Stream Selected Films of Jack Nicholson

Carnal Knowledge 1971 Directed by Mike Nichols. One of the most unabashedly misogynistic films of contemporary cinema. Over a period of 25 years, we follow the sexual relationships of college roommates Jonathan (Jack Nicholson), who objectifies women, and Sandy (Art Garfunkel), who idolizes them. Both are self-serving. Both go after and sleep with shy Susan (Candace Bergen) in school. Sandy marries her. Jonathan continues to search for “the perfect woman,” settling on Bobbie (Ann-Margaret) for bust size and malleability. He emotionally abuses her.

Sandy is bored. His marriage breaks up and he dates Cynthia (Cynthia O’Neal). There’s a messy attempt at swinging with Jonathan and Bobbie followed by an 18 year-old girlfriend (Carol Kane) and a prostitute (Rita Moreno). The men will never be satisfied.

The script was originally written as a play. Jules Feiffer sent it to Mike Nichols, who thought it would work better as a film. “…It doesn’t go for cheap or facile laughs, or inappropriate symbolism, or a phony kind of contemporary feeling.” (Roger Ebert) “…the iciest, most merciless and most repellent major (and seriously intended) motion picture in a very long time.” (Charles Champlin, LA Times) Rent on Amazon Prime.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest 1975 Based on the novel by Ken Kesey. Directed by Milos Forman. Five Academy Awards, including all the big ones. Terrific film. Facing prison for statuary rape of a minor (we tend to forget this), Randle Patrick McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) gets himself transferred to a mental institution. The section of the hospital in which he’s incarcerated is run by passive-aggressive tyrant, Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher). The two lock horns immediately. She deprives, rations, and punishes.

Through resistance and insurrection, McMurphy leads a wildly diverse group of patients to acquire the self-confidence and freedoms they’ve lost while locked up. Character actors William Redfield, Brad Dourif, Sidney Lassick, Christopher Lloyd, Bruce Frederickson, and Danny DeVito inhabit idiosyncratic patients. When he learns that if deemed criminally insane, he wouldn’t be able to exit after time served, McMurphy tries to break out with the help of silent Chief Bromden (Will Sampson). Consequences are dire, but he doesn’t give up. A big party, then more violent consequences follow. A painful end. Rent on Amazon Prime.

As Good As It Gets 1997 Directed by Nancy Myers. Obsessive/compulsive misanthrope, romance novelist Melvin Udall  (Jack Nicholson) is nasty to everyone except extremely tolerant waitress, Carol Connelly (Helen Hunt),  who gives him exactly what he requires every day. When she stays out to take care of her special needs child, Melvin has a fit. For purely selfish reasons, so that Carol will return to work, he pays for the boy’s treatment. She’s extremely grateful.

Meanwhile, Melvin’s gay artist neighbor Simon Bishop (Greg Kinnear) is brutally mugged. With no one to take care of his dog, Verdell, while in the hospital, Simon’s agent, Frank (Cuba Gooding, Jr.), browbeats Melvin into stepping up. The animal arrives hated, then insidiously grows on the lonely author – and vice versa. Frank convinces Simon to go see his homophobic parents and ask for money. This entails a road trip. Melvin is roped in, but won’t go alone. Feeling she owes him, he conscripts Carol. Relationships change a great deal on the trip – not unrealistically. Rent on Amazon Prime.

Terms of Endearment 1983 Adapted from the Larry McMurtry novel. Produced, written and directed by James L. Brooks. Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor Academy Awards. Widowed, selfish, femme fatale, Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine), vociferously objects to the marriage of her daughter, Emma (Debra Winger), to feckless college professor, Flap Horton (Jeff Daniels) – probably Emma’s first love. A breach is established. The young couple move away and have three children.

Finances are difficult. Flap is no help with the kids and has a series of affairs culminating with a regular girlfriend. Lonely Emma has one. Back home, Aurora makes a play for randy neighbor, retired astronaut, obvious womanizer, Garrett Breedlove (Jack Nicholson). The actors’ scenes together create fine black comedy.

