one flew over the cuckoo's nest is a 1975 american drama movie based on ken kesey's novel of the same name, directed by miloš forman and starring jack nicholson and louise fletcher. it is set on a locked psychiatric ward in 1963 oregon which is run by the tyrannical nurse ratched (fletcher) and where the new patient randle mcmurphy (nicholson) rebels against her. it was the first movie to win all five main academy awards since "it happened one night". these awards included best picture, best actor (nicholson), best actress (fletcher), best director (forman), and best adapted screenplay. the movie was the 20th best ever, according to the american film industry's afi's 100 years... 100 movies list. the screenplay was also nominated for a bafta award for best screenplay. the novel's writer, kesey, disliked the movie, because it did not take the perspective (view) of a native american character, chief bromden (a more important character in the book than in the movie).