Last March, during an open-forum chat between visitors of the Washington Postยs Web site and the author of yet another book on why todayยs young men donยt have the same ambitions as their fathers, a 26-year-old declared, ยTodayยs hero is not the blazing, iconoclastic industrialist of Ayn Rand, but the slacking, chilled-out Dude of The Big Lebowski.ย The protagonist of the Coen Brothers film, the Dude (Jeff Bridges) ย a man whoยs happy bowling, recalling a long-gone counterculture and wearing pajama pants all day ย has become a hero to a generation burnt out or disillusioned by the rat race.
Thereยs plenty of other reasons 1998ยs The Big Lebowski became a cult hit: the surreal dream sequences, the eccentric supporting characters (played by the likes of John Goodman, Steve Buscemi and Julianne Moore), and the what-the-fuck plot involving kidnapping, mistaken identity and a urine-stained rug. But stuff like that can be found in the average Coen Brothers film. (Now, thatยs an oxymoron.) The Big Lebowski stands out even in the brothersย acclaimed catalogue because of the Dudeยs status as a generational icon, up there with Randle McMurphy or Tom Joad. 11:55 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The River Oaks Theatre, 2009 West Gray. For tickets and information, call 713-866-8881 or visit www.landmarktheatres.com. $8.25.
Sun., Dec. 28, 11:55 p.m.; Mon., Dec. 29, 11:55 p.m., 2008
This article appears in Dec 27, 2007 – Jan 2, 2008.