I coulda been a contender
E1017108
"I coulda been a contender" is an iconic line of regret and lost potential spoken by Terry Malloy in the classic film "On the Waterfront."
Observed surface forms (1)
| Surface form | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| "I coulda been a contender" | 0 |
Statements (32)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
cultural catchphrase
ⓘ
film quote ⓘ |
| addressedToCharacter | Charley Malloy NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| appearsInWork | On the Waterfront NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| associatedWithAwardedPerformance | Marlon Brando's Academy Award for Best Actor GENERATED ⓘ |
| associatedWithCharacterOccupation | ex-boxer ⓘ |
| culturalStatus | iconic movie line ⓘ |
| expresses |
personal failure
ⓘ
resentment ⓘ self-awareness ⓘ |
| filmDirectorOfWork | Elia Kazan NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| filmGenreOfWork | crime drama ⓘ |
| fullLineVariant | "I coulda been a contender. I could've been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am." ⓘ |
| hasCulturalInfluenceOn | later film and television dialogue ⓘ |
| language | English ⓘ |
| listedIn | AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| medium | film ⓘ |
| narrativeFunction |
character backstory revelation
ⓘ
emotional climax of dialogue scene ⓘ |
| originatesFromCountry | United States NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| parodiedIn | various comedy sketches ⓘ |
| quotedIn |
film criticism
ⓘ
popular culture commentary ⓘ |
| sceneContext | taxi cab conversation ⓘ |
| screenwriterOfWork | Budd Schulberg NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| settingOfWork | New York waterfront NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| spokenByActor | Marlon Brando NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| spokenByCharacter | Terry Malloy NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| theme |
lost potential
ⓘ
missed opportunities ⓘ regret ⓘ |
| yearOfFilmRelease | 1954 ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
subject surface form:
Terry Malloy