One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Will Sampson, Scatman Crothers, Alonzo Brown ... see more see more... , William Redfield , Dean R. Brooks , Danny DeVito , William Duell , Brad Dourif , Christopher Lloyd , Vincent Schiavelli , Delos V. Smith , Marya Small , Louisa Moritz , Mimi Sarkisian , Nathan George , Michael Berryman , Peter Brocco , Alonzo Brown Jr. , Mwako Cumbuka , Josip Elic , Lan Fendors , Sidney Lassick , Dwight Marfield , Ted Markland , Phil Roth , Sydney Lassick

With an insane asylum standing in for everyday society, Milos Forman's 1975 film adaptation of Ken Kesey's novel is a comically sharp indictment of the Establishment urge to conform. Playing crazy to ... read more read more...avoid prison work detail, manic free spirit Randle P. McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) is sent to the state mental hospital for evaluation. There he encounters a motley crew of mostly voluntary inmates, including cowed mama's boy Billy (Brad Dourif) and silent Native American Chief Bromden (Will Sampson), presided over by the icy Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher). Ratched and McMurphy recognize that each is the other's worst enemy: an authority figure who equates sanity with correct behavior, and a misfit who is charismatic enough to dismantle the system simply by living as he pleases. McMurphy proceeds to instigate group insurrections large and small, ranging from a restorative basketball game to an unfettered afternoon boat trip and a tragic after-hours party with hookers and booze. Nurse Ratched, however, has the machinery of power on her side to ensure that McMurphy will not defeat her. Still, McMurphy's message to live free or die is ultimately not lost on one inmate, revealing that escape is still possible even from the most oppressive conditions. ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi

Flixster Users

95% liked it

229,520 ratings

Critics

96% liked it

51 critics

R, 2 hr. 14 min.

Directed by: Milos Forman

Release Date: November 19, 1975

Keywords: funny

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: December 9, 1997

Get It:

Stats: 17,950 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Jack Nicholson & Brad Dourif in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Brad Dourif in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Louise Fletcher in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Billy Bibbit Martini Billy Bibbit Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Billy Bibbitt Brad Dourif in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest One Flew Over the Cuckoo?s Nest One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Randall Patrick McMurphy
Upload a Photo | View All One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (17,950)

  • fb1664868775
    March 28, 2012
    fb1664868775
    One of the best and most important films of the 1970's is still powerful today. The script (from a story by Ken Kesey) is magnificent and this is the role that made Jack Nicholson.
  • aquateen2
    March 2, 2012
    aquateen2
    A great film but also an amazing adaption. One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest is an emotional rollercoaster with memorable characters and performances and a cleverly inserted political subtext that never ceases to manipulate and entertain among the occasional multiple viewing. It co... read moreuld have been 20 minutes shorter, but despite being incredibly slow, I was glued to the screen in it's entirety. This is possibly the best example of a film that's enjoyable in it's unrestrained intensity.
  • fb100002090596996
    January 10, 2012
    fb100002090596996
    Well, let me start of that this is no ordinary movie. This is possibly the most uncomfortable movie you can possibly sit through. But it's also one of the best movies you can possibly sit through. Jack Nicholson and every other actor gave the most realistic performance in a movie... read more ever. Now that.... is enough said.
  • bottcorecords1
    January 8, 2012
    bottcorecords1
    Jack Nicholson's R.P. McMurphy isn't a very nice guy. Convicted of statutory rape and several assaults, he fakes insanity in order to get out of doing work detail in jail. What he expects to find at the mental hospital is a bunch of "feebs" relaxing and taking it easy. What he... read more finds is nurse Ratched, an angry and petulant woman who uses terror tactics to get the results she wants from the inpatients. McMurphy's been in jail, seen the tougher, seedier side of life, and he fails to perceive nurse Ratched as a threat because she's capable of a different type of brutality than what he's been exposed to in life. McMurphy in fact, winds up changing his tune quite a bit. McMurphy the brawler lightens up towards those he sees as lost souls. He brings life to them, and while at first he's only doing it to get under Ratched's skin, he soon develops a genuine affection for the group he's living with. It's a weird situation to be in, to say the least.

