Classic Movie: ''One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest"

He is brought in from the outside world in a car. We have seen the car in the opening shot silhouetted against a lonely early morning sky. When McMurphy emerges from the vehicle to enter the sanitorium, we see that he is being played by Jack Nicholson. Any character played by Jack immediately makes the moviegoer sit up and take notice. With his portrayal of Randall Patrick McMurphy, he cemented not only his hold on the public's long-term love affair with him, but, also created one of cinema's most legendary roles.... ''One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest'' is one of the finest films ever made in Hollywood. Every film lover has seen it. Or, should see it immediately. The story is well known. A free-spirited misfit named McMurphy cons his way out of some prison time and has himself sent to a mental institution to work off his sentence. Once there, he comes across the patients who are under the cruel dominance of the head nurse, Nurse Ratched, played superbly by Louise Fletcher. At first, McMurphy observes her influence over them. They are terrified of her--- especially, a young man with a deep stutter named Billy Bibbit, played by Brad Dourif. As he quickly gets to know them, McMurphy makes it his mission to bring some life to these lost souls. That sets up the battle of the movie between the establishment authority of Nurse Ratched and the anti- establishment freedom represented by McMurphy. The movie moves back and forth between comedy and drama. The ending--- which I will not spoil for those who have never seen it [ And, shame on you for never seeing this movie ]--- is one of the best endings in movie history. It combines the sadness of life with the exhilarating joy of new-found freedom of life.... Like all great movies, ''One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest'' rewards the viewer every time you see it. You know what is coming, but, the joy of recognition is what washes over you. Take for instance, the boat trip that McMurphy hijacks the inmates on. There should be a smile on the face of the watcher because by this time in the movie we have embraced the characters so well. We feel sorry for them and this scene raises our hopes that this unscheduled excursion will awaken them further from their self-imprisonment. McMurphy leads them on the boat [ which, of course, he has stolen for them ] and sets sail out to the open ocean. These men have never been on a boat before, let alone experience the vastness of the ocean. They are scared, to be sure, but, also slowly comes a feeling of joy when they realize it is ok to let loose and have some fun. My favorite moment in the scene is when a simple, pudgy man named Cheswick, played by Sydney Lassick, steers the boat by himself. At first, he does not want to do it, but, McMurphy, his mentor, wants him to. After getting comfortable driving the boat, this childlike man sings softly to himself, ''I'm Popeye the Sailor Man''. It is a sweet and tearful moment because, for an instant, Cheswick has reverted to his childhood. He feels safe singing this song for no one to hear him. Unlike any therapy he was forced to receive at the institution, he has broken through and found comfort in his environment. The rest of his mates on the boat also experience joy. They learn to fish and how to bait a hook. While McMurphy takes pleasure with his girlfriend he has brought aboard, the other men stumble upon a big fish to haul in. Sure, this moment is somewhat false and contrived, but, it works splendidly in the movie. While McMurphy tries to help them haul it in the boat careens out of control. It is a wonderful madness that these men find themselves in. By the end of the scene, after they have been caught by the authorities, the boat pulls ashore. From the dock, the hospital officials see the inmates holding a big fish. They also see the patients laughing. And, probably for the first time in their lives, they are proud of themselves. And, we, the viewer, are also proud of them.... McMurphy brings more of life to them as the movie moves forward. He wants to watch the World Series, but, runs into the stone wall that is Nurse Ratched.She rigs a group vote in her favor by saying all of the patients should vote on the ward, even though, most of the other patients have no sense of reality. After angrily exchanging words with her, McMurphy has a genius idea: he invents the World Series in his mind. He gives the commentary to the other inmates on the imaginary game, and, in doing