The Dude may abide, but I can’t honestly say that I do. Joel and Ethan Cohen created an absurdly funny and tragically perplexing film, but I’m just not sure I like it. There were countless lines that can be quoted and re-quoted (and re-quoted some more). There was some wonderful narration by the always awesome Sam Elliott (yes, he was even awesome in “Hulk” and “Road House”). And the mystery that had been plaguing the Dude since the film began was solved (though, it’s a shame about his rug). Unfortunately, something about the film didn’t quite click with me.
Perhaps it was proliferation of the “F” word. There’s profanity in film and then there’s “The Big Lebowski”. Much like Sam Elliott’s character asks the Dude, I was often wondering why that particular obscenity needed to be used as often as it was. Then there was Walter. Half the time he was the Bud Abbott to the Dude’s Lou Costello and the other half of the time I wanted to kill him. And I wasn’t just annoyed with him, I was so irked by Walter’s attitude and actions that I was literally taken out of the film by my desire to inflict bodily harm upon Mr. Sobchak.
Another aspect that hindered my enjoyment of the film was the handling of the peripheral elements and my curiosity about them. I wanted to know if the Dude and Walter beat Jesus in the tournament. What did the Dude think of his landlord’s dance recital? Did the Dude ever receive any financial compensation from anyone? Did he ever find another rug or did Maude give him back the rug he took from her father? When the film concluded, there was no resolution regarding any of those elements. Heck, we didn’t even know how Sam Elliott’s character knew as much of the story as he did. Granted, these are minor details, and honestly I’d be fine with the way it ended as long as we found out how the Dude’s rug situation was resolved (if, at all). But that was never revealed and as a result, I feel let down.
However, after some amount of pondering I realized that the primary reason for my distaste for the film comes from the fact that it hits too close to home. No, my rug hasn’t been urinated on and no, I haven’t had a group of nihilists demanding ransom money from me. But I was involved in a car accident recently and though I know that I was not at fault, the powers that be seem to all think that I was. I was just doing my own thing and not making waves, much like the Dude, and someone metaphorically peed on my rug. So yeah, my biggest reason for disliking the film is due to the narrative’s metaphorical proximity to an event that I’m dealing with in my own life.
After reading this far, I’m sure you’re wondering if there was anything that I liked about the film. And to that, I say yes. I loved the banter between the Dude, Donny, and Walter when they were bowling. Their timing was perfect and that made for some absolutely hilarious moments. I also loved the “Toe Scene” in the diner. I enjoyed the simple hilarity of the Dude’s (poorly planned) idea for protecting his house. I loved the cinematography and shot composition. It was mesmerizing at times. But regardless of all that, it still didn’t gel with me. And just to be clear, I am by no means whatsoever saying that this is a bad film. It’s actually an amusing and intriguing film that (as I’ve stated earlier) failed to connect with me.
Now, I am aware of the watch-it-again-and-you’ll-get-more-out-of-it school of thought regarding this film. And since my friend, Dave, gave me this film as a gift, I will have ample opportunity to do that. I’m just not sure I want to watch it again (at least for a while). Maybe after a few months or years I'll be able to enjoy the flick in the manner that The Cohen Brothers (as well as my friends) intended. Unfortunately, I just can’t do that now.
