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Movies reviewed here...
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's nest 1.
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's nest 2.
Ordinary People.
The Outsiders.

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

Reviewed By Daniel K. Quinn, Ohio State University

This film, based on the Ken Kesey novel of the same name, swept the top five Academy Awards of its year. The story, situated in a state mental hospital in the early 1960s, pits a wild, free spirited character named McMurphy (played by Jack Nicholson) against a cold and mechanistic psychiatric head nurse (played by Louise Fletcher) who is seemingly devoid of human character. McMurphy has been sent to the institution for "evaluation" following his troubles at a previous work-camp site. After he was sent to the work camp for statutory rape, McMurphy had become involved in five fights and generally displayed an "uncooperative" attitude. The acknowledged assumption of those at both institutions is that McMurphy may be "faking it" to get out of work camp.

Upon arrival at the state mental hospital, McMurphy meets and befriends a wide array of residents. His undying devotion and loyalty to his fellow residents becomes one of the central facets to the story line. Surrounding resident interactions is a sterile institutional structure, run by cold, non-caring, "care- givers." The head psychiatric nurse, Ms. Ratched, has hair resembling horns, dresses in black and white, and sees the world in similar fashion (in terms of diagnostic categories and inflexible treatment modalities). Her ward attendants resemble barroom bouncers.

The central theme of the story becomes the struggle between McMurphy's attempts at "drawing out" the human elements within the residents and Nurse Ratched's attempts at "restraining and managing the residents within the institutional framework. The Conflict escalates until McMurphy is given electroshock and finally a lobotomy to make him a more "manageable" resident. In the final scene, McMurphy is killed in an "act of mercy" by a fellow resident symbolizing the triumph of human spirit over institutional control.

CUCKOO'S NEST AS A CLASSROOM TOOL

This film, while popularly acclaimed and very entertaining is especially relevant to classroom discussions in the area of deviance and mental illness. Of particular significance is the film's portrayal of the mental hospital as a "total institution." In the Film, every as aspect of the residents' lives are regimented. Treatment is more "custodial" than "rehabilative"; there is a heavy reliance on "medication"; and residents are often punished for leaving their "sick roles" (they are often treated like dependent children - Nurse Rathed is the mother figure).

A second highlight of the film is its treatment of the "situated character of deviant definitions." Most of the behaviors displayed by McMurphy and other residents resemble "normal" responses to a repressive and alienated environment. The fact that one of the patients (Chief) had been successfully faking the role of deaf and dumb makes one question certain diagnostic labels for their accuracy in portraying underlying and even more hidden conditions. Finally, in a brilliant illustration of the situated character of "social perception," McMurphy introduces the residents to an inquisitive stranger at a boat dock as "doctors from the state hospital." This scene highlights the possibility that, from mere appearances, they could have been doctors. This "typification" and "labeling" emphasis of the movie reminds the viewer of lessons learned in the Rosenhan study: "On Being Sane in Insane Places."

The final, and perhaps most important, lesson of the movie centers on policy and implications concerned with "internationalization" and "voluntary treatment." In watching the movie, the viewer cannot help but consider that perhaps many of the residents' needs might better be served in a humanized, noninstitutional setting, and that perhaps it is the agents of social control who display the most signs of "mental abnormality."

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Reviewed by Jeanette Haugen, Pepperdine University

Sanity, as defined by Webster, is "of sound mind; having or showing sound judgement; reasonable." The question proposed in this is paper is whether or not R.P. McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" is sane. I believe he is.

Ebert first describes McMurphy as a "quintessentially sane convict sent to an institution as a punishment for troublemaking." When McMurphy is brought into the institution, his actions are admittedly a bit bizarre, but in his interview with the head doctor, one knows he is sane. He is asked why he was sent to this institution and his reply was, "I guess it's cause I fight and fuck too much doc" (sic). The doctor then proceeds to tell us that McMurphy has had a minimum of 5 arrests and one statutory rape. The doctor still goes one step further, "Is anything wrong with you?" "No doc," is McMurphy's reply, "I'm a goddamn marvel of science!"

So, thus far, McMurphy's background has shown that he is a troublemaker, he fights and fucks too much (sic), and believes he is a marvel of science. He is literate, humorous and aggressive, and shrewd.

