What we've got here is (a) failure to communicate
Encyclopedia
The phrase "What we've got here is (a) failure to communicate" is a famous line from the 1967 film Cool Hand Luke
.
There are actually two close variants of the line that are spoken at different points in the film. Nuances of accent, delivery, and intonation aside, they are as follows:
The context of the line, as it is first delivered in the film, is a young prisoner, Luke, refusing to sacrifice his dignity under the instruction of the brutal prison captain. Having just been captured and returned to the chain gang
after a clever and daring but all too brief escape, Luke mocks the despotic affectations of benevolence on the part of the Captain. The outraged Captain lashes out and strikes Luke, who then falls and rolls down the hill. While Luke remains slumped in the culvert beside them on the roadway, the frustrated Captain recovers his composure and delivers the line, pronouncing his summary judgment of the problem: that it can be nothing more than a matter of Luke failing to understand the one-way nature of the communication that is incumbent on his present demotion in social status. The line is an opening for a warning speech directed to the other prisoners who are watching. The Captain goes on to say:
The theme is recapitulated during the final action of the main plot. As evening falls, Luke's third escape from prison brings him to a rough hewn country church hall, where he seeks shelter and makes his last despairing attempt to communicate with "the Maker
", who he believes made him the way he is. Quickly surrounded by the flashing lights of police cars, Luke is entreated to surrender by his adoptive sidekick
, the character nicknamed Dragline (George Kennedy
). Laughing at the irony, Luke goes to the window — to either concede defeat, size up the enemy, or taunt his captors one more time — and he speaks his rendition of the line, and the posse instantly shoots him.
in imitation of the character who first delivered the line. Rock band Guns N' Roses
used this line twice: first in the 1990 song "Civil War
" (from Use Your Illusion II
) and again in 2008 in the song "Madagascar" (from Chinese Democracy
).
The phrase is #11 on the American Film Institute
list, AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes
.
In 1988 film Ernest Saves Christmas
, Ernest (Jim Varney
) says "What we've got here is a failure to 'accumulate while talking to Santa Claus
.
In the 1995 film Waterworld
, the Deacon (Dennis Hopper
, an original cast member of Cool Hand Luke
) uses this line to the Mariner (Kevin Costner
) towards the end of the film.
Hip hop duo Danger Doom
quotes this line in their song "El Chupa Nibre".
In the 1995 film Major Payne
, Major Benson Winifred Payne (portrayed by Damon Wayans
) uses this line when speaking to his cadets.
In Rob Zombie
's 2007 remake
of Halloween
, the truck driver (Ken Foree
) uses the line to Michael Myers
(Tyler Mane).
David Duchovny
uses this line in season 2 episode 11 of Californication
while firing a shotgun into the ceiling at a party in order to break up a catfight.
In The Cleveland Show
, Cleveland
uses this line when coaching children.
In Pitchshifter
's album Desensitized.
In Hustle
on BBC1, in the episode that aired on 18 February 2011.
In The A-Team
during a shakedown in Season 3 Episode 10.
In Here Comes Garfield
, Garfield uses the line when Jon doesn't understand him trying to say that Odie had been taken to the city pound.
In the short lived Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza
, the line appeared in the game "Sentences" in the same playing as the famous "sexbutt" joke.
In A Perfect Getaway
, by Timothy olyphant's character.
In Arena (2011 film), by Samuel L. Jackson's character.
In NCIS
, DiNozzo uses the line in "Engaged (Part 2)", along with other lines of Cool Hand Luke, when he talks to God while standing alone in a chapel.
Cool Hand Luke
Cool Hand Luke is a 1967 American prison drama film directed by Stuart Rosenberg and starring Paul Newman. The screenplay was adapted by Donn Pearce and Frank Pierson from Pearce's 1965 novel of the same name. The film features George Kennedy, Strother Martin, J.D...
.
