Only the second film to win all the major Oscars - and Oscar got it right.
Nicholson's manic grin and defiant postures hadn't yet settled into
self-parody, and he exudes real charisma as MacMurphy, a rebel who
challenges the rules of a microcosmic mental ward where he plainly
doesn't belong. Fletcher is outstanding as a cruel-to-be-kind nurse,
as are the supporting cast, particularly Danny De Vito, Christopher
Lloyd and the giant 'chief', Will Sampson. Forman's direction is
under-stated, but strong enough to make you cry; this is intelligent
mainstream cinema of a sort rarely seen today.
