Bring on the tough stuff. There’s not just one right answer.
- Do you think of McMurphy as a suitable hero for this movie, or is he too flawed to be admirable? Are his flaws maybe part of the point?
- Do you think it's fair to call Nurse Ratched the villain of this story? Why or why not? Does she ever give us a reason to cut her some slack?
- What do you make of the fact that the original novel of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is told from Chief Bromden's point of view? How would this movie be different if it kept this perspective?
- What eventually makes McMurphy snap and attack Nurse Ratched? Why?
- What does McMurphy mean when he says Nurse Ratched "likes a rigged game"?
- Do you think McMurphy is insane? Why or why not? What about Chief Bromden?
- Do you think this movie has a happy ending or a sad ending? Why?
- How does the movie change when we find out the other patients on the mental ward are in there voluntarily? What does it tell us about them and about McMurphy?
- If you've read the Ken Kesey novel on which the movie is based, how do you think the movie version stacks up? What do you make of some of the changes the filmmakers chose to make to the story and characters?