be worth very little
In his fantasy the speaker admits no one expected him to amount to anything, the very doubt he wants erased.
- dreamt that he would amount to a hill of beans.The King of Comedy · 1982 — 第 10 / 21 章 · 2'56" · B2
Cathy Long Turns Rupert Down, Explained：amount to a hill of beans
After a fantasy tribute plays in his head, Rupert sits down with Jerry's office and hears the real verdict: potential, but not ready. "We don't think you're ready yet," Miss Long says, then softens it with talk of clubs and a phone call. Rupert pushes back, insisting his judgment matters more than hers.
あらすじ
This chapter opens inside Rupert's fantasy: a televised tribute where the people of his hometown apologize to him and wish 'Rita and Rupert' a long reign. Then it cuts to Jerry's office, where Miss Long tells Rupert the tape had good things but he isn't ready for Jerry yet, and suggests he work the clubs first.
注目の表現
amount to a hill of beansapologize toabsolutely honestsend someone down
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いま
このシーンの表現
amount to a hill of beans
be worth very little
In his fantasy the speaker admits no one expected him to amount to anything, the very doubt he wants erased.
Without funding, all those plans amount to a hill of beans.
このシーンの他の表現
- apologize to
say sorry to someone
- absolutely honest
completely frank
- send someone down
dispatch someone to a place
- faith in
trust in something
- we mean what we say
we are sincere
このシーンのメモ一覧
47 行のセリフに 35 件のメモ
noun clause: The that-clause reports what nobody expected him to become.
- dreamt that he would amount to a hill of beans.we made a mistake
But we were wrong. And you, Rupert, you were right.in front of the whole country
And that's why tonight, before the entire nation...say sorry to someone
In the fantasy, an apology is delivered to Rupert personally, in front of the entire nation.
...we'd like to apologize to you personally...ask to be forgiven
...and to beg your forgiveness for...what was done to you
For all the things we did to you.thank someone in person
And we'd like to thank you personally, all of us...reduced relative clause: The relative pronoun is dropped: the meaning that you have given our lives.
...for the meaning you've given our lives.best regards
Please accept our warmest wishes, Rita and Rupert...Link Rita and so and almost disappears into a n sound.
Please accept our warmest wishes, Rita and Rupert...right after the break
We'll be back to marry them right after this word.with real attention
I wanna thank you for your tape. We listened to it with great interest.want to — Spoken form of want to; too casual for formal use.
I wanna thank you for your tape. We listened to it with great interest.notice the strengths in it
We see a lot of good things in what you're doing.show promise
We think you have potential, which is why I'm gonna be absolutely honest with you.completely frank
Miss Long praises Rupert's potential, then promises to be absolutely honest, which is how she serves the rejection.
We think you have potential, which is why I'm gonna be absolutely honest with you.non-defining relative clause: Which refers back to the whole clause, giving the reason for the honesty.
We think you have potential, which is why I'm gonna be absolutely honest with you.Soften which is so the is nearly vanishes.
We think you have potential, which is why I'm gonna be absolutely honest with you.going to — Everyday speech; keep it out of formal writing.
We think you have potential, which is why I'm gonna be absolutely honest with you.a single-line joke
Some of the material is good, but some of the one-liners, for instance, are not very strong.rather weak
Some of the material is good, but some of the one-liners, for instance, are not very strong.handle it
- That's right. - Good. I can take care of that.improve one's routine
But you should keep developing your act.keep plus gerund: Keep takes a gerund to show continued action.
But you should keep developing your act.real performance settings
You ought to test it in a few live situations. I think that'd be very good for you.phone someone
When you start working in one of those, give us a call. We'll send someone down.represent someone
Miss Long, may I ask you a question? Are you speaking for Jerry?trust in something
After being told he is not ready, Rupert turns on Miss Long and says he has no faith in their judgment.
But I have to tell you, I don't have faith in your judgment.not agree with someone
No, I'll have to disagree with you again, Miss Long.your right to choose
That's your privilege, Mr. Pupkin.may I be excused
Now, would you excuse me? I have a great many things to do.Link would you so the d blends into the y sound.
