A former editor of millimeter, the magazine about the technology of making movies, I’ve written about movies for the World and Independent Film Page on About.com. the Kansas City Star and local site KCActive. I’m a guest critic on the independent, foreign and documentary review episodes of Steve Kraske's "Up to Date" on KCUR, the Kansas City NPR affiliate and a former member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle.

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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

May 16, 2011

The film version makes it easy to forget that the story in the novel is Chief's. By centering the narrative around Mac, with Nicholson doing his usual clowning, the sympathy lies with the institution--Nurse Rached as its scapegoat--in its attempt to keep the other inmates safe from showboating and inanity. Mac is the anti-Cool Hand Luke in his selfishness and lack of impulse control. Also, he fails in his dare.