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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) More at IMDbPro »

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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) -- 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.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) -- Clip: Opening Credits

Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 12% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Milos Forman
Writers:
Lawrence Hauben (screenplay) and
Bo Goldman (screenplay) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
26 February 1976 (Sweden) more
Genre:
Drama more
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. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Won 5 Oscars. Another 28 wins & 11 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(48 articles)
Remembering Burton's Batman 20 years later
 (From Corona's Coming Attractions. 23 June 2009, 12:44 AM, PDT)

Hotties go crazy
 (From JoBlo. 18 June 2009, 2:08 AM, PDT)

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

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)
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)
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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
 
Crew verified as complete


Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies
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Additional Details

Runtime:
133 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Filming Locations:
Depoe Bay, Oregon, USA more
Company:
Fantasy Films more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
In 2007, the American Film Institute ranked this as the #33 Greatest Movie of All Time. more
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. more
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.
[...]
more
Movie Connections:
Spoofed in Is It Fall Yet? (2000) (TV) more
Soundtrack:
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man more

FAQ

What does the title mean?
Is this film based on a novel?
A NOTE REGARDING SPOILERS
more
168 out of 203 people found the following comment useful:-
Poetic - Powerful - Simple: The Greatness of Cuckoo's Nest., 22 January 2000
10/10
Author: Donald J. Lamb from Philadelphia, PA

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.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Confused about something *SPOILERS* maggigie
any movie similar to this one ? Concorde_2006
She kind of a *beep* aint she? jackattack6586
If they were to do a remake...... Teek23
a absolute materclass in acting jlnewton147
Nurse Ratched monty_106
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