6. The Dude
The Big Lebowski
What would happen if Raymond Chandler wrote The Big Sleep and instead of Philip Marlowe you had some stoner stuck in the late 70s looking for a new rug? You'd have The Big Lebowski. Actually you wouldn't, because The Big Lebowski is a disabled multi-millionare who lost his legs to some Chinaman in Korea. I'm not talking about Jeffrey Lebowski. I'm talking about The Dude. That's what you call him. That or His Dudeness, Duder, El Duderino (if you're not into the whole brevity thing).
A case of mistaken identity (and a micturated piece of furniture) spins The Dude's life out of control, as the otherwise easygoing toker is thrust into a world of porn kings, trophy wives, and nihilists. At the center of a kidnapping mystery, The Dude is abused and pushed into everything without even a fucking second thought. But, to Dude's credit, he takes all of it with stride. Keeping a mostly cool head even when Walter goes over the edge or facing an angry wet marmot.
To say The Dude is an original character is an understatement, there was never anything like Jeff Bridges lovable stoner and there probably never will be again. The Dude does his own thing and doesn't let anyone stop him. To put it bluntly, The Dude abides.
Defining moment: To say there is a moment in The Big Lebowski that actually defines The Dude would be impossible. Nothing can accurately define him. To find one specific moment to peg him to? That shit would be decidedly un-Dude.
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