Million Dollar Bruhaha (Redux)

A while back, I blogged about the controversy surrounding Best Picture Nominee Million Dollar Baby and it's surprise mercy killing ending. With the furor surrounding the film continuing, I made a startling discovery today. While I was away, Netflix dropped One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest in my mailbox. I thought that was a nice coincidence, as tomorrow is Oscar night and Cuckoo won all five of the "big" awards (picture, director, screenplay [adapted], actor, actress) thirty years ago. Turns out there's another coincidence - in the end (yes, a spoiler, but it's a 30-year old flick!), the main character is, basically, euthanized. After Jack Nicholson's character suffers a lobotomy as retaliation for his behavior, another character smothers him in his bed after he is returned to the ward. The killer then busts out and runs off into the sunset.

So, there you go - 30 years before Eastwood knocked off Hillary Swank, Oscar had already rewarded euthanasia. That boat, it seems, has sailed. Leave it to lots of people to miss it.