo Goldman (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

26 February 1976 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

If he's crazy, what does that make you?

Plot:

Upon arrival at a mental institution, a brash rebel rallies the patients together to take on the oppressive Nurse Ratched, a woman more a dictator than a nurse.

Plot Keywords:

Nurse | Patient | Basketball | Playing Card | Mental Institution

Awards:

Won 5 Oscars. Another 28 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Michael Berryman	...	Ellis
Peter Brocco	...	Col. Matterson
Dean R. Brooks	...	Dr. Spivey
Alonzo Brown	...	Miller
Scatman Crothers	...	Turkle
Mwako Cumbuka	...	Warren
Danny DeVito	...	Martini
William Duell	...	Jim Sefelt
Josip Elic	...	Bancini
Lan Fendors	...	Nurse Itsu
Louise Fletcher	...	Nurse Ratched
Nathan George	...	Washington
Ken Kenny	...	Beans Garfield
Mel Lambert	...	Harbor Master
Sydney Lassick	...	Charley Cheswick
Kay Lee	...	Night Supervisor
Christopher Lloyd	...	Taber
Dwight Marfield	...	Ellsworth
Ted Markland	...	Hap Arlich
Louisa Moritz	...	Rose
Jack Nicholson	...	R.P. McMurphy
William Redfield	...	Harding
Philip Roth	...	Woolsey (as Phil Roth)
Will Sampson	...	Chief Bromden
Mimi Sarkisian	...	Nurse Pilbow
Vincent Schiavelli	...	Fredrickson
Mews Small	...	Candy (as Marya Small)
Delos V. Smith Jr.	...	Scanlon
Tin Welch	...	Ruckley
Brad Dourif	...	Billy Bibbit
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Anjelica Huston	...	Woman in Crowd on Pier (uncredited)
Tom McCall	...	News Commentator (uncredited)
James V. Shore	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Saul Zaentz	...	Captain on Shore (uncredited)

Directed by
Milos Forman

Writing credits
Lawrence Hauben		(screenplay) and
Bo Goldman		(screenplay)
Ken Kesey		(novel)
Dale Wasserman		(play "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest")

Produced by
Michael Douglas	....	producer
Martin Fink	....	associate producer
Saul Zaentz	....	producer

Original Music by
Jack Nitzsche		(original music composed by)

Cinematography by
Haskell Wexler		(director of photography)
Bill Butler		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Sheldon Kahn
Lynzee Klingman

Casting by
Jane Feinberg
Mike Fenton

Production Design by
Paul Sylbert

Art Direction by
Edwin O'Donovan

Makeup Department
Gerry Leetch	....	hairdresser
Fred B. Phillips	....	make up (as Fred Phillips)

Production Management
Joel Douglas	....	unit production manager
Irving Saraf	....	post-production supervisor
Joel Chernoff	....	executive in charge of production (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William Saint John	....	second assistant director (as William St. John)
Irby Smith	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Joe Acord	....	construction coordinator
Tom Bartholomew	....	production painter
Terry E. Lewis	....	props (as Terry Lewis)
Rudy Reachi	....	assistant property master (uncredited)

Sound Department
Mark Berger	....	post-production sound director
Pat Jackson	....	sound editor
Larry Jost	....	sound recordist (as Lawrence Jost)
Mary McGlone	....	sound editor
Robert R. Rutledge	....	sound editor (as Robert Rutledge)
Kirk Schuler	....	assistant sound editor
Veronica Selver	....	sound editor
Gene Radzik	....	Dolby consultant: 2001 5.1 remix (uncredited)
Philip Rogers	....	sound recordist: restoration (restored version) (uncredited)

Stunts
Alan Gibbs	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bill Butler	....	additional photography
Dick Colean	....	camera operator
William A. Fraker	....	additional photography (as William Fraker)
Hugh K. Gagnier	....	camera operator (as Hugh Gagnier)
George Hill	....	key grip
Gary Holt	....	gaffer
Dennis Marks	....	gaffer
Walter Nichols	....	best boy
Peter Sorel	....	still photographer
Robert M. Stevens	....	camera operator (as Robert Stevens)
Bill Tenny	....	gaffer
Robert C. Thomas	....	camera operator (as Robert Thomas)
Doug Willis	....	best boy
Kyle T. MacDowell	....	electrician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Aggie Guerard Rodgers	....	costumer (as Agnes Rodgers)

Editorial Department
Richard Chew	....	supervising film editor
Arthur Coburn	....	assistant film editor (as Art Coburn)
Constance Field	....	assistant film editor
Bonnie Koehler	....	assistant film editor
Jay Miracle	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Ted Whitfield	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Tom F. Thomas	....	transportation captain (as Tom Thomas)

Other crew
Natalie Drache	....	script supervisor
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title
Rhonda Kramer	....	production office coordinator
Leonard Lipton	....	production assistant
Frank Noonan	....	location auditor
Denise Schreiter	....	location coordinator
Jim Young	....	location auditor

Production Companies

• Fantasy Films (presents)