Then, Emma gets terminal cancer. With John Lithgow, Danny DeVito. A traditional tear-jerker made palatable by more interesting characters and performance level. The part of Garret Breedlove was written for Burt Reynolds who had other commitments. Rent on Amazon Prime.

Heartburn 1986 Based on Nora Ephron’s semi-biographical account of her marriage to journalist Carl Bernstein. Directed by Mike Nichols. New York food writer Rachel Samstat (Meryl Streep) and Washington, D.C. columnist Mark Forman (Jack Nicholson) marry, buy a house, and go through contractor hell renovating. Rachel never really adjusts to capital society, but the couple has good friends. The house begins to look great. She has a baby.

During her second pregnancy, Rachel discovers Mark is having an affair with socialite Thelma Rice (Karen Akers). She takes her child and moves in with her father (Steven Hill) in New York. Mark begs her to come back and pledges he won’t see Thelma. Empty words. Rachel gets her revenge. Written with as much wit as pathos. Featuring Milos Forman, Stockard Channing, Jeff Daniels, Catherine O’Hara, Mamie Gummer, Joanna Gleason, Richard Masur. Free with Amazon Prime.

A Few Good Men 1992 Based on the Aaron Sorkin play. Directed by Rob Reiner. Two Cuba-based U.S. Marines are tried for a hate crime murder of one of their peers in the self-contained, don’t-ask-don’t-tell atmosphere of the armed services. Naval Investigator and Lawyer Lieutenant Commander JoAnne Galloway (Demi Moore) suspects the two carried out a “code red” order: a violent extrajudicial judgment. She wants to defend them, but the case is given to inexperienced Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise).

Most of the film plays out in taut courtroom scenes with Base Commander Nathan Jessup (Jack Nicholson) finally erupting like Vesuvius. Also featuring Kevin Bacon, Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Pollack. More topical in light of continuing exposure of the military following its own laws, shielding offenders.

Sorkin’s sister Deborah apparently had a case like this which served as inspiration. Nicholson would later comment of the $5 million he received for his role, “It was one of the few times when it was money well spent.” Rent on Amazon Prime.

Something’s Gotta Give 2003 Written, produced and directed by Nancy Myers. Smart and droll. Young Marin Klein (Amanda Peet) takes her latest boyfriend, the much older Harry Sanborn (Jack Nicholson), a record mogul, to her mother’s Hamptons beach house expecting it to be empty. Instead, they encounter her successful playwright mom, Erica Barry (Diane Keaton), and Erica’s sister, Zoe (Frances McDormand). Dinner is amusing. Harry then has a heart attack during foreplay with Marin and is rushed to the hospital.

Dr. Julian Mercer (Keanu Reeves) says Harry can be released, but only if he doesn’t go far. Marin returns to the city, Harry stays with Erica. They’re gorgeously awkward circling one another. Erica falls in love, but Harry is accustomed to young, no-strings relationships and pulls away. Meanwhile the playwright is courted by Dr. Mercer, perhaps 20 years her junior, who is genuinely besotted. It all eventually works its way out with copious tears, a funny revenge tack, high romance, and change of direction. Rent on Amazon Prime.

Top photo: Bigstock

About Alix Cohen (1706 Articles)
Alix Cohen is the recipient of ten New York Press Club Awards for work published on this venue. Her writing history began with poetry, segued into lyrics and took a commercial detour while holding executive positions in product development, merchandising, and design. A cultural sponge, she now turns her diverse personal and professional background to authoring pieces about culture/the arts with particular interest in artists/performers and entrepreneurs. Theater, music, art/design are lifelong areas of study and passion. She is a voting member of Drama Desk and Drama League. Alix’s professional experience in women’s fashion fuels writing in that area. Besides Woman Around Town, the journalist writes for Cabaret Scenes, Broadway World, TheaterLife, and Theater Pizzazz. Additional pieces have been published by The New York Post, The National Observer’s Playground Magazine, Pasadena Magazine, Times Square Chronicles, and ifashionnetwork. She lives in Manhattan. Of course.