Film

Are You Ready To Roll?

Lebowski Fest is back in New York with the Dude and his cohorts

by Sarah Shanok   |   Aug 31, 2009

Are You Ready To Roll?

Fans of The Big Lebowski dress up as the Dude

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In 1998 Jeff Bridges became the epitome of cool when he starred in the Coen brothers comedy, The Big Lebowski, playing anti-hero Jeffrey Lebowski better known as the “Dude.” The iconic character, an unemployed, simple-living stoner, regularly outfitted in Ray-Bans, a worn bathrobe, a v-neck tee, boxers and jellies, whiles away his days doing not much more than the usual. “I bowl. Drive around. The occasional acid flashback.” he plainly recites. Nothing especially inspirational, but nevertheless, Bridge’s Dude has become an emblem worth celebrating for legions of fans.

Though not a commercial success, due in part to the film’s convoluted plot, The Big Lebowski and its cast of captivating Dude-like characters—most notably John Goodman’s religiously observant Vietnam vet Walter Sobchak, Steve Buscemi’s doomed dimwit Donny, Julianne Moore’s affected avant-garde artist Maude and John Turturro’s Gipsy King-fueled pederass, bowler Jesus Quintana—manages to draw a devoted cult following. In 2002, friends and Lebowski enthusiasts Will Russell and Scott Shuffitt, seeking to mingle with fellow fans, founded Lebowski Fest, begun as a small bowling party in Louisville, Kentucky. Eight years later, the fest has grown to attract 4,000 “Achievers”—fans’ self-proclaimed homage to the real “Big” Lebowski’s underprivileged youth charity, the “Little Lebowski Urban Achievers”—compelled to dress as their favorite character or movie moment, at each of the 14 U.S. cities visited.

On Tuesday September 22, Lebowski Fest brings the Dude and his cohorts to New York at Terminal 5. Relive the film that brought Chinaman back into the vernacular, while acknowledging it’s not the preferred nomenclature; showed us what ferrets are really capable of when controlled by German nihilists; defended the lengths one goes to just to regain a stolen rug that really tied the room together; and highlighted life’s simple pleasures, like pausing to sip on a Sioux City Sarsaparilla with a stranger.

The screening begins with a video introduction from Jeff Bridges, the Dude himself, and live, original music—with a few Lebowski movie tune covers too—from southern rockers Black Diamond Heavies. Expect White Russians aplenty and unrestrained crowd participation.

And if you’re still jonesing for some more Lebowski, live the movie live when the fest continues Wednesday and Thursday with two nights of bowling, split between Manhattan’s Lucky Strike and the Brooklyn Bowl. Don’t be an amateur! Don your best Dude duds, defend your fandom in trivia contests, and flaunt your skills on the lanes. Lebowski Fest offers something for everyone, even those of us who don’t roll on Shabbos!