There are actually two close variants of the line that are spoken at different points in the film. Nuances of accent, delivery, and intonation aside, they are as follows:
- "What we've got here is... failure to communicate." — spoken by The Captain, the imperious prison warden played by Strother MartinStrother MartinStrother Martin was an American actor in numerous films and television programs. Martin is perhaps best known as the prison "captain" in the 1967 film Cool Hand Luke, where he uttered the line, "What we've got here is...failure to communicate."-Early life:Strother Martin Jr. was born in Kokomo,...
- "What we've got here is a failure to communicate." — spoken by Luke, the reprobate inmate played by Paul NewmanPaul NewmanPaul Leonard Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, professional racing driver and auto racing enthusiast...
near the film's climax
The context of the line, as it is first delivered in the film, is a young prisoner, Luke, refusing to sacrifice his dignity under the instruction of the brutal prison captain. Having just been captured and returned to the chain gang
Chain gang
A chain gang is a group of prisoners chained together to perform menial or physically challenging work, such as mining or timber collecting, as a form of punishment. Such punishment might include building roads, digging ditches or chipping stone...
after a clever and daring but all too brief escape, Luke mocks the despotic affectations of benevolence on the part of the Captain. The outraged Captain lashes out and strikes Luke, who then falls and rolls down the hill. While Luke remains slumped in the culvert beside them on the roadway, the frustrated Captain recovers his composure and delivers the line, pronouncing his summary judgment of the problem: that it can be nothing more than a matter of Luke failing to understand the one-way nature of the communication that is incumbent on his present demotion in social status. The line is an opening for a warning speech directed to the other prisoners who are watching. The Captain goes on to say:
- Some men you just can't reach. So you get what we had here last week, which is the way he wants it... well, he gets it. I don't like it any more than you men.
The theme is recapitulated during the final action of the main plot. As evening falls, Luke's third escape from prison brings him to a rough hewn country church hall, where he seeks shelter and makes his last despairing attempt to communicate with "the Maker
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
", who he believes made him the way he is. Quickly surrounded by the flashing lights of police cars, Luke is entreated to surrender by his adoptive sidekick
Sidekick
A sidekick is a close companion who is generally regarded as subordinate to the one he accompanies. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, Sherlock Holmes' Doctor Watson, The Lone Ranger's Tonto, The Green Hornet's Kato and Batman's Robin.-Origins:The origin of the...
, the character nicknamed Dragline (George Kennedy
George Kennedy
George Harris Kennedy, Jr. is an American actor who has appeared in over 200 film and television productions. He is perhaps most familiar as the convict Dragline in Cool Hand Luke , airline troubleshooter Joe Patroni in the Airport series of disaster movies from the 1970s and...
). Laughing at the irony, Luke goes to the window — to either concede defeat, size up the enemy, or taunt his captors one more time — and he speaks his rendition of the line, and the posse instantly shoots him.
Usage
In contemporary usage the line is usually an illustrative mockery of the principle behind it; the allocation of blame or fault for refusal to agree with or accept a powerful nemesis. The phrase is often articulated with a Southern American drawlSouthern American English
Southern American English is a group of dialects of the English language spoken throughout the Southern region of the United States, from Southern and Eastern Maryland, West Virginia and Kentucky to the Gulf Coast, and from the Atlantic coast to most of Texas and Oklahoma.The Southern dialects make...
in imitation of the character who first delivered the line. Rock band Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
used this line twice: first in the 1990 song "Civil War
Civil War (song)
"Civil War" is a song by the rock band Guns N' Roses, which originally appeared on the 1990 compilation Nobody's Child: Romanian Angel Appeal and later on the 1991 album Use Your Illusion II...
" (from Use Your Illusion II
Use Your Illusion II
Use Your Illusion II is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Guns N' Roses. It was one of two albums released in conjunction with the Use Your Illusion Tour, and as a result the two albums are sometimes considered a double album...
