1 definition by India_Williams
A famous 1967 film starring Paul Newman, based on the novel by Donn Pearce. In it Newman's character Luke was sent to a jail in the south for taking the heads off of parking meters. He seems enigmatic and standoffish to his fellow inmates but eventually gains their respect and even their adoration. He gains the nickname "Cool Hand Luke" because he'll fight when he has nothing to fight with (you'll understand if you've seen the film. The movie was a powerful metaphor for how being different from others can be very painful, not because you're a freak, but because they don't understand you. Newman stated that 'Cool Hand Luke' had one of the best movie scripts he'd ever read. Recieved an Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay adaptation.
'Cool Hand Luke' was also the originator of the phrase "What we have here is a failure to communicate."
by India_Williams October 5, 2004