Distributors

• United Artists (1975) (USA) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Film & Teater (1976) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Transmundo Films (1995) (Argentina) (theatrical) (re-release)
• United Artists Films (1976) (Finland) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1976) (France) (theatrical)
• Ustredni Pujcovna Filmu (1990) (Czechoslovakia) (theatrical)
• Aquarius TV (2005) (Greece) (TV)
• Condor Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1979) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Pioneer Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Sandrews (1999) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Sandrews (2002) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Transmundo Home Video (THV) (1995) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Varus Video (Russia) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1998) (Japan) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1998) (Japan) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (Japan) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Japan) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Japan) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Video (1998) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (Sweden) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Vídeo (1998) (Brazil) (DVD)

Other Companies

• National Broadcasting Company (NBC)  portions of the 1963 World Series broadcast courtesy of (as NBC)
• Fantasy Films  acknowledgement: produced through the facilities of (as Fantasy Films Berkeley, California)
• N.V. Zvaluw  acknowledgement: original musical score copyright ©1975 by

Runtime:

133 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:14+ (Quebec) (re-rating) | Canada:16+ (Quebec) (original rating) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Ontario) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) | Iceland:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Spain:13 | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) | Brazil:14 | Canada:14A (video rating) | USA:Approved | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Austria:12 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Ireland:18 | Italy:VM14 | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1976) | Singapore:PG | South Korea:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:12 (re-rating) | West Germany:16 (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Depoe Bay, Oregon, USA

Company:

Fantasy Films

Trivia:

In 2007, the American Film Institute ranked this as the #33 Greatest Movie of All Time.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: During the basketball game, McMurphy runs to the edge of the court, the camera follows and, for a moment, reveals an assortment of film production equipment including lighting stands, C-stands, lighting gels and even a crew member. Only visible in the wide screen version.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Attendant Warren: Good morning, Miss Ratched.
Nurse Ratched: Good morning.
Attendant Washington: Good morning, Miss Ratched.
Nurse Ratched: Mr. Washington.
Miller: Morning.
Nurse Ratched: Good morning.
Nurse Pilbow: Good morning, Miss Ratched.
Nurse Ratched: Good morning.
Attendant Washington: Morning, Bancini.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Is It Fall Yet? (2000) (TV)

Soundtrack:

I'm Popeye the Sailor Man

Poetic - Powerful - Simple: The Greatness of Cuckoo's Nest.

The opening shot of ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST is a bleak glance at an Oregon morning. Stirring, haunting music plays gracefully on the soundtrack and a car approaches. Inside the car is one of film history's most remarkable characters. "Randle McMurphy" is about to bring hope, humor, and a glimmer of reality to some disturbed people in a mental hospital. Jack Nicholson as "McMurphy", is something of a paradox. Is this guy crazy or is he really the lazy, conniving criminal most believe him to be? That is the magical mystery and start to a journey into mental illness and the effect this man will have on some truly messed up men.

Milos Forman directs this all-time classic, which swept the Oscars deservedly, and holds up so well 25 years later. It is a simplistic film about small people living in their own small worlds. Manic moments are mixed with poignant acting all leading to an astounding climax. Not before or since CUCKOO'S NEST has a collection of different characters had such an impact on me. You could write a book report about each of the patients in the ward. The two most important people here are, of course, Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher.

Nicholson has his greatest moments in this picture. One brilliant scene has him doing an imaginary play-by-play commentary of the 1963 World Series to the group, who are not allowed to watch the game on TV. It is a poetic sequence and Nicholson goes crazy with his delivery, describing baseball with colorful anecdotes and profanity. "McMurphy" immediately makes an impression on the crazies and shows them how they don't have to stick to the "normal routine". He knows their names right away, he sprays them with water, he makes impossible bets with them, he introduces them to fishing, and he even gets a suffering young kid (played well by Brad Dourif) a "date".

Louise Fletcher plays one of the more reprehensible human beings in film as "Nurse Mildred Ratched". She is a hardened woman, one who makes the daily meetings with the group a contest to see who will win. Her stubbornness and lack of compassion for the poor guys is rather one dimensional. That's perfect because that is exactly who she is. Her strong will to keep things monotonous leads to a final showdown with the free spirited "McMurphy" in what is easily one of the most shocking and disturbing climaxes in recent memory.

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST does not try to make a statement about mental illness or how the unstable should be treated. Rather, it is a very simple portrait of the long days and hilarious scenarios that can come about when a mixed bag of suffering people are thrown together. Mental illness is nothing to laugh about, but the fact that Nicholson is not really crazy (at least in my opinion) allows us to be amused. He seems to love his compadres in the hospital. He is mislead, however, into thinking he can do as he pleases.

There is no denying the power of CUCKOO'S NEST. The two main powerhouse performances are golden, the cinematography is morbid and gritty like it should be, the "Chief" is great as Nicholson's right hand, ah, protagonist, and you care a lot about what will happen as the film moves on. The famous, final shot ironically happens to be an exit of a major character into that bleak, Oregon morning.

NOTE: I have never read the book and I find it hard to believe author Ken Kesey has never watched the filmed version. Comparing a book to a movie is impossible. They are 2 distinctly different artistic methods of story-telling.