One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a 1975 drama film directed by Milos Forman, starring Jack Nicholson, Brad Dourif, Louise Fletcher. It drew a wide audience and shaped its genre.
Plot
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a 1975 American psychological comedy-drama film directed by Miloš Forman, based on the 1962 novel of the same name by Ken Kesey. The film stars Jack Nicholson as a new patient at a mental institution and Louise Fletcher as the abusive head nurse. Will Sampson, Danny DeVito, Sydney Lassick, William Redfield, Christopher Lloyd, and Brad Dourif play supporting roles, with the latter two making their feature-film debuts and Sampson having never acted before.
Originally announced in 1962 with Kirk Douglas starring, the film took 13 years to develop.
Production
Written by Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman, the film was produced by Fantasy Films. Jack Nitzsche composed the score. Haskell Wexler handled the cinematography. The film runs 135 minutes. The crew and editing refined every shot.
Reception
On a budget of $3,000,000, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest grossed $108,981,275 worldwide at the box office. A critic consensus praised its screenplay and score.
Legacy
The film's influence spread across the century; its narrative and tone echo in much later cinema.
See also
References
- "The 100 Greatest Films of All Time". topfilms100. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
- Ebert, Roger. The Great Movies. Broadway Books.
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