What we got here is ...
Intro
“What we've got here is (a) failure to communicate!"
“What we've got here is (a) failure to communicate!"
-The famous line from the classic 1967 film 'Cool Hand Luke.'
For some reason, this line has stuck in my mind since I first heard it 1967. While passing the time while walking my dog Fuji, the line would come to mind and I would think of variations of it to pass the time. Here are some of my variations of the famous line.
First a little history about the line
The film is about Luke Jackson, a laid back Southern petty criminal, played by Paul Newman, who is sentenced to two years in a rural prison, but refuses to conform. Luke is a willing martyr, a man so obsessed with the wrongness of the world that he invites death to prove himself correct. He knows he can’t win but he continues to absorb punishment indefinitely, refusing to admit defeat or to sacrifice his dignity. And he endures all this while keeping a cool, nonchalant smirk on his face.
Luke’s adversary is the Captain, the sadistic, brutal warden of the prison, played by Strother Martin. Luke's bravado and unbreakable will, even in the face of repeated stints in the prison's dreaded solitary confinement cell, "the box," make him a rebel hero to his fellow convicts and a thorn in the side of the prison officers.
There are actually two variants of the line that are spoken at different points in the film:
First one
After being captured and returned to the chain gang after a brief escape, Luke mocks the Captain’s words. The outraged Captain strikes Luke, who then falls and rolls down the hill. While Luke remains slumped beside the roadway, the frustrated Captain recovers his composure and delivers the line.
Second one
Near the film's climax, after Luke's third escape from prison brings him to a country church where he is surrounded by the flashing lights of police cars, Luke goes to the window and speaks his rendition of the line, as the posse instantly shoots him.
My variations of the famous line
Instructions
- First, guess what I thought the Captain would say in response Luke’s statement.
- Next, to see what I thought the Captain would say, just double click between the the two [brackets]
Luke: I can't make myself rise off the ground.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [levitate].
Luke: I can't raise the box.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [elevate].
Luke: I can't make them angry.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [agitate].
Luke: I can't keep them all together.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [aggregate].
Luke: I can't make him mad.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [aggravate].
Luke: They won't let me join the group.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [affiliate].
Luke: I did all I could for him at the hearing but we lost.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [advocate].
Luke: The prosecutor refused to try the case.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [adjudicate].
Luke: I can't find any more potatoes to put into the sacks.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [accumulate].
Luke: I can't get the generator to turn on.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [activate].
Luke: No matter how hard I try, I can never make him mad.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [acerbate].
Luke: They won't give me a room.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [accommodate].
Luke: The car won’t go any faster.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [accelerate].
Luke: My text is too long.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [abbreviate].
Luke: I will not surrender my leadership position!
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [abdicate].
Luke: I'm getting weak; I need water.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [hydrate].
Luke: I can't keep the prisoners from arguing.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [moderate].
Luke: I can't see any difference between them.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [differentiate].
Luke: I'm not going to brag about the things I have done.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [pontificate].
Luke: I can't get used to this cold weather.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [acclimate].
Luke: I can’t throw up.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [regurgitate].
Luke: I can’t count these things.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [enumerate].
Luke: I can’t get these photographs in filed properly.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [curate].
Luke: I think he is dead!
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [resuscitate].
Luke: You haven't taught me anything.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [educate].
Luke: I can't see the demons anymore.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [hallucinate].
Luke: I can’t have children.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [procreate].
Luke: I can’t chew this meat.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [masticate].
Luke: I can’t get the bug spray to work.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [eradicate].
Luke: The spot light burned out.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [illuminate].
Luke: The water is still in the bowl.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [evaporate].
Luke: I can’t do it like they did it.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [recreate].
Luke: My phone won’t ring silently.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [vibrate].
Luke: I can’t dance.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [gyrate].
Luke: The garden is still dry.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [irrigate].
Luke: I can't get everyone to gather in the yard.
Captain: What we’ve got here is a failure to [congregate].
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