so, brings out the fan in all of them. Soon, they are loudly cheering for a non-existant game. Now, this scene, so well-played by Nicholson, is meant to be comic. And, it is. Another, less experienced director would have used the patients reactions as a way of making fun of them, but, ''Cuckoo's Nest''' director, the brilliant Milos Forman, uses it to further bond our relationship with these trapped men. He shows the laughs, yes, but, there is also a touching charm to the scene. These men so desperately want to be normal that they go along with any idea. It can be destructive, as Nurse Ratched is with them, but, it can also be sweet and funny in the care of McMurphy. McMurphy is not trying to con them or control them. Just the opposite, he cares about them and wants to make them happy. Nurse Ratched won't allow them to have real fun, so, McMurphy creates the fun for the men.... There are other wonderful moments in this wonderful movie. The basketball game with the Chief. McMurphy throwing a goodbye party, complete with booze, music, and girls.And, the shocking scene of shock therapy. Beneath the comic moments lies the tragedy of mental illness. These men have been torn apart by everyday life, for reasons never really gone into. The exception is the backstory involving Billy Bibbit. Billy clearly hates his mother [ who is the best friend of Nurse Ratched ] and the genesis of his stutter comes from his fear of his mother. Billy comes to idolize McMurphy. But, so do the other patients. His influence spreads consciously and unconsciously over them. Suddenly, they challenge Nurse Ratched in group therapy, something inconceivable only a short time earlier. They question why things are run the way they are and why they have to conform. This is the heart of the power of the movie. McMurphy has proven to be good for them and they respond. McMurphy is not show-boating or trying to control them, and they respond. He wants them to stand up for themselves. The open defiance of authority is as liberating for the audience as it is for the patients. Nurse Ratched is doing her job on one hand, but, she also abuses her power in a sadistic way. As the inmates rebel, she realizes that she is getting weaker and losing them. And, she blames McMurphy..... The final showdown between Nurse Ratched and McMurphy, over the fate of Billy Bibbit, may be the most powerful scene in the movie. Not the most powerful acted scene [ that scene is the late night talk between Chief Bromden and McMurphy ], but, the most powerful emotionally charged scene. What has preceded it is the opening up of Bibbit's character to become a full human being for the first time in his life. Again, I do not want to spoil the key plot points too much, but, when McMurphy does react against Ratched the audience reaction is extraordinary. Audiences throughout the world cheered this moment. This is a violent moment, yet, the audience is firmly behind the idea of violence. Taking a step back from the film, if you were a real life observer of this moment, would you react the way the other patients do? Is a violent response against a cruel woman justified? She is not evil, in the sense of a mass murderer is evil, but, she is a mind controller for the most vulnerable of men. When you see the scene, are you on the same  wavelength as McMurphy? After the buildup throughout the movie to this pay-off scene I have to say that I might have done what McMurphy did also. His hands could have been mine.....The final moments of this movie remain my favorite part. It is sad, but, the freedom that the Chief decides for himself elevate the spirit. There is no better ending for this movie than the sink through the window. The music swells up, along with the shots of the awakened patients. Taber reacts first, followed by the quiet looks of the others. Taber, played by Christopher Lloyd, starts whooping and hollering in joy. Something tells me that McMurphy was applauding too.... ''One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest'' remains firmly in my top five movies that I love. It won a slew of Oscars and has been rightfully called a classic. It seems to be on most lists of best movies. I really do not put much stock on those types of lists because it all comes down to one person's opinion. If you have never seen it then treat yourself to fine, quality moviemaking, a nice break from ''reality'' shows of stereotypical behavior and constant bleeping of swearing. McMurphy liberates the spirit and the souls of those in the asylum. He will also liberate the viewer.... Its medication time.....

