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From: jeff@rtech.UUCP (Jeff Lichtman)
Newsgroups: net.movies
Subject: Re: Cuckoos Nest
Message-ID: <141@rtech.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 4-Mar-86 23:26:00 EST
Article-I.D.: rtech.141
Posted: Tue Mar  4 23:26:00 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 7-Mar-86 00:17:05 EST
References: <3946@srcsip.UUCP>
Organization: Relational Technology Inc, Alameda CA
Lines: 44

> 
> 	Just saw Cuckoos Nest again on WGN...
> 	
> 	Anyway, I have heard that Ken Kesey refuses to watch the 
> 	movie (maybe I got this from a trivial pursuit question??)
> 	Does anybody know the specifics of why he feels that way?
> 	Is it because the Chief isn't narrating the story, as
> 	he did in the book?  
> 
> 				rob graber

I was quite disappointed with the movie.  I can understand why Kesey refuses
to watch it.  The movie has none of the book's imagery, and the basic point
of the story is weakened by the shallowness of the movie version of McMurphy.
The movie never convinced me that society is a "combine".  It seemed more like
the story about a particular punk in an insane asylum who, after much
provocation from a nasty nurse, loses his temper and gets a lobotomy in return.

Some specific disappointments were:

	Not seeing *any* of Big Chief Broom's hallucinations.

	The way Chief Bromden's ability to hear and speak was revealed in
	the movie; he simply said "Thanks" when McMurphy gave him a piece
	of gum.  That's it.  In the book, this led to a long conversation.

	The lack of any hint in the movie that McMurphy's continued defiance
	of the Big Nurse was actually a self-sacrifice, and not simply
	stubborn self-interest.

	The way the World Series incident was wrapped up.  I thought this was
	much better in the book.  Not only did McMurphy handle himself with
	more dignity, but the other patients actually went along with him.

I know a lot of people think the movie is very good.  My guess is that most
of these people saw the movie before they read the book (if they read the
book at all).  I guess the movie version is a good enough story on its own,
but it's disappointing if one expects the same feeling that the book creates.
-- 
Jeff Lichtman at rtech (Relational Technology, Inc.)
"Saints should always be judged guilty until they are proved innocent..."

{amdahl, sun}!rtech!jeff
{ucbvax, decvax}!mtxinu!rtech!jeff