In speaking with a nurse in a psychiatric ward, I learned that many people such as McMurphy (sane but having problems) are placed in these wards to help them learn how to cope with their problems. He told me that when any of these people disobey the rules of the ward their first response is, "They can't do anything to me, I'm crazy!!" This same statement came from MCMurphy when his girlfriend Candi asked if he would get in trouble for taking the men out on a fishing excursion. He knows what he can get away with, and he pushes it to the limit.

McMurphy is not only shrewd, humorous and aggressive, he has charisma. He loves life and expresses it in his unique way.

McMurphy is "an extroverted, life loving force of nature who sees his fellow patients as teammates, and defines the game as the systematic defiance of Nurse Ratched and the system she personifies" (Ebert). McMurphy has the charisma and gall which allow him to break through to this particular group of patients who've fallen into a drugged lethargy. Examples of this teammate metaphor are first, the hilarious basketball scene, where McMurphy tries to unite all the patients in an organized basketball game, which is hysterically far from being organized. Second is the various wagering scenes in the spa area. McMurphy bets on anything that comes to mind and gets everyone else involved as well. One specific wager was that McMurphy would lift a marble sink fixture and throw it out the window and escape. Everyone wagered; he wasn't able to lift it, and yet he said, "I tried goddamnit, at least I tried!!" He unknowingly tells each of the patients that the way they are living is wrong. The patients could have so much more to live for than just mere existence itself. A third example is when he wanted to watch the World Series and he needed to rally 10 votes to win the majority. He finally did get the 10 votes; however, Nurse Ratched refused to turn the t.v. set on. McMurphy still went ahead and watched and announced an imaginary game which united all the patients on the ward again. He is a charismatic leader who gave laughter and fun to the patients.

Thus far, McMurphy is presented to be a humorous, aggressive troublemaker who has an abundance of charisma and leadership qualities. Is he sane? Yes, but he suffers from an Antisocial Personality Disorder.

According to DSM III's definition, certain criteria has to be met to be diagnosed as such. After the age of 18, 4 out of 9 criteria must be met. McMurphy meets the following four: failure to accept social norms with respect to lawful behavior, inability to maintain enduring attachment to a sexual partner, irritability and aggressiveness as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults, and lastly, recklessness. Another criteria worth mentioning is that he feels no remorse concerning any of these incidents. He fits the definition. Yet, he is still sane. One must keep in mind that because someone suffers from a disorder, it does not mean that s/he is insane.

So why does he stay in the hospital if he is sane, when he has four different opportunities to escape? Is he suffering from a self defeating disorder? Does he want to get caught? I don't believe any of these ideas. McMurphy's failure to escape on four different occasions are for four different reasons. On the first excursion, the fishing trip, he wants the men to experience something new, a breath of freedom (not to mention the opportunity to have sex with his girlfriend). He tells them they are not patients, they are Fishermen! Then during the trip, he shows them how to fish, and amazingly they catch a large size fish. He enjoys that just as much as any of the patients do.

His second opportunity was when he threw his going away party. At anytime that night he could have left, but he was enjoying himself just as much as the other patients were. When he finally decided to leave, one of the patients, Billy, became upset that he was taking Candi with him (he had a crush on her). So McMurphy decided to tell Candi to sleep with him and that they would leave after they were finished. During that time, McMurphy fell asleep until the next morning when Nurse Ratched came in.

His third opportunity was when he was by the window about to jump out, and one of the nurses screamed. Everyone knew it was about Billy, so instead of jumping out, even when one of the orderlies ran towards the scream, McMurphy followed him. Billy had committed suicide. His fourth opportunity was right after this incident. McMurphy, instead of running directly to the open window to escape, ran directly at Nurse Ratched and began to strangle her. He was clubbed by one of the orderlies and then was given what I believe to be a lobotomy.

Throughout the movie, McMurphy's actions are normal. He is considered a social deviant on the outside world, and is suffering from an antisocial personality disorder, but is a normal human being on the inside. Just as anyone of us would begin to care, or build bonds with others that we have spent a considerable amount of time with, McMurphy did with the patients in the ward. If ever asked, I'm sure that McMurphy would deny any association with them, however; I am sure it is there.

So the question still remains, is he sane? Yes, R.P. McMurphy is sane. Why did he not escape when he had all those opportunities? Bonding and friendship ties are what kept him. The usual scientific response to any dangerous situation is either fight or flight. At the last, McMurphy decided to stay and fight.

