One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

A criminal pleads insanity after getting into trouble again and once in the mental institution rebels against the oppressive nurse and rallies up the scared patients.

Director:

Milos Forman

Writers:

Lawrence Hauben (screenplay), Bo Goldman (screenplay)

Stars:

Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Will Sampson

Top Rated Movies #16 | Won 5 Oscars. Another 30 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jack Nicholson	...	R.P. McMurphy
Louise Fletcher	...	Nurse Ratched
Will Sampson	...	Chief Bromden
Michael Berryman	...	Ellis
Alonzo Brown	...	Miller
Peter Brocco	...	Col. Matterson
Scatman Crothers	...	Turkle
Dean R. Brooks	...	Dr. Spivey
Mwako Cumbuka	...	Warren
Danny DeVito	...	Martini
William Duell	...	Sefelt
Josip Elic	...	Bancini
Lan Fendors	...	Nurse Itsu
Nathan George	...	Washington
Ken Kenny	...	Beans Garfield

Storyline

McMurphy has a criminal past and has once again gotten himself into trouble and is sentenced by the court. To escape labor duties in prison, McMurphy pleads insanity and is sent to a ward for the mentally unstable. Once here, McMurphy both endures and stands witness to the abuse and degradation of the oppressive Nurse Ratched, who gains superiority and power through the flaws of the other inmates. McMurphy and the other inmates band together to make a rebellious stance against the atrocious Nurse.

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Plot Keywords:

mental institution | escape | psychopath | evil woman | psychiatric examination | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 November 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

Atrapado sin salida

Filming Locations:

Depoe Bay, Oregon, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$4,400,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$99,761, 23 November 1975, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$112,000,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fantasy Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

133 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The title derives from an American children's folk rhyme. It can be read in its entirety in the novel.

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Goofs

When the doctors bring back Randle McMurphy from his treatment, they walk in, one doctor puts down his doctor bag, they lay Randle down, and as they walk out the doctor bag has disappeared and neither one is carrying it out.

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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.
[...]

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Crazy Credits

The cast is credited in alphabetical order in the end credits, except for Brad Dourif, who is listed last as follows: "and introducing / Brad Dourif as Billy Bibbit".

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Connections

Referenced in Animaniacs: One Flew Over the Cuckoo Clock (1996)

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Soundtracks

I'm Popeye the Sailor Man
(1933) (uncredited)
Music and lyrics by Samuel Lerner
Sung a cappella by Sydney Lassick while piloting the boat

User Reviews

"What an excellent movie" is all that went through my mind after seeing this masterpiece

What a movie, what an excellent movie!!! That is what first went through my mind after seeing this masterpiece. I've seen many movies, but there aren't much movies which had such an impact on me. Nowadays almost all filmmakers believe they can only make a good movie by adding loads of special effects and lots of huge explosions ... This movie is so good, so convincing without them. The actors played their roles in such a convincing way that you would think these weren't actors at all, but real psychiatric patients.

This movie may be 30 years old, but it hasn't lost any of its relevancy. OK, we don't put our mentally ill people in that kind of prisons anymore, the bars in front of the windows have gone and now we call it hospitals in stead of nut houses. But the treatment hasn't changed all that much. I once worked in such a hospital as a volunteer and still saw things like forced feeding, giving people so much medication until they no longer know who or where they are,...

When the movie first came out, some people were shocked because when you watch the movie, you can't help it feeling more attached to the patients than to the doctors and nurses. This movie shows that cinema can make a difference. It can help to open people's eyes. If there is a movie that should be seen by everyone, this sure is the one. I give it a well deserved 10/10.