After holding the film rights to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest for more than a decade (and starring in a brief Broadway run), Kirk Douglas realized he was too old to play the lead and passed the film on to his son Michael in hopes of getting it made. Filmed at a working mental hospital in Salem Oregon, the script, written by Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman, follows the basic outline of Ken Kesey’s original novel.
It’s 1963; Randle Patrick McMurphy (Jack Nicholson), a recidivist criminal serving a short sentence on a prison farm for statutory rape, is transferred to a mental institution for evaluation. He figures a stint at the hospital will be easier then prison. Bored by monotonous routines and dull-minded company, McMurphy constantly harasses the presiding ward nurse Mildred Ratched (Louise Fletcher). Wanting the other patients to show some emotion and experience life, McMurphy gets them to rebel against the hospital rules, and even steals a bus so they can enjoy a day of fishing on a hijacked boat.
Realizing that his time spent in the hospital will not be taken off of his prison sentence, McMurphy tries to straighten up his act. However, he’s become too close to his fellow patients to “reform” completely. He has a particularly special relationship with Billy Bibbit (Brad Dourif), a neurotic who only seems to need a little encouragement to make it in the real world. McMurphy takes his defiance of authority too far, with disastrous results.
Directing the film was the well-respected, but not yet well known, Milos Foreman, who made wise casting choices. Besides Nicholson and Dourif, Danny DeVito is perfect as Martini, a delusional gnome; William Redfield as Dale Harding, a high-strung, well-educated patient; and Will Sampson as “Chief” Bromden, a silent, 6 feet 7 inches tall Native American; Christopher Lloyd’s Taber, is hostile and combative and Vincent Schiavelli’s slack-jawed Frederickson is neurotic and has trouble concentrating; Sydney Lassick’s Charlie is a fussy sycophant.
Though some aspects of Cuckoo’s Nest appear dated, other moments remain fresh. Who can forget McMurphy’s basketball game with “The Chief”, and his glee at finding out the big man’s secret: here’s one patient who knows how to deal with an oppressive system. Jack Nicholson clearly has a great time recreating a World Series game for his bunkmates after their TV rights have been denied, personally acting out all the roles. And to avoid ending on a note of doom, the filmmakers emphasize the story of one patient who symbolically walks away from the hospital and all that it represents.
Restored in 2025 by the Academy Film Archive, the results are excellent. The cinematography shines, and the whites of the hospital staff’s uniforms are a wonderful contrast to the drab hospital surroundings. Black levels are inky but show a nice range of shades. A few exterior scenes show a nice range of yellow light. The image is pristine, free of any scratches or other blemishes. This is easily the best One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has ever looked on home video.
The disc offers both the original stereo and a remastered 5.1 surround track. Both tracks are well mixed, dialogue is centrally located and clean and concise throughout. Naturally, the surround track offers more heft and a more enveloping experience.
English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles are available.
Strangely, not all the extras from the 2010 Blu-ray release have been ported over, but there are some new ones to enjoy recorded from a recent webcam interview with Christopher Lloyd, Danny DeVito, Brad Dourif, and producer Michael Douglas, who share their memories of the film.
- NEW!! Conversations on Cuckoo: Group Therapy (13:07)
- NEW!! Conversations on Cuckoo: Moviemaking Memories (10:34)
- Completely Cuckoo (86:17) Directed by Charles Kiselyak in 1997, the in-depth documentary is a wonderful accompaniment to the film. Featuring a rare interview with Ken Kesey, the comprehensive film starts with the story’s genesis and the author’s personal experience working at a mental institution. Then it traces how the novel was translated into a stage play with the strong support of Kirk Douglas and how eventually planted the seed for a screen adaptation. But it wasn’t until Michael Douglas came along and finally turned into a reality for his first film as producer. With behind-the-scenes footage and clips from the film, the remainder of the doc follows casting decisions, production, shooting in a real state hospital located in Salem, Oregon and the movie’s unexpected award-winning success.