Lost in Adaptation

Milos Forman’s adaptation of Ken Kesey’s “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest”, contained many changes in the plot of the story, some small and some dramatic. Some of the larger changes in the film were the including of characters like Taber and Cheswick and the introduction of a new main character.

In the film, Mr. Taber is a constant character, as opposed to the occasional flashback mentioned by Bromden. Mr. Taber, played by Christopher Lloyd, is added into the film to provide a colourful character who provides endless humour, such as the incident where Harding’s cigarette lands in Taber’s pants. Taber not only makes the movie more enjoyable through laughter, but also advances the plot by encouraging Mcmurphy in his financial enterprises. When Mcmurphy looks for someone to place a bet, Taber is always volunteering to win his money back.

Another character that was kept on the screen longer than the book allowed, was Charles Cheswick. Cheswick was an avid supporter of Mcmurphy and his renegade ideas, until McMurphy’s emotional turnaround. When Cheswick was not supported by Mcmurphy about his desire to not have the cigarettes rationed, he decided to take his own life by jamming his fingers in the drain of the pool, drowning himself. In the film, Cheswick is present throughout the entire movie constantly supporting Randall at every turn. Milos Forman decided to keep Cheswick alive because the suicide of Cheswick would have changed the tone of the movie and he would no longer be able to encourage McMurphy. Cheswick was a strong factor in the drive of McMurphy’s rebellion by constantly endorsing McMurphy at every turn, such as the rally to watch the World Series.

The most significant, and most dependent change of the novel, was the change in focus from Chief Bromden to Randall Patrick Mcmurphy as the novel’s main character. This was done by Forman to make the film more interesting. For more than half the film, Bromden is silent. This would make it very hard for the audience to identify with, and later support, their hero. With no dialogue to inspire the audience, they are left with boredom and confusion, trying to figure out the character for themselves, often leading to misinterpretation. With McMurphy as the leading character, the audience is given a funny, sympathetic renegade who is idolized for his wit, charm, masculinity and bravado, all characteristics that Bromden lacks. Without a charming lead that can win over the attention of an audience, the film would lose most of it’s special quality, resulting in a yawn-fest.