) and again in 2008 in the song "Madagascar" (from Chinese Democracy
Chinese Democracy
Chinese Democracy is the sixth studio album by American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, released in November 2008 on Geffen Records. It is the band's first studio album since "The Spaghetti Incident?" , released exactly 15 years before Chinese Democracy, and their first album of original studio...
).
The phrase is #11 on the American Film Institute
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
list, AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes
Part of the AFI 100 Years... series, AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes is a list of the top 100 movie quotations in American cinema. The American Film Institute revealed the list on June 21, 2005, in a three-hour television program on CBS...
.
In 1988 film Ernest Saves Christmas
Ernest Saves Christmas
Ernest Saves Christmas is a 1988 Touchstone Pictures comedy film directed by John R. Cherry III and starring Jim Varney. It is the third film to feature the character Ernest P. Worrell, and chronicles Ernest's attempt to find a replacement for an aging Santa Claus.-Plot:A man who claims to be Santa...
, Ernest (Jim Varney
Jim Varney
James Albert "Jim" Varney, Jr. was an American stand-up comedian, actor, musician, writer, voice artist, and comedian, best known for his role as Ernest P...
) says "What we've got here is a failure to 'accumulate while talking to Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
.
In the 1995 film Waterworld
Waterworld
Waterworld is a 1995 post-apocalyptic science fiction film. The film was directed by Kevin Reynolds and co-written by Peter Rader and David Twohy. It is based on Rader's original 1986 screenplay and stars Kevin Costner, who also produced it. It was distributed by Universal Pictures...
, the Deacon (Dennis Hopper
Dennis Hopper
Dennis Lee Hopper was an American actor, filmmaker and artist. As a young man, Hopper became interested in acting and eventually became a student of the Actors' Studio. He made his first television appearance in 1954 and appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant...
, an original cast member of Cool Hand Luke
Cool Hand Luke
Cool Hand Luke is a 1967 American prison drama film directed by Stuart Rosenberg and starring Paul Newman. The screenplay was adapted by Donn Pearce and Frank Pierson from Pearce's 1965 novel of the same name. The film features George Kennedy, Strother Martin, J.D...
) uses this line to the Mariner (Kevin Costner
Kevin Costner
Kevin Michael Costner is an American actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and businessman. He has been nominated for three BAFTA Awards, won two Academy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. Costner's roles include Lt. John J...
) towards the end of the film.
Hip hop duo Danger Doom
Danger Doom
Danger Doom is a musical collaboration between DJ and producer Danger Mouse and rapper MF Doom. Their first album, The Mouse and the Mask, was released in 2005, and followed by the Occult Hymn EP in 2006.-Background:...
quotes this line in their song "El Chupa Nibre".
In the 1995 film Major Payne
Major Payne
Major Payne is a 1995 comedy film, starring Damon Wayans. The film is a loose remake of the 1955 film The Private War of Major Benson, starring Charlton Heston....
, Major Benson Winifred Payne (portrayed by Damon Wayans
Damon Wayans
Damon Kyle Wayans is an American stand-up comedian, writer and actor, one of the Wayans brothers.-Early life:Wayans was born in New York City, New York, the son of Elvira, a homemaker and social worker, and Howell Wayans, a supermarket manager...
) uses this line when speaking to his cadets.
In Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie is an American musician, film director, screenwriter and film producer. He founded the heavy metal band White Zombie and has been nominated three times as a solo artist for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.Zombie has also established a career as a film director, creating the...
's 2007 remake
Halloween (2007 film)
Halloween is a 2007 American slasher film written, directed, and produced by Rob Zombie. The film is a remake/reimagining of the 1978 horror film of the same name, the first in the rebooted Halloween film series and the ninth Halloween film in total. The film stars Tyler Mane as the adult Michael...
of Halloween
Halloween (1978 film)
Halloween is a 1978 American independent horror film directed, produced, and scored by John Carpenter, co-written with Debra Hill, and starring Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis in her film debut and the first installment in the Halloween franchise. The film is set in the fictional midwestern...
