And the countdown continues in my quest to watch and find something inspiring in every single one of Yahoo’s 100 Movies to See Before You Die…
Jack Nicholson is McMurphy, a repeat offender who would rather spend time in a loony bin than in prison. Who can blame him, right? Better to be a nut than to break your nuts with hard labor. He stirs up all kinds of trouble with Nurse Ratched, who is calm and crazy in her own way. There are repeated chances to escape, like the time he steals a bus and takes everyone on a wild fishing adventure. Then he throws a kick-ass frat party in the hospital with girls who are supposed to bust him out, but he gets distracted and nearly kills Nurse Ratched. Too bad he fails. After watching this movie, I’m inspired to always take advantage of my exit routes. It’s better to escape unscathed than to stick around for electroshock therapy and a lobotomy.
Terry: I always figured I’d live a bit longer without it.
Mob-run waterfront, fixed fights, murders, beat-down longshoremen playing deaf and dumb, Marlon Brando as Terry the boxer who “coulda been a contender.” Wait, make that Marlon Brando as Terry the boxer who is looking fine in his flannel jacket. A classic albeit slow-moving drama, it endures because it features a reluctant underdog who has an overwhelming urge to do what’s right against a vast conspiracy, and that never fails to inspire. That, and now I want to buy a flannel jacket.