    Nicholson does his best Jack Nicholson here, but the movie wouldn't be the same (or nearly as good) without the supporting characters. Scatman Crothers, Danny DeVito, Louise Fletcher, Christopher Lloyd, Sydney Lassick, and William Redfield all bring the film to life with their individually great performances. From a period where anti-establishment films were at a peak, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest might just be the highlight.
  • blkbomb
    December 30, 2011
    blkbomb
    McMurphy: Is that crazy enough for ya'? Want me to take a shit on the floor? 

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

    One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a classic, and one of the better films you'll ever see. It's brilliance come mainly from the spectacular performances by al... read morel involved. Louise Fletcher and Jack Nicholson's Oscars for their roles in this film speak for themselves, but the supporting cast that is around them are great too. Danny DeVito, Brad Douriff, Christopher Lloyd, and Will Sampson, along with the no names are terrific in their respective roles. This is an extremely powerful film, and one of the more disturbing films you're likely to see. The last 15 minutes or so are troubling to say the least.

    McMurphy is sent to a mental hospital because the penitentiary is sick of him and for evaluation, but he know, as do the staff their, that he really isn't crazy. It doesn't take long for his rebellious nature to cause waves with the head nurse. She rules over the patients like a dictator. McMurphy soon gets the other patients to start to rebel right along side him, and obviously that isn't going to make the nurse very happy. 

    Jack Nicholson's role as McMurphy is widely considered to be the best performance of his career. I myself like his role in The Shining the best, but he's as great as ever here. Whether he's acting like a lunatic screaming at the top of his lungs, telling jokes with the patients, or making wise cracks to the nurse; his performance is no less than amazing. There's a reason he is believed to be one of the better actors ever, and it is because of his performances in movies like this.

    Whether or not you'll like this movie really depends on one thing, if you're breathing. If you're alive, there's a really good chance you'll love the movie. I was introduced to it really early in life, before I understood everything that was going on and I even loved it then. This will forever be a timeless classic. A hundred years from now this film will still be in the discussion when talking about the greatest movies ever made.

    Nurse Ratched: The best thing we can do is go on with our daily routine. 
  • spielberg00
    December 16, 2011
    spielberg00
    Poignant, brilliant drama is the faithful adaptation of Ken Kesey's 1962 classic novel of the same name. Set in the fall of 1963, the story centers around a man named R.P. McMurphy (Jack Nicholson). He is sent to an institution to be evaluated of his mental illness, charged for... read more five separate assaults. Though somewhat quickly befriending a few other patients, namely Chief Bromden (Will Sampson), he just as quickly finds hatred for Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher), the hell cat of the asylum.

    Immediately after I finished this, I was convinced that this deserved a second viewing. Compared to the book, I'd have to say this is better. Sure, Ken Kesey implanted a good effect, and his book is memorable, but I physically felt my heart aching near the end of this film. As a side note, this was the first film since IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (41 years before) to pick up what are widely considered the five main Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director (Milos Forman), Best Actor (Nicholson), Best Actress (Fletcher), and Best Adapted Screenplay.

    Full Review: http://wp.me/p1Urcx-xP
  • fb7018436
    November 21, 2011
    fb7018436
    A not quite accurate portrayal of the mental health system and psychological disorders that lead to institutionalization but it's masterfully written, directed and Nicholson kills it as usual.
  • TheGame90
    September 18, 2011
    TheGame90
    The word I'm gonna use is.......slow
  • DreamExtractor
    August 15, 2011
    DreamExtractor
    one Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest is one of the greatest films ever made. The plot has so many deep and great meanings and it was tremendous. This is greatly cast and is Nicholson and Fletchers best films by far. I can honestly say I love this film, and its one of my all time fav... read moreorites.
  • bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb1
    August 5, 2011
    bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb1
    What a great movie. Jack Nicholson was great in this movie. The movie was funny, sad, and inspiring and i liked this movie a lot.