Ordinary People

Reviewed by Dennis Lowe, Ph.D., Pepperdine University

The film "Ordinary People" depicts an entire family, not just an individual, in distress. Most viewers of this film seem to experience two of the family members as most memorable--Conrad and Beth. Conrad is memorable because of the traumatic event he has experienced and the dramatic way in which he struggles to deal with the inner pain of this experience (with the assistance of the psychiatrist). Beth is memorable because she is often viewed as the primary cause of the pain in this family. Many viewers find themselves sympathizing with Conrad while having a strong dislike for Beth. Maybe if she were more compassionate and more caring, Conrad would stand a better chance of recovering. The view I take, however is that "Ordinary People" is about a family in pain. Each of the family members have experienced the trauma of Buck's tragic death. Conrad, Beth, and Calvin have all been affected by this event and have different methods of coping with loss.

According to family therapy terminology, Conrad would likely be labelled as the "identified patient" in the Jerrod family. The identified patient is the individual that the family regards as the one with the "problem." Conrad seems to be the one who is manifesting symptoms reflecting the most severe stress. In fact, he meets most of the major criteria for a diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Conrad persistently reexperiences the boating accident in his dreams and through flashbacks, he avoids situations associated with his brother and the event, he has symptoms of heightened arousal, and he experiences "survivor guilt" (feeling guilty for having survived some traumatic event in which others died).

It could be posited that Conrad's trauma is compounded by the dynamics which operate in the Jerrod household. It is obviously difficult for Conrad to reconcile the experience of his brother's death. This experience would have been difficult for anyone, even someone who lived in a supportive, encouraging family environment. In Conrad's case, one gets the impression that he has not been able to discuss this event in much detail, if at all, with his parents. If he had had an opportunity to express his emotions, to receive validation for his feelings, to resolve his survivor guilt, and to obtain reassurance that his parents are glad that he survived, then the trauma could likely have been moderated. It seems, instead, that the underlying messages he has received from his family include: "keep your feelings to yourself," "you should be over the trauma of this event by now--let's get on with our lives!," "there is no good answer to why you survived while your brother died," and, most troubling, from Beth--"if only one of your could survive, maybe I would have been happier if it had been Buck." These messages exacerbate the trauma for Conrad and likely feed the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. If Conrad is the identified patient in this film, Beth could probably be labelled as the identified villain. It is easy to point the finger at Beth--she is cold, dominating, angry, perfectionistic, and controlling. She seems to have stifled the emotional lives of Conrad and Calvin by her dominating and controlling ways. She was apparently more interested in the shoes Calvin would wear to Buck's funeral than the emotional hardship he was experiencing. She did not visit Conrad in the hospital, she seems incapable of carrying on a normal conversation with Conrad, and she is extremely uncomfortable even having her picture taken with him. In addition, Beth is insistent on keeping all of the family pain a private matter. She does not want to share her grief or pain with others, not even her closest friends or the psychiatrist.

This is a family that has experienced a traumatic event. Yes, Conrad was traumatized by the loss of his brother. To be on a capsized boat, fighting the wind, rain, and waves--only to have his brother release his grip and drown while he survives would be a traumatic event to anyone who experienced it. A person who has experienced this kind of trauma will require substantial support and assistance to resolve the emotions that follow. That is a very difficult event to overcome and resolve.

Beth has suffered a loss as well. For a parent to lose a child is an excruciating event. Beth has dealt with her loss through the use of a variety of defense mechanisms--denial, anger, control. She covers up her inner pain by forcing a smile, sometimes a laugh, and giving the outward appearance of having resolved her grief and being prepared to move on with her life. There are other signs which betray her and reflect her true inner feelings. The condition of Buck's room is an example. To leave Buck's room arranged as it was when he was alive (especially this long after the death), as if he might return at any point, reflect Beth's inability to accept the loss of her son. While Beth appears outwardly to be strong and in control, it becomes increasingly clear that inwardly she is very fragile. She has her own battles to face in resolving Buck's death. The characteristics she portrays are likely her desperate attempts to keep herself pieced together.

Calvin has his own pain. He too has lost a son. He now finds his wife and his only living son at odds. He attempts to function as a peacemaker and an intermediary in this relationship. He keeps his feelings bottled up inside while focusing on holding his family together. His ability to function at work diminishes and his love for his wife declines. He begins to discover some of his own repressed feelings during his visit to the psychiatrist.