Now, would you excuse me? I have a great many things to do.not back before a time
Mr. Langford won't be in until very late this afternoon.be sincere in words
Mr. Pupkin, we mean what we say when we thank you for stopping up.「Cathy Long Turns Rupert Down」を読み解く
What's really going on
The fantasy at the top is Rupert's rehearsal for the acceptance he never gets. In it, an entire nation admits it was wrong about him — 'But we were wrong. And you, Rupert, you were right' — and asks his forgiveness. The real meeting is the mirror image: polite, professional, and final. Miss Long praises his potential, then says 'We don't think you're ready yet,' a rejection soft enough to sound like advice. Rupert refuses to accept the framing, asking whether she speaks for Jerry at all. When she confirms she does, he answers, 'I don't have faith in your judgment.' Her reply — 'That's your privilege, Mr. Pupkin' — ends the meeting without conceding a thing, and Rupert is left with a phone number and nothing else.
Theme
DreamsThe chapter sets Rupert's fantasy of a televised tribute beside the office rejection, showing how far his dream runs from what he's actually offered.
AmbitionRupert won't accept a soft no; even a polite 'not ready yet' becomes something he argues with, because waiting isn't part of his plan.
このチャプターで学べること
- A hill of beans turns a whole career into pocket change.
- Have potential is the sugar before a polite no.
- Take care of is the promise that ends a complaint.
- Faith in names the trust Rupert withdraws.
発音のポイント
- Rita and — Link Rita and so and almost disappears into a n sound.
- which is — Soften which is so the is nearly vanishes.
- would you — Link would you so the d blends into the y sound.
But we were wrong. And you, Rupert, you were right.The fantasy's core: the whole hometown admits it misjudged him, the validation Rupert keeps imagining but never receives.
We think you have potential, which is why I'm gonna be absolutely honest with you.A classic softening move: praise first, then the bad news, so the honesty sounds like a favor.
But I have to tell you, I don't have faith in your judgment.Rupert turns a polite rejection into a challenge, saying he trusts his own read more than theirs.
That's your privilege, Mr. Pupkin.A cool, formal non-answer: she grants his right to disagree and gives up nothing.
このシーンについての質問
Why does Miss Long mention clubs and a phone call?
It keeps the rejection polite and non-committal. Sending him to smaller rooms and telling him to call later sounds like a path forward, but it commits Jerry's office to nothing.
Is Miss Long speaking for Jerry?
She says she is, and that Jerry has complete faith in their judgment. That's what makes the rejection final: Rupert isn't being put off, he's being turned down by the people Jerry trusts.
Why does Rupert say he has no faith in her judgment?
Because accepting the rejection would mean accepting the verdict. He treats it as an argument he can win, so he challenges the messenger instead of the message.
What does 'amount to a hill of beans' mean?
It's an old idiom meaning to be worth very little or to achieve nothing important. In the fantasy, the hometown admits no one dreamed he would amount to a hill of beans.
キング・オブ・コメディ · 全 21 章
すべて見る →
次のチャプター · 第 11 章drop inRupert and Rita Crash Jerry's House
第 1 章big breakRupert Pupkin Pitches Jerry in the Car
第 2 章start at the bottomRupert Pitches His Act to Jerry
第 3 章take overRupert Rehearses Taking Over the Show
第 4 章didn't have the nerveRupert Asks Rita Out After 15 Years
第 5 章gift for comedyRupert Signs Rita's Autograph Book
第 6 章the go-aheadRupert's New King of Comedy Speech
第 7 章in a meetingRupert Repeatedly Calls Jerry Langford
第 8 章broke bread withMasha Confronts Rupert in the Street
第 9 章made itRupert Rehearses His Big TV Debut
再生中 · 第 10 章amount to a hill of beansCathy Long Turns Rupert Down
第 11 章drop inRupert and Rita Crash Jerry's House
第 12 章take a hintJerry Throws Rupert Out
第 13 章false moveRupert and Masha Kidnap Jerry
第 14 章a pain in the neckJerry Langford's Hostage Call
第 15 章a two-way streetJerry Apologizes at Gunpoint
第 16 章on the spur of the momentStudio Debates Airing the Kidnapper
第 17 章blow your mindMasha's Lonely Night Confession
第 18 章authorized personnelRupert Bluffs His Way Into the Studio
第 19 章the right to remain silentPupkin Gets Read His Rights
第 20 章a shot atRupert Pupkin's TV Debut
第 21 章down paymentRupert Pupkin's Stand-Up Monologue第 10 / 21 章 · 残り約 39 分