By pure coincidence, my film pick on this Oscar Weekend was one of only 3 films in Academy Award history to take home a statue for each of the "big 5" categories: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay. I'd say it was rather well deserved.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a funny and dramatic story about power, dignity, and culture. The film was a fascinating tennis match of subtle power-grabs between Nicholson's mischievous encouragement and Nurse Ratchet (expertly portrayed by Louise Fletcher) and her passive-aggressive rule. Nicholson's Randle was the first person to treat those in the ward with respect and, through independence, celebration, and even sex, he was able to help his peers feel like real men--a medicine in and of itself. Finally, the film represents the battle between free-spiritedness and disciplinary-order representative of America in the '70s (and continuing to today).
I give it a 4.5/5, but have no biting criticism of the film (the 0.5 is for the ending that fell a wee bit flat on me). It was a fantastic character study with major implications for our society and how we treat those who are different--and yet remained thoroughly enjoyable to watch. In a world where I am growing less confident in the Academy Awards and its ability to identify the great films of our time, these five gold statues remains highly deserved.