One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

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:

Christ Figure | Death | Oppression | Anger | Claustrophobic

Awards:

Won 5 Oscars. Another 28 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Jack Nicholson	...	R.P. McMurphy
Louise Fletcher	...	Nurse Ratched
William Redfield	...	Harding
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	...	Sefelt
Josip Elic	...	Bancini
Lan Fendors	...	Nurse Itsu
Nathan George	...	Washington
Ken Kenny	...	Beans Garfield
Mel Lambert	...	Harbor Master
Sydney Lassick	...	Cheswick
Kay Lee	...	Night Supervisor
Christopher Lloyd	...	Taber
Dwight Marfield	...	Ellsworth
Ted Markland	...	Hap Arlich
Louisa Moritz	...	Rose
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)

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

Original Music by
Jack Nitzsche

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	....	hair stylist
Fred B. Phillips	....	makeup artist (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	....	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)

Stunts
Alan Gibbs	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bill Butler	....	additional photographer
Dick Colean	....	camera operator
William A. Fraker	....	additional photographer (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 editor
Arthur Coburn	....	assistant editor (as Art Coburn)
Constance Field	....	assistant editor
Bonnie Koehler	....	assistant editor
Jay Miracle	....	assistant 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 designer
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)
• N.V. Zvaluw

Distributors

• United Artists (1975) (USA) (theatrical)
• Aquarius TV (2005) (Greece) (TV)
• Condor Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1979) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Pioneer Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Transmundo Films (1995) (Argentina) (re-release)
• Transmundo Home Video (THV) (1995) (Argentina) (video)
• United Artists Films (1976) (Finland) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1976) (France) (theatrical)
• 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 (2005) (Japan) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Japan) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Japan) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• 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

Runtime:

133 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:18A (video rating) | Brazil:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Canada:R (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) (original rating) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) | Spain:13 | Canada:G (Quebec) (re-rating) | Iceland:16 | 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:

Louise Fletcher was so upset with the fact that the other actors could laugh and be happy while she had to be so cold and heartless that near the end of production she removed her dress and stood in only her panties to prove to the actors she was not "a cold-hearted monster".

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When it is a first person view of McMurphy looking through the nurse's room, you can see the reflection of the camera man in the glass.

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:

Referenced in The China Syndrome: A Fusion of Talent (2004) (V)

Touching and moving, a great cinematic experience

Jack Nicholson is a great actor. No, not a great actor, a spectacular actor. This is a film from fairly early in his career, as well as it is for several other actors in this film, who later have had long, great careers too, including Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd and Brad Dourif. The film has some unforgettable moments... who could forget Louise Fletcher's icy stare, Jack Nicholson's smart-aleck remarks or Will Sampson's impressive, almost entirely silent performance? The film portrays the horrible truth about how patients were treated in mental institutions back then, and tells the story of someone who desperately wanted to break out, to rebel, to change things, for himself and for the others. I was compelled by this film, from the very first frame. I never took my eyes off it, and I will definitely be thinking about this film for a while. I thought it was great the way one of the very first frames depicted the institution as something far more similar to a prison than a hospital. Milos Forman did a great job of making that contrast very powerful to the viewer. The film is very moving and a truly beautiful cinematic experience. Every single actor gives a stellar performance, every single character is perfectly written, every single line, every single frame is absolutely perfect. I wouldn't change a thing in this film. It has a great pace, you never lose interest, but it never seems to be rushing to get through it, either. It's simply perfect. I have not read the original book, but if I ever come across it, I might check it out. I have only seen this film once, but I will definitely watch it many times in years to come. I recommend this amazing piece of great cinema to anyone who has at least a slight interest in the drama genre, or any fan of any of the actors, as they are all in their absolute prime in this film. 10/10