"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" Stick

On December 6, 1694, history became made with the release of the new film, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”. This classic Christmas movie follows the story of a misfit outcast reindeer with a blinking red nose that leaves his home and teams up with an aspiring dentist misfit elf, Hermey, and a gold seeking prospector, Yukon Cornelius. The trio takes on the Abominable Snowman, find an island of misfit toys whom they eventually save, and then help save Christmas as Rudolph becomes accepted and leads the sleigh through the storm with his blinking red nose. This classic story has proven as one of the most watched Christmas films and many families, such as my own, make it a tradition to watch this short and sweet story every year.

A few days ago my family indulged in this tradition as we all sat around in front of the television with eyes glued to the screen as the movie started. I began to enjoy the movie the same as every other year as the story progressed and suddenly the character Yukon Cornelius entered the scene as Rudolph and Hermey run across him and his dogsled as he searches the hills for silver and gold. This comedic, loud, red-headed prospector boldly introduced himself to the two misfits and then agreed to accompany them on their journey because of his claimed experience with the Abominable Snowman. With AP English constantly on the mind, I gasped and turned to my brother sitting next to me and excitedly proclaimed, “He reminds me of McMurphy!” My brother nodded acknowledging some of the similarities as I turned back to the screen excited to find other parallels between the characters.
Here is the list of what I came up with:
1. They both have crazy, red hair and large, strong bodies.
2. They both have an obsession with wealth. Cornelius searches the hills for silver and gold, and McMurphy constantly attempts to make money off people through gambling,
3.They both have strong personalities and lead other characters to eventual freedom in each story. Cornelius leads Rudolph and Hermey back to acceptance and the misfit toys to freedom, and McMurphy directly causes a change in the men that evokes personality shifts and freedom for many.
4. Cornelius forms the plan to stand up to the Abominable Snowman and he performs most of the fighting in the climax fight scene. McMurphy stands up to the Big Nurse and forms most of the plans of rebellion against her.
5.“Even among the misfits you’re a misfit”. Cornelius makes this assertion about himself and the other two main characters as he realizes their lack of a place in the world. This directly parallels McMurphy’s completely opposite personality from all the other men on the ward and still his inability to also become accepted in normal society. They have the same internal struggle.

    6.They both appear to die in the stories. After fighting the Abominable Snowman, Cornelius falls off the cliff and appears to die, but later he appears at Santa’s Castle alive and well. McMurphy does die at the end of the story in a physical sense, but his spirit lives on in the men and specifically Chief, showing how he truly did not perish.

This movie is loosely based on the 1939 poem, but the writer also added many characters, such as Yukon Cornelius, when making the film. These parallels between the characters seem a little too exact for pure coincidence, and perhaps the writer had a direct influence from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (published in 1962, two years before the movie release date of 1964.)