Anyone who used to like this movie but has now changed their mind?

I have seen Cool Hand Luke at least half a dozen times in my life. I used to think it was a truly great movie. But the last time I saw it, I watched it with a bunch of friends who had never seen it. These were smart people who usually have pretty good taste. But as we watched the movie, they really just didn’t get it. They kept asking, “What’s the point? So this guy gets put in jail for vandalism and just gets keeps getting beat down. What’s so great about that?” They gave up after about the first 40 minutes.

I have to confess though, I had a hard time explaining to them why this movie is supposed to be good. I just couldn’t seem to find the words. I started to question if it really is such a good movie. I haven’t tried it again since then, so I’m not sure what I think of it now.

So, has anyone else had a similar experience with this movie? If so, what did you ultimately decide?