Scene Description Spotlight: “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”
I’ve featured the ending of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest before as it’s one of the most profound conclusions to a movie I can remember. But there’s a small bit of business in the scene description to which I want to draw attention: The use of “a beat”. Track where and when the screenwriters (Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman) insert that into the SD:
INT. HALLWAY — LATE AFTERNOON
Bromden is squatting, leaning against the wall near the
security gate to the visitors’ room, when a KEY HITS THE
LOCK. He looks up expectantly. This time it is McMurphy. Or
what was McMurphy, for his head is bandaged, and his tongue
hangs out of his mouth as he is led across the visitors’ room
by an ATTENDANT.
McMurphy shows Bromden no sign of recognition, which Bromden
pays no attention to, thinking McMurphy is putting on the
same act he did when he came back from Electro-Shock Therapy.
Bromden joyously turns and runs down the hallway to the day
room.
INT. DAY ROOM — LATE AFTERNOON
as Bromden crosses into the day room, gets a seat, and sits
facing the hallway, bursting with expectation.
A long beat, then the Attendant appears with McMurphy and
taps at the side door to the nurses’ station.
The Acutes break off their card game and look at McMurphy;
their faces hang open at his appearance.
Big Nurse crosses to the side door, opens it, and steps out
into the day room. To the Attendant as she takes McMurphy by
the arm:
BIG NURSE
Thank you…
ATTENDANT
Yes, ma’am…
The Attendant exits.
BIG NURSE
(to McMurphy)
Now, let’s find you a place to sit,
shall we, Mister McMurphy?
Big Nurse gently guides McMurphy to a seat on the Chronics’
side of the room.
Bromden can hardly contain himself as he waits for McMurphy
to go into his act.
The Acutes have already absorbed the reality of McMurphy’s
condition as they exchange looks with each other.
FREDRICKSON
(whispering)
Lobotomy…
HARDING
Yeah…
SCANLON
Yeah, that Gary Blinker is fulla
shit…
The Acutes turn back to their card game as Harding shuffles
and deals the cards out.
Bromden keeps his eyes glued to Big Nurse and McMurphy.
BIG NURSE
(sitting McMurphy down)
Here now, you sit here… That’s
it…
Big Nurse pats McMurphy’s face and crosses back to the
nurses’ station.
McMurphy just sits there, his head lolling to one side.
Bromden waits for McMurphy to go into his routine.
McMurphy just sits there.
Bromden snaps his fingers and slaps his thigh, then waits for
McMurphy to follow suit.
McMurphy just sits there slobbering.
Bromden slaps his thigh again.
No response from McMurphy.
The MUSIC PLAYS ON.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. MEN’S DORM — DAYBREAK
as Bromden stands by the window looking out. A long beat,
then he turns into the room and looks around.
BROMDEN’S POV
The patients are all asleep. The new night attendant is fast
asleep in the nurses’ station.
Bromden quietly takes his pillow and goes to McMurphy’s bed,
where he kneels and puts his head very close to McMurphy’s. A
long beat as Bromden studies McMurphy’s face.
BROMDEN
(whispering in McMurphy’s
ear)
When I first came here I was so
scared of being lost I had to
holler so they could track me… I
figured anything was better than
being lost…
On the last word, Bromden places his pillow over McMurphy’s
face and begins to suffocate him. McMurphy starts thrashing
and Bromden lies full length on McMurphy. A long beat, then
the thrashing ends. Bromden gets off McMurphy, replaces his
pillow, and crosses down the aisle toward the day room.
INT. DAY ROOM — DAYBREAK
The night attendant continues to sleep as Bromden passes the
nurses’ station, heading for the tub room.
INT. TUB ROOM — DAWN
as Bromden crosses to the heavy machine which McMurphy had
once tried to lift, sizes it up, then bends over and takes
hold and heaves. The GRINDING WEIGHT is HEARD as Bromden
exerts all his strength, slowly lifts the machine off the
floor, balances it above his shoulders, then crosses out of
the tub room.
INT. DAY ROOM — DAWN
as Bromden comes around the corner and past the sleeping
night attendant in the nurses’ station.
Bromden lines himself up with the window across the room,
then starts toward it, picking up speed as he goes. Then, at
the last moment, he stops and, with an enormous effort, he
hurls the machine through the security screen and the window.
A LOUD CRASH.
In the nurses’ station, the night attendant starts awake and
looks around. Too late as Bromden vaults through the window.
CAMERA HOLDS on window as Bromden runs across the grounds and
disappears into the pine trees.
INT. DAY ROOM — DAWN
as the night attendant comes out of the nurses’ station and
looks confusedly around. Then he spots the shattered window.
EXT. COUNTRYSIDE — EXTREME LONG SHOT — SUNRISE
Rolling hills, forests and distant mountains, bathed in
sunlight, as Bromden runs across a far-off meadow.
CREDITS OVER.
THE END
Here it’s used to suggest that Bromden is debating the merits of his plan: should he, shouldn’t he.
On the last word, Bromden places his pillow over McMurphy’s
face and begins to suffocate him. McMurphy starts thrashing
and Bromden lies full length on McMurphy. A long beat, then
the thrashing ends. Bromden gets off McMurphy, replaces his
pillow, and crosses down the aisle toward the day room.
Here it’s used to drill into both the horror and the beauty of this moment, Bromden killing McMurphy, but in so doing setting McMurphy’s soul free.
The use of “a beat,” “a short beat,” “a long beat” has declined in recent years likely because readers complained they didn’t know what it meant. Unlike a novel where the writer can go ‘inside’ a characters mind to convey what the character is thinking and feeling, we can only do that sparingly in a screenplay. But let me argue the other side: Using “a beat” allows the moment to be interpreted in any number of ways, gives it a chance to breathe on its own.
As a substitute if you want to tell a reader, “Hey, this is a significant moment here where something is going on with the characters, even though nothing’s being said or done,” consider variations on the word “silence”:
Silence. A thick silence. A horrible silence. An overwhelming silence.
It’s the same thing as “a beat,” but can provide the reader more specificity of mood, if that’s what needs to be conveyed in SD.
How about you? Do you use “a beat”? If so, why? If not, do you have an equivalent descriptor?
[Originally posted August 5, 2010]
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