When ordinary people experience extraordinary events. the adjustment process can be difficult. A change in the composition of the family affects each and every family member. Yes, Conrad needed support for the tragic event he had experienced. It is likely that Beth, while dealing with her own grief, was not in the best position to offer this support to him. How much can she be blamed for that? In the interest of maintaining family harmony, Calvin plays the role of peacemaker while likely neglecting his own needs and grieving process. Family therapists recognize that when they see a family in crisis, every family member is often doing the best they know how to do to cope with the upheaval they are experiencing. It is clear that the entire family could benefit from outside sources of support and encouragement during such a traumatic event. This begins by recognizing the unique strains the crisis places on each family member--in this case, steeping inside the shoes of Conrad, Calvin, and Beth. Is there a family therapist in the house?

The Outsiders

Reviewed by Darla J. Twale, Auburn University

Based on the novel by S. E. Hinton and featuring a youthful star-studded cast directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The Outsiders offers an insiders view of a 1960s, midwestern, adolescent gang culture. Action begins when a late night ambush by several drunken Socs( rich, South Side Socials) on two teen- age Greasers (lower class, North Side gang members), Johnny and Ponyboy, results in the stabbing death of a rich kid. With the aid of Dallas, their loyal, streetwise friend, Johnny and Pony seek refuge in an old, abandoned church. Here the audience learns that both youths, stereotyped as poor, delinquent street fighters, posses a unique sensitivity and purpose unmatched by their contemporaries.

When two Soc girls corroborate the fact that the fatality was committed in self-defense, Johnny decides to turn himself in: however, not before the boys' carelessness causes a fire in the church. With young children now trapped in the crumbling inferno, Ponyboy, Johnny, and even Dallas risk all to save their lives. Labeled unlikely heroes, Ponyboy is reconciled with his caring, older brothers, Dallas fights to preserve his hoodlum image, and Johnny (facing manslaughter charges) lays paralyzed from his ordeal. While in his hospital bed, Johnny Cade reflects upon his short life and regrets ever having contemplating suicide. He now realizes how much he has to live for.

Before the anticipated "rumble" between the two rival groups, Ponyboy and a Soc share their self-doubts. Given all the breaks in life, the Soc searches his soul unsuccessfully for the courage to save a life. He wonders why a good-for-nothing Greaser would care enough about others to risk his life for strangers. Despite their obvious differences, the Socs and the Greasers realize that they are facing the same problem--growing up in a difficult and confusing world. They learn that each has a public and a private side and that people are just people regardless of how they are labeled.

The rumble pits large numbers of tough-looking hoods against the rich, preppie socialites. As expected, the underprivileged underdogs seize their victory. But the moment is short-lived, as Johnny succumbs to his injuries. Unable to accept Johnny''s death, Dallas attempts to comprehend life's cruel ironies which results in a criminal rampage and his eventual demise by police gunfire as his friends watch helplessly.

Later as Ponyboy discovers a letter written by Johnny, he begins to attach meaning to life. Johnny believed his circumstance was justified because the children that he saved would have a better chance in life than he had. He urged Ponyboy to continue on, "stay gold," and help others like Dallas discover that there is much good in the world.

The Outsiders story line creates an interplay between several sociological subfields, a valuable tool for probing adolescent subcultures as well as applying labeling theory and pinpointing stereotypical behavior. Therefore, the film can be utilized in the following courses: social deviance, crime and delinquency, and adolescence and youth culture; and collective behavior, social behavior and socialization.

Discussion questions could range from the didactic to the reflective to the comparative. For instance, what are some of the positive aspects of life for the Greasers in the 1960s North Side Tulsa setting? Based upon the similar, yet varying, socialization processes, speculate on the adult lives of the surviving main characters in the story, both Socs and Greasers.

Account for the fatalism of Dallas' life, the irony of Johnny's and the redemption of Ponyboy's. How predictable are the outcomes? What does Robert Frost's poem, "Stay Gold," add to the story? How can students in the class adapt or interpret its meaning to their own lives?

And finally, how would students compare The Outsiders depiction of gang behavior to other portrayals, such as West Side Story, The Warriors, or Colors? In depth discussion may be better achieved if students read S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders (1967)

REFERENCE
Hinton, S. E. 1967. The Outsiders. New York: Viking.

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