On 22 April, the incomparable Jack Nicholson will reach 80. In celebration of this milestone birthday, the BFI is bringing the magnificent 1975 tragicomedy in which he starred, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, back to big screens across the UK on 14 April 2017. We are giving three lucky winners a pair of tickets to a BFI Southbank screening of the film between 20 and 24 April 2017
Nicholson’s unforgettable performance as the ingenious, heroic free spirit RP ‘Mac’ McMurphy, who leads an uprising in the men’s ward of a mental hospital run by callous Nurse Rached (Louise Fletcher), won him his first Best Actor Oscar®.
Adapted from Ken Kesey’s best-selling 1962 novel, directed by Miloš Forman (Amadeus, Man on the Moon) and produced by Saul Zaentz (Amadeus, The English Patient) and Michael Douglas (his first producer role), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was only the second film ever to win the ‘big five’ Oscars®. It also won six BAFTAs and six Golden Globes.
The brilliant supporting cast of hospital patients, who interacted together throughout the story, were selected from over 100 actors after multiple auditions. Mostly unknown at the time, they included Danny DeVito – in his first major role – as Martini, Brad Dourif (Billy Bibbit) who has had a hugely successful stage and screen career ever since, Christopher Lloyd (future star of the Back to the Future trilogy) in his first film role and the Native American painter Will Sampson as Chief Bromden.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is considered to be one of the greatest American films of all time. In 1993 it was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry of the United States Library of Congress, since it was deemed to be “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
Please note: This competition is open to UK residents only
The Small Print
- Open to UK residents only
- The competition will close 17th April 2017 at 23.59 GMT
- The winner will be picked at random from entries received
- No cash alternative is available
The usual T&Cs can be found here. Good Luck!
