One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Based on the novel by Ken Kesey, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest swept the five major Oscar categories, including best director. This Vietnam War–era film set in a mental institution is a devastating portrait of the crushing of an individual’s spirit. Louise Fletcher as the steely Nurse Ratched and Jack Nicholson as anti-hero McMurphy turn in pitch-perfect performances. A trio of then-unknowns portraying the patients—Danny DeVito, Brad Dourif, and Vincent Schiavelli—illustrates Forman’s uncanny ability to find and cast extraordinary faces in small roles. 1975, new print made from the original camera negative (courtesy Academy Film Archive), 133 minutes.