    Grade: A-

View All One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Reviews

Critic Reviews

Chris Nashawaty
September 9, 2010
Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly

There's a lot here. But with a classic like Cuckoo's Nest, too much is never enough. Full Review

Richard Schickel
February 20, 2009
Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine

One Flew over the Cuckoo 's Nest is an earnest attempt to make a serious film. But in the end the movie backs away from both the human reality and the cloudy but potent symbolism that Ken Kesey found ... Full Review

James Berardinelli
November 4, 2008
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

Viewed 30 years after its release, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest remains a very good motion picture, although one that perhaps just misses the pinnacle of greatness where its reputation suggests it ... Full Review

A.D. Murphy
February 19, 2008
A.D. Murphy, Variety

Jack Nicholson stars in an outstanding characterization of Ken Kesey's asylum anti-hero, McMurphy, and Milos Forman's direction of a superbly-cast film is equally meritorious. Full Review

Dave Kehr
December 13, 2006
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

Jack Nicholson plays McMurphy as if he were born to it, and the supporting cast provides fine, detailed performances. Full Review

Vincent Canby
May 20, 2003
Vincent Canby, New York Times

Even granting the artist his license, America is much too big and various to be satisfactorily reduced to the dimensions of one mental ward in a movie like this. Full Review

Roger Ebert
March 25, 2003
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Is One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest not a great film because it is manipulative, or is it great because it is so superbly manipulative? I can see it through either filter. Full Review

Peter Canavese
October 7, 2010
Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews

Nicholson gets to use all the colors on his palette, from quiet, troubled contemplation to the disturbingly truthful, live-wire jesting with which he has become best associated. [Blu-ray] Full Review

Felix Vasquez Jr.
September 27, 2010
Felix Vasquez Jr., Cinema Crazed

A marvel of contemporary filmmaking with intelligence, entertainment value, and ponderings on life, manhood, and how society can be much scarier than nurses in white coats... Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson
September 16, 2010
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

It's mostly Nicholson that makes the film work, with his fun, but very intelligent, canny turn. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Rain Man
    Rain Man (98%)
  • Shutter Island
    Shutter Island (94%)
  • Awakenings
    Awakenings (97%)
  • Instinct
    Instinct (38%)

More Movies like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Facts

Submit a Fact | View All
    • Chief Bromden: I knew you wouldnt leave without me.
    • Randle Patrick McMurphy: Koufax, Koufax kicks, he delivers. Its up the middle its a base hit! Richardson rounding first he's going for second, the balls into deep right center, Davidson over to cut the ball off, here comes the throw Richardson slides, he's in there, HES SAFE! Its a double, Look at Richardson, he's on second base, Koufax is in big fucking trouble, big trouble baby....
    • Randle Patrick McMurphy: She was 15 going on 35 Doc and she told me she was 18 she was very willing. I practically had to take to sewing my pants on shut. But once you get that little red beaver right up in front of you, I don't think it's crazy at all, and I don't think you do either. No man alive could resist that and that's why I got into jail to begin with and now there telling me I'm crazy over here cause I don't sit there like a goddamn vegetable, don't make a bit of since to me. If that's what's being crazy then, then I'm senseless, out of it, gone down the road wacko, but no more no less, that's it.
    • Randle Patrick McMurphy: You like to look at other people's cards, huh?
    • Martini: Yes.
    • Randle Patrick McMurphy: Is that crazy enough for ya'? Want me to take a shit on the floor?
    • Randle Patrick McMurphy: What do you think you are, for Chrissake, crazy or somethin'? Well you're not! You're not! You're no crazier than the average asshole out walkin' around on the streets and that's it.
Submit a Fact | View All

One Flew Over the... : Watch Free on TV

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Trivia

  • In the film "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest", what was Chief's primary past-time?  Answer »
  • This film involves patients of a psychic ward. It won Best Picture. As well Director Milos Forman,Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher won Oscars. Name the movie.  Answer »
  • What 2 films swept the top 5 major oscars: best picture, director, actor, actress and screenplay?  Answer »
  • In 1975, this movie swept all major Academy Awards. Louise Fletcher was the dominating nurse in a mental institution. Christopher Lloyd, Danny Devito, and Will Sampson played supporting actors. Movie is_  Answer »
More One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Trivia

Movie Quizzes

Create a Quiz |

All Quizzes

Video Clips

Upload a Video |

All One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Videos

Meet Other Fans

Add One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest to favorites

Recent News

Submit a Story |

View One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest News

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

UncannyX Skin by UncannyX
210 Profiles
Add to Profile

More Skins