One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

1975.
#20 / #33
Winner of 5 Academy Awards.

Randle McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) checks into a mental hospital after refusing to work at a prison camp. His rebelliousness draws the ire of Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher).

Eddie: How many times can I extol Jack Nicholson? There are only so many ways I can say it, but I'll try once more. Jack is da bomb. His intensity dominates the movie. There's one shot in the movie where he's looking out the window, and it holds on the close-up until his glare turns into that devilish smile. It's a very long take, but it's worth every second, as is the movie as a whole.

I had thought, before watching the movie, that ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST ended with McMurphy's lobotomy. McMurphy does, in fact, get one, but that's by no means the ending. What happens after the operation is powerful and touching. Will Sampson (who plays Chief) navigates that last scene heroically, portraying exactly how much McMurphy had meant to him.

Sarah: I felt full of anxiety the whole time I watched this film. The camera movement and the actors' performances all work together to build growing tension. I think this film, like Kesey's novel (that's right, I read it. I have a degree in literature) does a great job finding lightness amid the heavy subject matter. Or maybe it does a great job finding drama amid the sometimes comical hysteria. That's the story's brilliance. The more you try and label who is crazy and who is not, the further you will get from the answer.This is the first film we've watched in a while that we both agree deserves it's place on the list.

Side note: Eddie and I have visited the hospital where this was filmed, and the whole place gives off a gloomy heavy feeling. I can't imagine what it was like to actually be inside.

Why You Should See It: When Nurse Ratched won't allow the patients to watch a baseball game, McMurphy gets them all to pretend to watch a game on the screen. It's Nicholson hijinks at its best.