As a Moments subpage, all spoilers are unmarked as per policy. You Have Been Warned.
The novel
- McMurphy's party, smuggling a pair of prostitutes and lots of booze into the hospital.
- McMurphy strangling Nurse Ratched.
- When trying to take the fishing boat, McMurphy gives the captain his number. Dr. Spivey asks if they should wait, and McMurphy replies by rhetorically asking, "Wait 'til the captain what? Wait 'til the captain comes out and tells us that the phone number I gave him is a flophouse up in Portland?"
- About 100 pages from the end of the book, near the end of another meeting with the Big Nurse and the other patients, McMurphy strolls up to where the Nurse is sitting, next to the glass window the patients' restricted cigarette cartons are behind. McMurphy puts his hand right through the glass to take one. "I'm sure sorry, ma'am," he said. "Gawd but I am. That window glass was so spick and span I com-pletely forgot it was there." He then returns to his chair and lights up a smoke.
- The control panel in the tub room. McMurphy bets the other patients that he can lift it, even though they estimate that it must weigh over 500 pounds. He fails, but gets their respect for trying. Later, under his coaching, the Chief manages to lift and move it a few inches. And at the end, the Chief rips it free of the floor and throws it through a window so he can escape.
The movie
- Mac lying to the Charter Captain, saying the other patients are all Doctors from the mental hospital…except for Harding, who is a Mister. Surgeons are traditionally referred to Mister, not Doctor.
- Max Taber (played by Christopher Lloyd) picking on Mr. Harding, whether it's in group or when they're playing Monopoly.
- Mac "announcing" an imaginary World Series game after Nurse Ratched prevents him from being able to watch the real one on television, to the delight of the other patients. Even the skeptical Harding gets involved in the fun.
- Chief effortlessly lifting one of the orderlies and squeezing him in a bear hug until he screams, after the orderly tries to break Mac's arm.
- The final scene, where the Chief rips out the control panel in the tub room and escapes as described above.
- Billy standing up to Ratched after she finds him in bed with a prostitute— and he did not stutter.Ratched: Aren't you ashamed?Billy: (breaking out in a genuine, shit-eating grin) No, I'm not.
