| By :
Mark Etinger
"That rug really tied the room together" In 1998, Joel and Ethan Coen released an American comedy film dubbed "The Big Lebowski." Starring Jeff Bridges as Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski, the film starts off with a case of mistaken identity that leads to two thugs shoving Bridge's characters head down a toilet and urinating on his living room area rugs. Despite the thugs and their employer, Jackie Treehorn, in actuality wanting little to do with "the Dude," these events spiral into a series of misadventures that introduce the audience to a series of uniquely twisted characters. These characters include: Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski, the main character in the film, is a single, unemployed bum who does little else besides go bowling, smoke, and drink white Russians. His best (and only) friends are Walter and Donny, the other two members of his bowling team, and the only thing he seems to enjoy more than bowling is using profanities. Walter Sobchak, (played by John Goodman) a Vietnam Vet and divorcee with a serious obsession for bowling, a devout dedication to his ex-wife, and a unique ability to relate each and every obstacle in his life to Vietnam. Jeffrey Lebowski, (played by David Huddleston) is the man the two rugs-pissing thugs from the first scene are after. The "Big" Lebowski uses a wheel-chair to get around (losing his legs to a ‘Chinamen' in the Korean War) and portrays himself as a multi-millionaire despite not actually having any money of his own. Brandt, (played by Philip Seymour Hoffman) is the sycophant assistant of Jeffrey "the Big" Lebowski. He is the one who allows The Dude to select any of the Persian Rugs at "The Big" Lebowski's residence, despite his boss not actually giving permission. Jesus Quintana, (played by John Turturro) is a registered sex-offender and rival bowler to The Dude. Walter claims he is a "pederast" who served six months in prison for revealing himself to an eight year old. "The Jesus," as he commonly calls himself, is the perfect example of notable characters in The Big Lebowski who have literally nothing to do with the plot of the film or its urine covered rugs shenanigans. The film was initially received poorly, as most cult-films typically start off. Its debut at the '98 Sundance Film Festival featured a few walk-outs, financially it bombed at U.S. box offices during initial release. However, today it is viewed as one of the Ultimate cult classics. The Lebowski Fest occurs every year in Louisville, Kentucky, since 2002, and has spread to a series of other American cities. An online religion known as "dudeism" has existed since 2005. And Entertainment Weekly ranked the film in its Top-10 funniest movies of the past quarter-century. And to think it all started off with mistaken identity and some oriental rugs…
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