, the truck driver (Ken Foree
Ken Foree
Kentotis Alvin "Ken" Foree is an American actor probably most famous as the hero Peter in Dawn of the Dead and Kenan & Kel as Roger, Kenan's dad.- Early life and career :Foree was born in Indianapolis, Indiana...
) uses the line to Michael Myers
Michael Myers (Halloween)
Michael Myers is a fictional character from the Halloween series of slasher films. He first appears in John Carpenter's Halloween as a young boy who murders his older sister, then fifteen years later returns home to murder more teenagers...
(Tyler Mane).
David Duchovny
David Duchovny
David William Duchovny is an American actor, writer and director. He has won Golden Globe awards for his work as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files and as Hank Moody on Californication.-Early life:...
uses this line in season 2 episode 11 of Californication
Californication (TV series)
Californication is an American comedy-drama that premiered on Showtime on August 13, 2007. The show was created by Tom Kapinos. The protagonist, Hank Moody , is a troubled novelist whose move to California, coupled with his writer's block, complicates his relationships with his longtime girlfriend...
while firing a shotgun into the ceiling at a party in order to break up a catfight.
In The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show is an American animated television series that premiered on September 27, 2009, as a part of the "Animation Domination" lineup on Fox in the United States...
, Cleveland
Cleveland Brown
Cleveland Orenthal Brown is a character from the animated television series Family Guy, and its spin-off series The Cleveland Show. He is voiced by Mike Henry. In the first seven seasons of Family Guy, Brown is a frequently recurring character. As one of Peter Griffin's neighbors and friends,...
uses this line when coaching children.
In Pitchshifter
Pitchshifter
Pitchshifter are a British five-piece electronic-metal band from Nottingham, United Kingdom formed in 1989. The band was started by bassist and vocalist Mark Clayden, lead guitarist and programmer Johnny A...
's album Desensitized.
In Hustle
Hustle (TV series)
Hustle is a British television drama series made by Kudos Film and Television for BBC One in the United Kingdom. Created by Tony Jordan and first broadcast in 2004, the series follows a group of con artists who specialise in "long cons" – extended deceptions which require greater commitment, but...
on BBC1, in the episode that aired on 18 February 2011.
In The A-Team
The A-Team
The A-Team is an American action adventure television series about a fictional group of ex-United States Army Special Forces personnel who work as soldiers of fortune, while on the run from the Army after being branded as war criminals for a "crime they didn't commit". The A-Team was created by...
during a shakedown in Season 3 Episode 10.
In Here Comes Garfield
Here Comes Garfield
Here Comes Garfield is a half-hour animated television special based on the Garfield comic strip. It featured Lorenzo Music as the voice of Garfield. The special was first broadcast October 25, 1982 on CBS. It has been released on both VHS and DVD home video.-Plot:Garfield and Odie are outside...
, Garfield uses the line when Jon doesn't understand him trying to say that Odie had been taken to the city pound.
In the short lived Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza
Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza
Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza is an improvisational comedy television program that aired in the United States on the Game Show Network. The program was hosted by Drew Carey from CBS's The Price Is Right and former host of ABC's Whose Line Is It Anyway? and was produced at the Hollywood Theatre at the...
, the line appeared in the game "Sentences" in the same playing as the famous "sexbutt" joke.
In A Perfect Getaway
A Perfect Getaway
A Perfect Getaway is a 2009 American psychological thriller film written and directed by David Twohy, and stars Timothy Olyphant, Milla Jovovich, Kiele Sanchez and Steve Zahn. The film was shot in Puerto Rico and Hawaii, and was released on August 7, 2009 in United States, and on August 12 in the...
, by Timothy olyphant's character.
In Arena (2011 film), by Samuel L. Jackson's character.
In NCIS
NCIS (TV series)
NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...
, DiNozzo uses the line in "Engaged (Part 2)", along with other lines of Cool Hand Luke, when he talks to God while standing alone in a chapel.
External links
- Sound clip of the phrase (.wav, 57 KB)
- The quote on IMDbInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...