MovieChat Forums > The Big Lebowski (1998) Discussion > What does the Dude do for money.

What does the Dude do for money.


It's clean the Dude don't work. How does the dude pay for bills. Maybe he's got a trust fund of money in the bank because I'm sure bowling, gas and where he's living ain't free.

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Hmmm..early draft of the film suggested the Dude was the heir to the inventor of Rubik's cube; they decided early on to just keep it deliberately obscure, and not reveal how the Dude manages to pay his bills.

In real life the ACTUAL Dude.. Jeff 'the Dude' Dowd, a friend of the Coen brothers on whom the character is based -- is an independent film producer.

Sometimes fires don't go out when you're done playin' with them.

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I'm really glad that was cut.

Because if they made it clear they The Dude was financially secure or actually wealthy, he'd actually be a bit less sympathetic. As it is, there's always a little fear for him, that he's somehow managing to scrape some sort of life for himself together, and that by getting involved in the affairs of the great and terrible might upset the balance of his marginal life and tip him into misery or poverty or friendlessness. Well, that's how I see him.

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I like to think that he sells weed and probably has a connection from Humboldt.

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He helps his special lady friends conceive, man. That's why he still jerks off manually. That's why he took Maude's rug.

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"he still jerks off manually"

Is there another way, an app or something?

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the ladies do it digitally

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The Dude would do anything for money; but he won't do THAT.

Or my isn't name...

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Did you ever watched American Beauty?

You can do a correlation to this movie because both talk about the living dream of the masses.

While i think The Dude is a dream for our younger generations (18-30), Lester Burnham is for your older generations (45-65).

Basically they both want to enjoy life at the best they possibly can, they are against materialism and they both have a life that is practically impossible in the modern society.

But is a good dream, a dream that i once had... cry every night!

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What about those 31-44 range?

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Doomed!

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Since we're talking about the 90s, the age range 31-44 is covered by Seinfeld.

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Do they receive some money from winning bowling tourneys? It's likely not much, but between that and his landlord being too docile to demand rent, that could explain a few things. Outside of that, I imagine he takes odds and ends jobs as it seems he's willing to take part in some crazy schemes for a little cash.

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People in the Dude's position would do anything. They would have to. That includes illegal though I don't mean to imply he's a career criminal. Far from it. He just might cut a corner or two when it comes to being on the up-and-up at all times. Again there is no other way.

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He probably receives some sort of unemployment benefits.

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The Dude works for Kramerica.

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he did some roadie work at some point ?

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Maybe he was a roadie for the Eagles? Maybe that's why he hates them?

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