I Was Robbed: The Big Lebowski
By Anthony Daquano
July 2, 2010
BoxOfficeProphets.com

There he is. Abiding.
This aggression will not stand, man, this aggression against The Dude and his companions of Los Angeles. That The Dude, Walter, Donny, Brant, Maude, The Jesus and The Big Lebowski were ignored by their peers at the Academy Awards is blasphemy. Not only is this cast of characters some of the greatest Los Angeles has to offer, but the story that tied these characters together has become the stuff of legend. A man's quest to rectify losing his beloved rug that really tied the room together is as noble of a story worthy of Hollywood's attention as any period piece or war film. Walter did not watch his buddies die face down in the muck so that the likes of William Shakespeare, Queen Elizabeth (twice) and Roberto Benigni could ham it up at Oscar's high holy night. Instead, now they must live on in Lebowski Fest and many basement and dorm walls of the American men.

The Dude fits so naturally into the LA landscape that his adventures seem a part of real Los Angeles lore. From his meandering lazy days drinking white Russians and cafe sessions discussing toes to replacing a soiled rug, heading to In N' Out Burger, pancake houses, bowling alleys and watching pornography, The Dude fits into the laid back persona of Los Angeles. That the Academy couldn't recognize the singular greatness of The Dude is a travesty. This greatness also extends to his taste for Kahlua, his 1970s wardrobe and proclivity for writing checks for 69 cents at Ralph's. Yet, once The Dude's world is disturbed, he is a man who jumps to action to rectify the wrongs that have been brought upon his beloved rug. During this chaos, The Dude finds time to bowl, drink, listen to songs of the whale and attend his landlord's dance revue. And while the mystery grows deeper and more complex, The Dude keeps on chugging despite what is thrown his way. Whether that includes taking a bath with a ferret, helping Julianne Moore conceive or having to endure John Goodman's Vietnam tirades, The Dude doesn't give up nor complain too loudly, because if he did he wouldn't be The Dude, just Jeff Lebowski.

However, to only laud The Dude and his contribution to the LA landscape would be a disservice to Walter Sobchek as one of LA's angrier inhabitants. Walter loves bowling, coffee, freedom and Judaism. Walter is also a man living in the past, whether it means still being attached to his ex-wife or connecting every of facet of life back to his time in Vietnam. Thus, when Walter sees a chance to make some extra dough and fight some nihilists he doesn't blink an eye. So what if he is a little hostile towards Donnie and doesn't execute much tact when an opponent commits a foul? Walter is still well intentioned. If it wasn't for Walter, we wouldn't know the punishment for finding a stranger in the Alps, nor could we find a cheap, alternative way to transport a loved one's ashes. Walter might not have quite the same laid back attitude as The Dude, but in the end, if it doesn't work out, he just goes bowling. It can't be that important anyway.

Yet, the deeds of The Dude and Walter would not be as great without the tremendous support of their friends and enemies. Donnie is so often relegated to only contributing strikes to his bowling team and Walter's consternation. Yet, he never shows any sign of regret for hanging with these two. He rarely speaks, but when he does Walter is always there to set him straight. In Donnie's eyes there seems to so much more depth to this man, who doesn't seem to be good with confrontation, as shown when Walter pulls a gun on the lanes or when he is attacked by a group of nihilists. And even when things go south, Donnie still finds time to eat at In N' Out Burger. Then there is The Stranger, who has a striking resemblance to Sam Elliot and serves as the Greek chorus to the event's proceedings. One wonders if somewhere in the plains of Texas a similar story played out in the life of The Stranger whose own sense style reflects the community which he is from.

We also have Brant, the loyal servant of the irritable Big Lebowski, who never questions his boss, yet affords The Dude the respect of calling him by his self appointed title. What Brant's qualifications are remain unclear, and you always question his blind loyalty to this sketchy character. Yet, even at his most straight laced, Brant remains another humorous cog in the mechanism of The Dude's story. Lastly, there is the avant-garde artist and daughter of The Big Lebowski, a woman who appears against the usual Dude type. Still, any woman that can utter "vagina" with her forcefulness demands a degree of respect. Additionally, the fact she has a porno called Logjammin queued up on her television and a friend with a cleft asshole makes her a unique but also a perfect character in the story's landscape.

Of course Bunny, the nihilists, Jackie Treehorn and The Jesus have barely been mentioned. They're just other small but major influences that when mixed together create a wonderful story worthy of The Big Lebowski's legendary status. Yet, other stories and characters were deemed more worthy of Oscar than this wonderful cast. Instead, an Italian who ignores the travesty of Nazi Europe, hamming it up for the camera, was deemed far more significant. Somehow the bastardization of the man with the greatest control of the English language was also deemed worthy of Hollywood's respect, yet characters that demonstrate a remarkable command of language were deemed unsuitable. I could continue on but I'd rather just go bowling. Besides, The Dude abides.