The first winner of all five major Oscars (best film, actor, actress, direction and screenplay) for more than 40 years, this is an immensely skilful (though some might say callous) attempt to make a commercially enjoyable film out of life in a mental institution. The opening scenes - Hollywood-style shots of imbecilic inmates and the symbolic squirrel outside the wall (freedom) signal the facile approach the film feels forced to adopt to get its message across. Fortunately, it has at its centre Jack Nicholson's brilliant performance as R P McMurphy, the sane patient who improbably brings a shaft of sunlight into the lives of his less sane fellows by holding a fateful all-night drinking spree and by taking them on a joyous fishing expedition. There are excellent supporting performances by Louise Fletcher (another Oscar-winner), Brad Dourif (Oscar-nominated) and the massive Will Sampson, and early appearances from Christopher Lloyd and Danny DeVito. On the whole, though, this hasn't worn as well as some Oscar-winners.

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