THE DUDE ABIDES
FACTS of THE BIG LEBOWSKI
1. The word “fuck” is used 281 times in the movie. The word “man” is used 174 times and the word “dude” is used 160. Virtually all of these uses are scripted.
2. In the scene where Jesus is going door to door, telling people he is a registered sex offender, John Turturro has a bag of birdseed in his pants, to emphasize his manhood.
3. The Dude never actually bowls in the movie.
4. The band Autobahn is an homage to the 80’s techno band Kraftwerk.
5. The best piece of physical comedy I have ever seen in any movie is the scene in which The Dude gets hit in the head by a full cup of hot coffee, thrown at him by an interrogating police officer. I typically have to rewind the movie and watch the clip several times. It is brilliant.
6. The character Donnie, played by Steve Buscemi, is told to shut up throughout the entire movie, and never finishes a complete sentence. This is because Buscemi’s kidnapper character in Fargo never shuts up. The scene where Uli (Peter Stormare, the other kidnapper inFargo) is eating pancakes in the diner is also an homage to Fargo. Stormare’s character in that film always wants to eat at the International House of Pancakes.
7. Maude Lebowski does not have a British accent, but a pretentious “rich person’s” accent, according to Julianne Moore.
8. Tara Reid, the actress who plays Bunny Lebowski, is frequently asked to repeat her most famous line in the film.
9. I have heard from a variety of people that do not like the dream sequences in the film. My wife, in particular, thinks they make the film disjointed and make little sense. I disagree. With The Dude’s rampant alcoholism, former drug use, and lifestyle, I am quite certain that these are the images that The Dude would experience if he was unconscious. The “Gutterballs” musical sequence is my personal favorite musical scene in any film.
The trailer for the film is one of the best trailers I have ever seen. It intrigues the viewer by showing the movies bizarre characters, while saying little about the plot.
