The Varsity Center will be showing The Big Lebowski on April 20th, here is our review on the cult classic.

The Big Lebowski doesn’t take itself seriously, and anybody who watches it quickly realizes this.

For rookies who don’t know the cult classic flick, our journey begins with ‘The Dude’ or Jeff Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) being thrown head first into his own toilet by two men searching for something.

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‘The Dude’ gurgles underwater as the goon drowning him screams, “Where’s the money Lebowski!?”

But ‘The Dude’ is so chill, so nonchalant about life that he comes up for air and says to the goon, “It’s down there somewhere let me take another look.”

This is one of ‘The Dude’s’ first lines and right off the bat we can tell what we are in store for, and it isn’t a serious man.

After the two goons realize Jeff Lebowski isn’t the Lebowski they’re looking for, one pisses on The Dude’s rug and they leave in anger.

‘The Dude’ isn’t going to let this slide.

The film ends up going from one inconvenient situation to the other and that’s what gives this film both it’s hilarity and it’s erratic unpredictability.

After reconvening with his sidekick bowling buddies, Walter Sobchak (John Goodman) and Donny Kerabatsos (Steve Buscemi), who ‘The Dude’ will eventually include into the rest of his idiotic adventures, he goes and finds the real Mr. Lebowski who’s a proud but crippled millionaire.

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During their meeting, the two argue over whether The Dude is a loser or not, which ends in ‘The Dude’ stealing Mr. Lebowski’s rug.

However, ‘The Dude’ is called back to the Lebowski residence. Not for the rug, but to save Mr. Lebowski’s wife, Bunny.

The same goons who pissed on ‘The Dude’s’ rug managed to find the real Mr. Lebowski and now his wife has been kidnapped and held in exchange for ransom.

In a desperate attempt to recover his beloved wife, Mr. Lebowski pleads with ‘The Dude’ to help bring her back. Mr. Lebowski offers ‘The Dude’ a small fortune to deliver ransom money to the kidnappers and identify whether or not the people who have Bunny are the same people who pissed on his rug.

Then the plot twist ensues.

What happens when the least productive person in the world is thrown into a situation where he must act with precision and intelligence?

The Big Lebowski asks this question and the result is pure comedic gold.

The Coen Brothers who directed the film did an incredible job of creating a story where everything’s at stake and all is lost.

After the film was released it made a modest profit. It wasn’t until later until it became known as a cult classic.

The film has many avid followers that created the religion, “Dudeism” also known as The Church of the Latter-Day Dude.

According to their website, Dudeism.com, Dudeism is an ancient philosophy that advocates non-preachiness and practices as little as possible. This dogma aligns with ‘The Dude’s’ laidback and worry-free personality.

In an example of this laidback religion’s rituals is what one has to do to become an ordained Dudeist priest.

To become ordained, one simply has to answer a few general questions and press “Ordain me!”.

According to the website said over 450,000 people worldwide have been ordained.

The “Big Lebowski” uses its main character to twist apathy and indifference in an interesting way.

The film depicts ‘The Dude’ being put through the ringer with inconvenient situations; this juxtaposition of the ‘The Dude’ being forced to care is where the comedy comes from.

When you’re as lethargic as ‘The Dude’, you’re probably not aiming to watch something that takes a lot of effort to understand.

The Big Lebowski isn’t a movie that needs to be studied or torn apart to find a deeper meaning and therefore a deeper understanding.

People want something that’s inviting, easy, simple and goofy. That’s what The Big Lebowski has always been.

It’s a simple film that never fails to relax its viewer and have them fall back into laughter. To fully appreciate The Big Lebowski, you need to know who it’s centered around, ‘The Dude’.

Do as ‘The Dude’ would do take life, and the movie for what it is.

Features editor Kitt Fresa can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter at @KittFresa.

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