After reading the book and watching the movie of One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest I believe it is easy to see why the author Ken Kesey did not approve of the award winning film. The film much like the book helps to portray a free spirited and inspirational Mcmurphy. Mcmurphy: "You're not an idiot. Huh! You're not a goddamn looney now, boy. You're a fisherman!" (Forman) However one of the major difference between the book and the movie is the perspective in which the story is told. In the book the narration is done in first person. Chief Bromden acts as the narrator even though he is "deaf and dumb". The movie version of One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest uses third person narration which means the narration is not done through one of the characters in the book. This is a big difference because it does not allow the audience to establish a strong relationship with Chief Bromden in the movie version. In the book when reading along you feel as though Chief is having a conversation with you; you can begin to understand his and others struggles on the ward. "I've been silent so long now it's gonna roar out of me like floodwaters and you think the guy telling this ranting and raving my god; you think this is too horrible to have really happened, this is too awful to be the truth! But, please. It's still hard for me to have a clear mind thinking on it. But it's the truth even if it didn't happen." (p. 8). Where in the movie you do not hear much from him since he is "deaf and dumb". Eliminating the narration from his character tarnishes that strong relationship that is established between Chief and the audience.
The film went on to win a total of five Academy Awards. However the author Ken Kesey did not approve of the movie. "He was known to barely mentioned it (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest film) during the award ceremonies, and he made known his unhappiness with the film. He did not like Jack Nicholson, or the script, and sued the producers." [Ken (Elton) Kesey (1935-2001)] Kesey felt that to many imporant scenes were left out of the film. He also felt by changing the style of narration it changed the impact the work was intended to have.
Outside source: (
http://kirjasto.sci.fi/kkesey.htm)
