Retro Movie Flashback: The Big Lebowski

It's no secret that most of the movies that influenced me during my formative years were comedy flicks. When I said most movies, it means that I do have favorite movies from other genres but I'll go into those in future postings. But today it's all about comedy. When you say comedy my mind immediately think of the select few that really blew my mind when I first watched them back in the day. One of them is the 1998 crime-comedy film called The Big Lebowski. 

Directed by the Coen Brothers, The Big Lebowski tells the story of a stoner named Jeffery 'The Dude' Lebowski who was played by the inimitable Jeff Bridges. Sam Elliot plays The Stranger, a nameless narrator who's actually part of the movie who makes 4th wall commentaries about The Dude and the things he go through in the movie.

The Dude dresses up in his gown-like robe, wears sunglasses, with his flip-flop sandals throughout the whole film and has a knack for bowling. As a slacker, he teams up with two of his best bud (assumingly slackers themselves too), Walter Sobchak, an overly aggressive Vietnam war veteran (played by John Goodman) and an aimless Donny Kerabatsos (played by Steve Buscemi) as they prepare themselves to battle it out in the bowling alley against Jesus Quintana, a skilled but arrogant bowler (played by John Turturro).

Nobody f**** with The Jesus!

Walter Sobchak takes his bowling seriously! Bowling isn't Vietnam, it has rules he says!

The fun starts when some thugs crashed into The Dude's house one day in error thinking that he is the wealthy LA rich guy who's name is also Jefferey Lebowski. Well, I'm not really sure if the title of the film really referred to which Lebowski i.e.  was it The Dude literally (well, Jeff Bridges sure is a tall man!) or metaphorically (rich guy...'big' man in town etc....get it?) but I'd like to think that The Big Lebowski referred to the both of them at different point in time in the movie albeit from different perspectives of the different people in the movie. 

In the process of rough housing the wrong Lebowski, the thugs intentionally messed up his rug and this alone made The Dude wanting to see the rich Lebowski at his mansion to demand for compensation. It was there that The Dude meets a very by-the-book personal secretary to the rich Lebowski and his young trophy wife. Some chaos ensues and the trophy wife gets kidnapped and soon The Dude gets called back to the mansion where he was offered by the rich Lebowski to track down his kidnapped wife.

The comedy really gets going when The Dude's pal Walter willingly (or unwillingly accepted by The Dude) helps in the exchanging of ransom money with the kidnappers. Weed and bowling are both central themes to the world in which The Dude and his buddies live in. 

The Dude gets high and everything goes into a trance-like sequence. There's even a scene where he is seen flying over the city at night. A parody of Superman movies perhaps? There is also a musical performance in which I think is another great parody to the many Hollywood musical movies.

The Dude is also often seen enjoying his White Russian drink, an exotic alcoholic beverage and I believe this has started some sort of trend among some fans. It's funny how he savors every glass of the beverage and doesn't mind getting all beaten up as long as the drink survives!

When the mysterious Stranger made an appearance at the end of the movie, one can't help to wonder if he is a being of higher authority because he seems to be talking to only The Dude. It's either that or he's a guy who seems to be at the right place and the right time to offer narrative readings to us or a piece of his wisdom to our favorite slacker.

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The Big Lebowski even taught me a few lessons in life to which I still hold dear to this very day.

1) Just sit back and take life easy...

Yup, just laugh in the face of terror or at least pop in your favorite music in your walkman (those days) and waste away! Best if you need to completely forget about any problems or annoying/nagging thoughts in your head.

2) Even when things turn from bad to worse, just remain calm...

I cannot stress point #1 strong enough so I decided to say it again with point #2 here....and I don't mean by just staying calm when you've been forced to drink toilet water.

3) When something has been forcefully taken away from you, fight to take it back...

Don't let anyone take away something that's dear to you...and if they do, then just go over to their house and get theirs as a replacement for the one you lost!

4) Having a friend to hear you out really helps...

We all have that one crazy friend who's always there to hear your every whims and problems. They might even offer 'alternative' solutions for you to get out of your tight spots. Yup, everyone has a Walter Sobchak in their lives. You just didn't know.

5) Bowling can really be therapeutic...or not

Thanks to The Dude and his buddies, it sparked my interest towards bowling, even though I really got into it when I went for dates with my then girlfriend (now soulmate) at the bowling alley.  I've always enjoyed bowling with the fam. It gives you that much needed release from the pressure that's been building deep inside of you. There's just something satisfying about seeing/hearing that hunk-of-ball smashing through the neatly arranged pins. But on the hindsight, failure to finish  your spare pins can plunge you deeper into depression too....so beware. 

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And here's the official trailer if you haven't seen this masterpiece from them Coen Brothers already by now.

Seriously, how is it possible that you haven't watched this already at least once in your lifetime? The movie of course....not the trailer.

Now excuse me while I prepare myself for yet another round of the movie again......