One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Book vs Film
Plot and Conflicts
The basis for both stories is the power struggle of McMurphy and Nurse Ratched. A difference is that in the book an emphasis is placed on the development of the other patients while in the movie it is McMurphy's growth and story line that is focused on.
Point Of View
Characters
Cheswick
"Each time a man looked away and refused to back him up, and the panic in his face doubled." Cheswick's suicide is not in the movie. W H Y. This is one of the most moving, heartbreaking, significant scenes in the book and it was not included in the movie. WHY WHY WHY. Anyway, not only did this scene capture McMurphy's selfish faults but also the patients evolution and dependency on McMurphy. Here, Cheswick, influence by McMurphy, stand up for himself. He lets any of his cowardice go and he tries to get something done but no one backs him up. No one encourages him. The nurse, the one that should be encouraging this type of improvement admonishes it and crushes it. McMurphy, his source of hope and faith, lets him down and he kills himself. It makes me angry that this wasn't in the movie, it's such a crucial part. From this point on, McMurphy has realized his role as an unlikely hero. He has to sacrifice himself for them.
Billy Bibbit
Billy Bibbit's character does not have any significant differences between the two mediums. Yet, I would like to note this similarity because his suicide, though not necessarily less meaningful, but it could have been more significant if the previous suicide had been included. Here it is not McMurphy who lets him down, it is not the other patients, it is Nurse Ratched. Her power had not been depicted or emphasized as much in the movie but it had been slightly implied. This scene, in the movie, is the integral part that illustrates her power. She crushes Billy down, he had finally improved, and she humiliates and tortures him until he commits suicide.
McMurphy
"A set of tail-lights going past lit up McMurphy's face, and the windshield reflected an expression that was allowed only because he figured it'd be too dark for anybody in the car to see, dreadfully tired and strained and frantic, like there wasn't enough time left for something he had to do" McMurphy's weakness is not highlighted in the movie as it was in the book. The pressure, the responsibility and the urgency of the situation in the Ward, in society, is seen in the weakness of McMurphy. The lack of that implication in that movie removes that strain, that small emphasize that would make Bromden's action in the end of the story more significant.
"The drain at their feet kept choking short little gulps of air and soapy water"
Missing Scene
In the book, McMurphy defends George, who does not want medication in the showers. This scene is a turning point in the book. As they are all naked and vulnerable, McMurphy steps up and helps. He tries to fight of the wardens. This is when Bromden also steps up and helps out a huge step in his character development.
I believe this scene is missing from the movie because it does not fit the main point the movie tries to show. The movie is all about McMurphy so it wouldn't organically fit that goal. The movie is condensed, leaving out many parts and implying a lot of actions. These changes though are not only for time purposes but because they chose to focus on a different aspect of the movie as opposed to the book.