COOL HAND LUKE

Monday, August 18, 6:00 p.m. & Sunday, August 24, 11:30 a.m. | Luke Johnson (Paul Newman, the definition of “sizzling”) is sentenced to a Florida chain gang after a drunken act of petty vandalism. Luke refuses to conform to the prison’s authoritarian leadership, which makes him a target of the warden and rifleman, and his defiance puts him at odds with top dog prisoner Dragline (George Kennedy, in an Academy Award–winning performance), until a sweat-soaked, knock- down, drag-out fight between the two earns Luke Dragline’s admiration and respect. Tenacious and resilient, Luke challenges the boundaries of what is expected of him as a prisoner and fellow inmate, turning him into a symbol of resistance against oppressive authority, and a hero within the gang. Shirts stick to sweaty backs and the unrelenting heat and abuse weighs heavily on the captive men, even the seemingly unbreakable Cool Hand Luke, in this classic and devastating story of hope and heroes.

Awards & Nominations

Winner - Best Actor in a Supporting Role (George Kennedy), Academy Awards
Nominee - Best Actor in a Leading Role (Paul Newman), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Score
Nominee - Best Supporting Actor (George Kennedy), Best Actor (Paul Newman)

Scorchers | August 2–31, 2025

Hot enough for you? Welcome to the dog days of summer, when the temperatures reach their peak and it feels like you could fry an egg on the sidewalk. In Scorchers, we explore 10 films where stifling heat has a starring role. In these cinematic sizzlers, characters fan themselves and wipe their brows—and as the degrees rise, so do the stakes. When we’re stripped down, exhausted, and oppressed by an atmosphere warmer than our body temperature, things are bound to explode.

The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu