Cuckoo's Nest: Book/Film Differences

My first reaction to the Cuckoo's Nest film was disbelief. The movie neglected so many things that were in the book, such as Cheswick's death, certain aspects of the fishing trip, even a few characters were left out. The film would have been more powerful and unique if it had been narrated from the Chief's point of view as it was in the book. Movies such as 'Pink Floyd The Wall' and 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' successfully incorporated strung out viewpoints from narrators under the influence of hallucinatory drugs that mimic schizophrenia. Including some of Chief's actual schizophrenic hallucinations would have made the movie more impressive. Also, Cheswick's death gave the book a more bleak and defeated tone that the movie did not have. His death/suicide emphasized the true power of The Combine. Jack Nicholson's acting did not capture all of McMurphy's true character. In the book, he was very vibrant, robust and outspoken, while in the film he seemed to be relatively quiet and even seemed relaxed at times.