"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"

Well, crazy movie, and not just a movie about crazy people. Firstly, it won Academy Awards in five major areas (Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director, Best Actor (Nicholson), Best Actress (Fletcher)) in 1975. It also has some great characters: McMurphy, Nurse Ratched, Cheswick, Martini, Harding, and Billy, to name a few. But the issues it brought up, both literal and metaphorical: asylums and mental institutions, imprisonment and fear, sanity and perception, freedom, mainstream and the others, and the power of choice. Very powerful, but not recommended for people under a certain age. Also not helpful if Adam Weiler says "I'll be there in a few years!" in the middle of an asylum scene. The questions it poses are real and tangible, particularly perhaps the essence of the movie: is R.P. McMurphy really crazy?

Oh yeah, quotable quotes:

McMurphy: [pretending to watch the World Series on TV] Koufax... Koufax kicks. He delivers. It's up the middle! It's a base hit! Richardson is rounding first. He's going for second. The ball's into deep right center. Davis cuts the ball off! Here comes the throw. He throws it to second! He slides! He's in there! He's safe! It's a double.! Richardson's on second base!
[McMurphy gets up as the other patients come to see what he's doing] Koufax is in big trouble! Big trouble, baby! All right. Tresh is the next batter. Tresh looks in. Koufax... Koufax gets a sign from Roseboro. He kicks once. He pumps. He fires. It's a strike! Koufax's curve ball is snapping off like a firecracker! All right, here he comes with the next pitch. Tresh swings. It's a long fly ball to deep left center! [patients cheer] It's going! It's gone! Let's hear it! One way!

Chief Bromden: Mac... they said you escaped. I knew you wouldn't leave without me. I was waiting for you. Now we can make it, Mac; I feel big as a mountain.
[he suddenly sees the lobotomy scars] Oh, no... [embracing McMurphy] I'm not goin' without you, Mac. I wouldn't leave you this way. ... You're coming with me. [laying him down] Let's go.

McMurphy: The Chief voted. Now will you please turn on the television set?
Nurse Ratched: [she opens the glass window] Mr. McMurphy. The meeting was adjourned and the vote was closed.
McMurphy: But the vote was 10 to 8. The Chief, he's got his hand up! Look!
Nurse Ratched: No, Mr. McMurphy. When the meeting was adjourned, the vote was 9 to 9.
McMurphy: [exasperated] Aw come on, you're not gonna say that now. You're not gonna say that now. You're gonna pull that now when the vote... the Chief just voted - it was 10 to 9. Now I want that television set turned on, right now!
[Nurse Ratched closes the glass window]

Also, tonight is the birthday of one of my oldest friends, Max "Mordechai" Rabin, who is also in Israel and who is also keeping a blog at this address. Let us wish him a happy birthday, shall we?

Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to Max,
Happy birthday to you!