Many out there may be aware that some of cinema’s most iconic characters, like the titular figure from Citizen Kane and Psycho’s Norman Bates, were partially inspired by real-life figures (newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst and serial killer Ed Gein, respectively), but sometimes other, equally memorable big screen creations have been sculpted from the personality of a living individual, and not necessarily someone who is well-known to the outside world either. This is certainly the case of the Coen Brother’s much-loved, weed-toking, White Russian-fixated lead character, The Dude, from their celebrated 1997 cult classic, The Big Lebowski.
The person in question, (who can be partly attributed to the success of the film, and the reason way legions of fans attend yearly festivals dedicated to it), is a real-life gentleman (and good friend of the Coens) by the name of Jeff Dowd. Santa Monica-based, he’s been a fixture in the land of independent cinema for a long time, having written and produced a number of shorts and features, as well as working within the marketing and distribution side to the industry. He also helped with the launch of both the Sundance Institute and the subsequent Film Festival.
Having first met the Coens whilst they were in the process of sourcing distribution funds for their debut, Blood Simple (“it was a hell of a film to try and pitch”), he was shown the finished cut a couple of months later and was really impressed with it. “You see films from certain filmmakers, and five minutes in you really get what they are doing. The interesting thing about Blood Simple was every distributer passed on the film five times. We managed to get it up to the Toronto Film Festival and the thing exploded, and we had a minor bidding war going on afterwards. For the next year I worked on the distribution and marketing and that’s how I got to know Joel and Ethan.”
Although he’s fond of bowling and known in some circles, due to his political past (he was part of the infamous 70’s state-side anti-war group, The Seattle Seven) Dowd is keen to stress the difference (and similarities) between himself and his fictional counterpart. “The story is not my life. I was in the Seattle Seven, but I wasn’t a roadie for Metallica. The character’s body language is 100% me though. Jeff (Bridges) got that. How he sits, talks, goes off on tangents. I’ve always been kinda funny and weird. I asked one of my friends for his definition of The Dude, and he said ‘the holy fool full of heart’. That’s what Joel and Ethan picked up about me.”
Dowd’s interaction with the fans has sometimes yielded a bigger and more profound emotional response than he could have ever imagined. “I was at a screening one time, and this guy comes over and gives me a big hug. Turns out he was a 911 survivor and also a paramedic. The events of that day had turned him into a basket case. What brought him out of it was putting on the DVD one night, where he told me he laughed for the first time in six months. I’m still in touch with him now.”
He’s also found that love for the film can come from the unlikeliest of places. “I’ve had an Iraq veteran tell me that he and his circle of friends watch the movie every month, and I’ve met families who choose to watch it over It’s a Wonderful Life at Christmastime. I find that incredible.”
Like many film which find a later longevity, The Big Lebowski can definitely be categorised as a slow burner. Coming off the Oscar-winning success of Fargo two years earlier, the Coens abstract, sometimes surreal attempt at a neo-noir failed to initially connect with cinemagoers and performed poorly at the U.S. box office, receiving mixed reviews. It’s not the easiest sell, as Dowd acknowledges. “The film was problematic for an audience at first, sure. It doesn’t have a normal arc, or a three-act structure, and it has more of an existential atmosphere, particularly the ending. Upon second viewing, I think audiences really got it, as they weren’t going in there with any expectations. For me, it’s essentially a musical, and I think the reason why the movie is so appreciated is that it’s made up of some truly incredible sequences throughout. It’s like a good drug – you know you’re gonna feel better after you’ve watched it.”
Even though his days as a political activist are well behind him, Dowd is clearly someone who has a positive perspective on life and is still passionate about extolling those virtues. “Fans tell me they like the way The Dude tells it like it is. What they (the Coens) captured in the character is that rebellious side, and how he stands by his friends. In this time with the world how it is, and all the financial issues, we’re gonna need to stick together and one of the solutions is making sure we don’t lose sight of friends and family and making an effort to support one another.”
Not the most subtle of messages perhaps, but one we could all benefit in abiding by a little.
The Big Lebowski is on Blu-ray now.
You can check out Dowd’s own website, and a short film has also recently been made about him, called (unsurprisingly) The Dude.
