Classic Movie

'Shut the f*ck up, Donny!'

The Big Lebowski (1998)

The plot: A laidback-to-the-point-of-comatose pacifist who “bowls, drives around and enjoys the odd acid flashback” becomes a victim of mistaken identity resulting in his rug getting soiled by a binch of hired nihilists goons looking to accost his namesake, the Pasadena millionaire, Jeff Lebowski.
When The Dude (see above) innocently tries to get a new rug from Lebowski, he and his dysfunctional ex-Nam buddy, Walter Sobchak (John Goodman), find themselves at the centre of a plot of extortion, kidnap and embezzlement, and handle the situation the only way they can – by being them.

	Every scene Walter’s in fizzes out of control the way you’d imagine Stan Collymore does in a busy car park. It’s just superb

So what happens? The Dude abides. Despite being surrounded by marmet-loving nihilists, a shouting, broody feminist and the unerring fuck-up that is Sobchak, The Dude remains impossibly laidback at all times. He goes to the supermarket in his bathrobe, pays for White Russians with his chequebook, listens to bowling matches on his walkman and reacts to freaks breaking into his apartment with the simple retort: ‘Hey, this is like, a private residence man.’

Why’s it a classic? The Dude’s cardigans and Sobchak’s short temper is enough for us to bestow "classic" status. In tandem they’re the best characters the Coens have ever created. Sam Eliott’s laboured, apathetic voiceover cowboy runs in perfect symphony, Steve Buscemi’s Donny is brilliant and every scene Walter’s in fizzes out of control the way you’d imagine Stan Collymore does in a busy car park. It’s just superb. Trippy links, a sublime soundtrack, Jesus cleaning his bowling ball, it’s just all good and mad funny whether consumed stoned or otherwise. Unmitigated genius.

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A profile of Walter

CAN GET HOLD OF BODY PARTS

“You want  a toe? I can get you a toe, believe me. There are ways, Dude. You don’t wanna know about it, believe me.”

SMASHES UP CORVETTES

[Destroying one] “Do you see what happens, Larry? Do you see what happens when you fuck a stranger in the ass!”

TAKES LEAGUE BOWLING SERIOUSLY

[Reckons Smokey has put his foot over the line during a league match.] “Smokey, this is not ‘Nam. This is bowling. There are rules.”