On the fiftieth (!!) episode of All the Film Things, my friends, filmmakers Emma Catherine and Franklin Ritch, join me in analyzing Miloš Forman’s 1975 psychological comedy- drama classic, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest! This episode is spoiler- filled and contains some explicit language.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest follows R.P. McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) as he becomes a patient at a mental hospital. He quickly becomes a leader with his rebellious, lively nature that awakens his fellow patients but antagonizes the woman who runs the ward, Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher), which creates a power balance slowly shifts in McMurphy’s favor. The film starts as a comedy- drama but elevates in the third act when it becomes a tragedy. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has a stellar ensemble cast that includes Danny DeVito, Will Sampson, and Brad Dourif. This film is the second of three films to have won the “Big Five” at the Oscars and has been widely viewed as one of the greatest films ever made for now 50 years. The film is based on Ken Kesey’s 1961 book and, after Kirk Douglas bought the rights soon after the book was published, he wasn’t able to get this film made in the 60s, so his son Michael Douglas took over the project and history was made. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is one of my very favorite films and I’m thrilled to have finally had such a stimulating conversation on the film for this podcast.
This is Franklin’s second and Emma’s first time on the podcast! I interviewed Franklin at the end of last year (check out Episode 34). I became friends with Franklin approaching two years ago and Emma about a year ago at Film Bar but they have been both friends and collaborators for well over a decade. Franklin directed Emma as Cat- woman in his film New Wings: A Batman Fan Film which you should all watch by clicking this link. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a longtime favorite of Franklin’s as well while this was Emma’s first time watching the film. As we discuss throughout the episode, we have all been deeply impacted by many moments in this film. This episode was recorded on August 21, 2025.
Emma will be starring in a spooky aerial showcase presented by the Ancient City Aerial Arts called Cirque de Morts on October 3 and 4th in St. Augustine, Florida! Get your tickets now for the 7 pm showings or matinee showing before they sell out by clicking here! As for Franklin, he took the time to shout out the new films made by his friends and co- stars from his film The Artifice Girl, which you should all absolutely watch by either renting it on platforms like Apple and Amazon Prime but it is also streaming free with ads on Tubi. Watch the trailer for David Girard's upcoming short film, "Normal", by clicking here and watch the trailer for "Would You Rather", Tatum Matthews' directorial short film by clicking here! Both shorts are coming soon! You should all also check out Franklin’s YouTube channel, Last Resort Ideas, to watch his past work and fantastic videos by clicking this link.
In this episode, we discuss the big questions surrounding the film including whether or not McMurphy is crazy and if Nurse Ratched has the patients’ best interest at heart. Emma dives deep into understanding the potential motivations behind Nurse Ratched and also tells a funny story about a bad football game experience in a little tangent. Franklin talks about the incredible differences between the book and the film while also pointing out the corrupt system in place that harms the patients at the ward. Our analytical conversation is wide- encompassing of the film as we also talk about the push and pull Billy faces between the protagonist and antagonist, the famously shocking electroshock therapy scene, and the cathartic ending. All this and much more on the latest episode of All the Film Things!
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