Fools Rush In

Well, we have some relief, for a little while anyway. The relentless assault on all of us for the last few years is slowly going away. It will rear its ugly head again in a short time. 2016 is only four years away, but, for a politician, it is as close as Christmas is to us. For now, all of the mudslinging and innuendo, the lies and distortions, can be put away for some time. We can catch our breath, and, step back to evaluate what we went through and its results. This is the wreckage of another Presidential campaign..... I can't help but feel unclean after this election. Not because of the outcome. My protest vote was for my Dad. I could not think of a strong reason to vote for Obama or Romney. I know Facebook is a loose way to judge the public and its tastes, but, all I saw for the past year is intense hatred of one candidate, while the candidate of their choice is greeted with lukewarm support. In short, it was '' please, just don't vote for [ add name of candidate here ] and you will really like my guy. Really.''.... Ask yourself this, all of you ''supporters'' of either Obama or Romney: did you really have a passion for your candidate? Most responses, I believe, would be a no. It seemed to be another election of voting for the lesser of two evils instead of a quality person for office. This is where my depression and disgust come into play. This was our choice!!! These two!!! What the fuck is that??? The greatest country in the history of the world, with all of our goodness and hard work, brings forth this dreck? What happened to us???....... Now, I know how the game is played. Candidates are chosen in smoke-filled rooms, by the movers and shakers and all-powerful hustlers that make up a political party or special interest group. We really have no say in this. Unions, oil companies, Hollywood power brokers, religious fanatics, etc, all gather together and give us our choices. Those of us who trudge through life going to work--- if, you are lucky to have a job these days--- which is most of us, are shut out of deciding who will guide us. It has been this way since the world was young. Somehow, it seems to get more blatant and harmful with every election. The standard line being if we do not like who is currently in office, vote them out. Well, I tried, as you know doubt have also. And, where did it get us? Mitt and Barack. Or, Mutt and Jeff.... In the past I have always looked at a protest vote as a waste of a vote. Not anymore. I understand now. As I get older, and, see how people really are, there is no good vote. Only an acceptable vote. I cannot fathom how a person can give his or her allegiance to one of these parties every election. Not with the way that each party has been polluted with zealots. Each party is too extreme and insidious. My family and friends have always been blue-collar. Financially and mentally, we were given this station in life. And, we wear it proudly. So, which party benefits me and my loved ones in life? Lets take a look.... Take the Republican Party. My Dad was a free-thinking Republican. He believed, as I did, that the agenda for this party suited his own personal beliefs. It was for small government, a military for protection of our homeland, good education, and, taking care of those that are down and out until they can get on their feet again. This was the old Republican Party, pre-Reagan. Now, this once proud party is more and more isolated from mainstream America. They are completely run by the dangerous far-right. The NRA, religious messiahs, the hatred of minorities, the aged, women, that is the Republicans in 2012. Long gone are the days when the GOP just left themselves out of a private citizens life. Now, they tell women what to do with their bodies in terms of a pregnancy. Now, they wrap themselves in the message of God and soil what God really stands for. Big business dictates over common sense issues like better air and global warming. And, their love and protection of the rich is so blatant that they actually have convinced themselves that rich people are suffering like poor people. Lobbyists, those dangerous, evil people who are in bed with both parties, run the show, along with Wall Street and Madison Avenue. My Dad, in his final years, saw where his old party was going and voted Democratic. As always, Dad was one step ahead of the world..... But, the Democratic Party that my father voted for was deeply flawed, as well. He knew that, but, still gave hope that wiser people would save it. They didn't. If possible, the Democrats are even more dangerous than the Republicans. If the Democrats have a counterpart to the oil industry, then it is the unions. Unions and the increasing intrusive Hollywood pipeline. Unions have always put the arm on its memebers on whom to vote for. If a