Jeff Bridges, John Goodman & Steve Buscemi reminisce about working on The Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski is my favourite movie. It is many people’s favourite movie. In fact, it is dearly beloved to massive a legion of fans and to such an extent that there is actually a religion spun off the back of it. If that doesn’t define a success then, excuse me, but what the hell does?
Falsely dubbed a stoner comedy over in the States, there is more depth to The Big Lebowski than just about any successful movie ever made. The multitudes to the everyday, gutter ball mania on display is boundless. It touches upon the history of America, the changing hands of cultural tides, aggression and nihilism, failed revolutions and the voice of Bob Dylan.
It is, in short, a cinematic examination of our absurd human comedy where the hero is just a man trying to get by, caught up in the shitstorm of happenstance and false opportunity. To take all that in requires a few viewings. Thus, it perhaps comes as little surprise that even the actors who poured over the script were taken aback when the ball kept rolling and knocking over new fans long after its release.
That is not to say that they weren’t impressed by the script or proud of the work, but who the hell would expect a film to spawn a religion? Especially one that was hardly a strike upon release! As John Goodman said, “[When I first read the script] I thought it was hysterical.” And that’s the beauty of it, above all else, it is a simple laugh riot and a field day for irreverent entertainment—it just so happens to be laden with oodles of depth and levity levied profundity.
Jeff Bridges seconded that notion. When recalling the moment he delved into the dynamic script for the first time, he said: “The writing really just showed. Right on the page, it felt like it improvisational.” Hence why many people thought the naturalistic mayhem of the constant interjecting ‘Pee’d on your rug’ scene was cooked up on the spot. “No man, we stuck to it,” Bridges said of their appreciation of the script, “It was like music, you wanted to put the notes right where the guys put it.”
In the beautiful clip below, one thing that stands out – whether intended or not – is how perfectly the actors retain the character dynamics of the script. John Goodman takes the talkative lead ala Walter, Jeff ‘The Dude’ Bridges softly chirps in, while Steve Buscemi is as quiet and unassuming as our dearly beloved Donny, god rest his soul.
