One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Movie Review Assignment
Major Characters
Randle Patrick McMurphy (‘Mac’)…………………..Jack Nicholson
A rebellious prisoner who is sent to a mental hospital in order to be “evaluated for mental illness.”
Nurse Mildred Ratchet…………………………………….Louise Fletcher
A cold and strict nurse who is responsible for the patients at the hospital.
Dr. John Spivey…………………………………………………Dean R. Brooks
The doctor who tries to find out if McMurphy is truly sick, at least by the standards of modern psychology.
Chief…………………………………………………………………Will Sampson
A Native American patient who everyone thinks is deaf and dumb.
Billy Bibbit………………………………………………………..Brad Dourif
A young patient who has a bad stuttering problem (i.e. to speak with an uncontrolled repeating of sounds).
Harding……………………………………………………….…..William Redfield
A highly educated patient who is terribly depressed about the relationship he has with his wife.
Martini…………………………………………………….……...Danny Devito
A patient who is apparently mentally retarded, but kind and gentle.
Charlie Cheswick…………………………………………….Sydney Lassick
A patient who often acts like a young child.
Candy……………………………………………………….………Marya Small
A girlfriend of McMurphy’s who lives near the hospital.
Turkle……………………………………………………….……..Scatman Crothers
A night time worker at the hospital.
While watching the movie, record important developments/events in the movie and use these points to create a
thorough and complete Plot Summary of the movie. Completed summaries must be in proper sentence form and
contain at least 10 “points” and cover the entire movie.
After watching the movie, answer ANY four (4) of the following Questions. Be sure your answers are thorough and are
in proper and complete sentence form. Do NOT give simplistic “one-word” answers!
1. Was McMurphy really mentally ill? If yes, what evidence leads you to this conclusion? If no, how would you
explain Mac’s behaviour?
2. What is your perception of Mac at the beginning of the movie? Of the other patients? How/why does your
perception change over the course of the movie? Be sure to discuss at least three characters.
3. Was Mac admirable? Dangerous? A tragic hero? All of these? Explain.
4. What do you think were the main goals of the hospital? Describe and assess at least three.
5. Explain whether Nurse Ratchet’s version of “therapy” was helping the group before Mac arrived?
6. How would you have reacted to Mac if you had been a “voluntary patient” when he showed up?
7. Was the hospital’s solution to the “McMurphy problem” justified? Explain. Would that happen today?
8. What does the movie teach us about how society treats those who are different?
9. In the Ken Kesey novel, the story is not told from the point of view of Mac, but from another one of the
characters; can you guess which one? Explain your choice.
Everyone needs to answer the question below. Be sure your answer is thorough and in complete and proper sentence
form.
1. How would psychoanalysts explain Mac’s behaviour? How would cognitive psychologists explain Mac’s
behaviour? How would humanists explain Mac’s behaviour? Which of these three explanations do you think is
most convincing? Explain.
Source: Adapted from © 1999 by Raymond Weschler