certain region of the country does not hold up its end on election day, then the unions have been known to squeeze that region dry as punishment. Ask a Teamster. I know several, and, they look over their shoulder come election time. And, Hollywood. Dear, Hollywood. At least, we can always count on show business people to give us a chuckle. Hollywood is very liberal. Every election, we see Clooney and Springsteen and Bon Jovi, or, some other out of touch with everyday life celebrity, coming down from their personal mountain to tell us about life and how we should vote. The fact that these people can barely tie their shoes properly without a personal assistant seems to be of no thought to them when they talk about the real world. The core of the Democratic Party has also shifted, but, to the far-left. The push for an entitlement society, open borders, mass government spending, and, deficits are their M.O. Environmental lobbyists, while on the correct side of the issue, ironically, have thrown their own pollution of influence into the party. Now, all of us want to breath without the air killing us, but, the Environmental lobbyists have so entwined itself with companies that milk the problem, that even a good, noble cause is lost in the fog of corruption and influence peddling. Finally, there is the theory of taxation. Sure, the rich should pay more, but, not at the expense of crippling their well-earned work. After all, isn't the goal of all of us to make more money? Honest reward for honest work? To penalize someone for doing well is not the American way. I am not defending the rich, just their right to be rich.... The best example that I can think of in this calamity that is our election process is the reelection of Jesse Jackson Jr. We all know what vipors his family are, led by the racial divider and shakedown artist, Jesse Sr. Jesse the elder, long has been out for himself and not for helping anyone else. He has taught these skills well to his sons. Jesse Jr, a longtime con-artist in the best tradition of his family, recently became mysteriously ill when investigators began getting closer to his dealings with our ex-Governor, Rod Blagolovich. He has been hiding out at the Mayo Clinic with depression. Apparently, life is no longer a cakewalk for this dastardly heir to a scumbag family. Rather than answer questions that may cost him eventual jail time, the Jesser is playing possum with authorities and is resting quietly [ and , comfortably ] in Minnesota. Being an Illinois Representative, you would think he could have the decency to find a rehab place to go to in this state. Anyway, with all these pressing questions surrounding his dealings and character, what does his constituency do? Well, they REELECT HIM!!! In a LANDSLIDE!!! Incredible. The party machine guided him to another victory, without him having to lift a finger or spend a dime. This is the definitive example of political chicanery, and, the public's apathy towards both parties and all politicians..... So, what do we do? The simple answer is nothing. We are caught in the web that they all spin. I do not ever want to hear again from a party supporter about how good their party is and how obscene the other party is. They all swim in the same cesspool of corruption and greed. The generations before us have allowed this to happen, along with most of our most pressing problems in the world. The inmates have long run the asylum in politics, and we have reached the point of no return. Sorry to sound the trumpet of doom. Both parties are dead, which is why we get an Obama and a Romney. Maybe, a third party will be the answer. History has shown us, though, that a third party will also be swallowed up by the vices that afflict Democrats and Republicans. No one looks out for our best interests. Enjoy your Obama victory. It doesn't mean a damn thing anymore... I love the old show ''The Twilight Zone''. One of its most famous episodes concerns a community dealing with a rumored alien invasion. It starts as a thought, spreads quickly to a rumor, then it turns into paranoia and fear. Soon, the neighbors are fighting with each other, and, a murder happens. The episode ends with an overhead shot of the actual aliens observing the neighborhood imploding in chaos. The two aliens talk. One says, ''See how it is done? We just turn off a few lights and they start fighting amongst themselves. It happens everywhere we go.'' The episode ends with the aliens getting back into their spaceshift to visit another neighborhood. The message of the story is simple: with rumors, we plant fear. With fear comes desperation and rage and estrangement. And, with all of those volatile human feelings in the melting pot, we start to devour each other... Sounds a lot like what we experience in any election nowadays......

