One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
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A rebellious new patient challenges the rigid authority of a head nurse in a psychiatric ward.
The story
In 1963 Oregon, Randle McMurphy is incarcerated and feigns mental illness to be moved to a mental institution to avoid hard labor. The ward is dominated by the cold, passive-aggressive Nurse Ratched, who maintains control over the patients through intimidation. McMurphy's lively, rebellious presence is viewed by Ratched as a threat to her authority. He begins to challenge her rules, leading to a conflict over the patients' autonomy and the strict environment of the institution.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1963 Oregon, Randle McMurphy is sent to a mental institution where he is confronted by the authoritarian Nurse Ratched. McMurphy's rebellious behavior leads him to challenge Ratched's control, eventually leading him to organize a secret party and attempt to escape with the other patients. During the turmoil, several patients are affected by the escalating tension. After a series of confrontations, McMurphy is eventually returned to his bed and is found to have been lobotomized. Chief Bromden, who has been feigning muteness, witnesses this and ultimately smothers McMurphy before escaping into the countryside. The film concludes with the other patients cheering as Chief escapes.
- First release year
- 1975
- Runtime (minutes)
- 135
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Miloš Forman
- Writers
- Lawrence Hauben · screenplay; Bo Goldman · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Jack Nicholson · Randle McMurphy; Louise Fletcher · Nurse Ratched; William Redfield · none; Will Sampson · Chief Bromden; Danny DeVito · Martini; Brad Dourif · Billy Bibbit
- Genres
- psychological comedy-drama
- Themes
- individual vs. system; authority; mental health
- Tone and mood
- tense; rebellious
- Premise and plot tags
- psychiatric hospital; institutionalization; rebellion
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1962 novel of the same name by Ken Kesey
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim and is considered by critics and audiences to be one of the greatest films ever made.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 93% · scale: percentage · review count: 115; Metacritic · score: 84 · scale: score
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Picture · Win; Academy Award · Best Actor · Win; Academy Award · Best Actress · Win; Academy Award · Best Director · Win; Academy Award · Best Adapted Screenplay · Win
- Production trivia
- The film was shot in the Oregon State Hospital, an actual psychiatric hospital.; The film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1993.; The film was ranked number 33 on the American Film Institute's updated 100 Years... 100 Movies list in 2007.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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