Monday, March 7, 2016

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)


Academy Awards, USA 1976

Won
Oscar
Best Picture
Saul Zaentz
Michael Douglas
'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' became the first film in 41 years to sweep the major categories ... More
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Jack Nicholson
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Louise Fletcher
Best Director
Milos Forman
Best Writing, Screenplay Adapted From Other Material
Lawrence Hauben
Bo Goldman
Nominated
Oscar
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Brad Dourif
Best Cinematography
Haskell Wexler
Bill Butler
Best Film Editing
Richard Chew
Lynzee Klingman
Sheldon Kahn
Best Music, Original Dramatic Score
Jack Nitzsche

United Artists
Directed by Milos Forman
My rating: 4 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Warner Bros.)

Jack Nicholson may or may not be faking mental illness to get out of jail and into a psychiatric hospital. He ends up in a ward run by the stoic Louise Fletcher, with whom he immediately clashes. He tries to inject some normalcy into the otherwise depressing routine by stealing a bus and taking the other patients on a joyride or watching a baseball game on tv. However, he takes things too far when he sneaks in alcohol and women one night. Hilarious and well-acted, but also a scathing indictment of the mental health system, as it is clear Nicholson is the only sane person yet receives the ultimate corrective treatment.

No comments:

Post a Comment