Football By The Lake

The background and the foreground blend nicely, with the sky a clear chaser. In the background is the lake. A nice, calm oasis. In the foreground, you have the game. High school boys mixing it up with the energy of the young. The sounds all mesh together: grunts, exclamations of exertion, the pounding of helmets and equipment. And, the field. No turf, just old-fashioned dirt and grass that becomes a muddy mess when the rain shows up. High school football in Glen Ellyn. I love it.... I work the football games in the fall at the school I am at, Glenbard West. The work is relatively easy. My job consists of taking care of the officials before and after the game. Getting them paid and schmoozing with them. Also, when a spare locker room needs to be used by the visiting team, I am Johnny-On-The-Spot with my magic keys. The pay is not bad. So, I get to watch a game of football and go home with some extra green in my pocket. Put me in, coach, I will gladly work... There is a love of fall that I have that I have written about recently. The sweet smell of a new school year, and, new dreams and possibilities. My favorite time. Fall also coincides with my love of football. I love the pros, tolerate the college ranks, but, within the last few years I have become a fierce supporter of high school football. Now, it helps that the school I work at has a helluva good football team and program. And, I have a passing friendship with many of the coaches. One coach, Mike Hofland, has become one of my closest friends in the last few years. So, I am cheerfully biased for the school, its players, and, the men that guide the program. You cannot root for any team without a loyalty, I believe.... Many players I know through everyday school. They are good kids. I admire the enthusiasm that comes with playing as an army. When one scores a touchdown, or, amkes a great defensive stop, I pound the air with my fist like any proud parent does from the stands. It is enjoyable seeing students at events like this. I am not the ''Mr. Scoleri'' during the week that they know, but, rather, I am the Jim Scoleri that is joking and talking sports with them. It is a nice trade-off. They see a little of the real me, and, I see the fun them. A little reality to bond with them. It is the most rewarding part of a Saturday football game for me... We play Saturdays when we are home. We do not have lights or artificial turf. I work at an old school, opened in 1923. It is a beautiful looking, historic school. It rests on a hill [ which is why we are called the ''Hilltoppers'' ]. The school presides over a community like a mother hen. A short walk into town will reward the walker with signs and tee-shirts proclaiming strong support for ''West''. There is constant talk in restaurants and businesses about what the team is doing and who is our next opponant will be. The talk is fun, as sports talk should be. There is pride in the community over all of the sports at West. But, football, as it does all over this state, stands out a little more with the passion of the fans... We are good. Very Good. I say that without any ego on my part as a champion of the football team. We are in the second round of the playoffs now, as I write this. We are ranked first in the state for the second week in the row by the Chicago Sun-Times. We have been around the top of the rankings for many a year. That is because the coaches and the players merge as one with the program. These people know what they are doing. For me to explain their success, with my unschooled mind, would be an exercise in the absurd. That is where my place as a fan comes into play. I watch from the sidelines--- literally--- while others do their jobs. The analysis comes from others. I just bring the passion, and the fun of the spectator.... I wish I had gone to more games as a teenager myself when I went to high school. My school, Forest View, at least when I was there, was very poor in football. Our basketball team was good [ which featured a stud scorer and superb player named Tom Scoleri on it ] , but, football was pretty much a joke. My friends and I went, not often, to make an appearance, and, then to find out where everyone was going after the game. It was a pit-stop never to be taken seriously. I regret that lost oppurtunity to bond more with my school. When it shut down a few years after I graduated I didn't bat an eye. Now, I wish it was still going. It would be nice to keep an eye on my alma mater. I believe that is a big reason why I embrace the sports at West so strongly. Familiar faces on the teams, certainly, but, also, I am somehow reconnecting with my long-ago school and the memories of games that never were..... I really do not want to write too much about the playoffs because of the fear I may jinx them. The first rule in any poker game is to never show your cards. I think that applies to sports also. I will say that we all have high hopes of going to state in a few weeks. A couple of years ago, we went all the way to state and played our arch-rivals, Wheaton-Warrenville, in a most exciting showdown. I went downstate in the fan bus and had a great time!  We lost in, I believe, in triple overtime [ on a referee screw-up , if I may be say so ]. It hurt me as a fan, but, I hurt for the players and coaches. They deserved to win. So, we have that goal in mind to go back and finish some unfinished business. Our opposition in the next few weeks would be determined, obviously, on who wins. As for this week, we play Libertyville, at their home. Certainly, it will be tough, but, my heart is with our guys to bring a victory back to Glen Ellyn. And, after that, who knows. The most important part is that the kids are having the time of their lives.... So, as we say at the school, ''GO HILLTOPPERS!!!!!''''