CULT MOVIE: ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (1975)

James Caan turned down Nicholson's role because there'd be "too many white walls", a fact for which we and Jack should be eternally grateful. Nicholson and his character Randle McMurphy seem to merge in this harrowing tale of life and rebellion in an asylum. Many of the group therapy scenes were refilmed with actors adding detail and nuance as they went along. Danny DeVito has a small role and Anjelica Huston is a member of the crowd on the pier when McMurphy and the boys go fishing. Ken Kesey, who wrote the book, says he'll never watch it. It's his loss. Nicholson would return to similar territory with As Good As It Gets (1997) which isn't as good as Jack gets but is one of the few Hollywood films where a patient is seen getting effective medical treatment.
Director: Milos Forman Cast: Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher

Posted in: Cult,movies,Psychiatry