The Dude Arrives Each year, the quirky Lebowski Fest draws thousands of fans obsessed with the Coen Brothers film The Big Lebowski (1998), which starred Jeff Bridges as a laid-back Californian known as “the Dude.” Bombarded with requests from Chicagoans, the organizers decided to hold their tenth-anniversary kickoff event here; it runs March 7th to 9th, with an already sold-out screening at the Portage Theater, plus parties at Waveland Bowl and a costume contest (for info, lebowskifest.com).

THE FANS

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU SEEN THE MOVIE?

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE TAO OF THE DUDE?
HAVE YOU ADOPTED ANY LEBOWSKI-ISMS?
FAVORITE LINE
Brian Asner, 27, marketing researcher, Humboldt Park Twenty-five or 30  [Whether they like the movie] is a good indication of whether I get along with people. For a long time, I was calling my girlfriend my “special lady friend.” “Say what you want about the tenets of National Socialism. At least it’s an ethos.”
Erica Pyle, 28, library employee, St. Louis area Several dozen  In certain times, it reminds me to take ‘er easy. Just go with the flow. There aren’t a lot of “dudes” being thrown around at the library. “[Expletive] fascists.”
Tom Esterline, 43, landscaper and bartender, Indianapolis More than 100 The Dude’s at peace with himself. All this shit happens to him, and he just moves on. I think that’s pretty cool. At the bar I work at, everyone refers to me as “the Dude.” Whenever anybody thanks me, I say, “The Dude abides.”
Jim Ekins, 44, “ski bum,” Cooma, Australia More than 100  The Dude himself is the American people, doing what he’s told. Australia’s very casual. Rather than “dude,” we use the word “mate” a lot. “Let’s go bowling, Dude.”
Dan Prall, 67, retired  chemist, Carrollton, Tex. Roughly 50 Every man, if he’s got any sense, would want to live like the Dude. I call a lot of people “dude.” I’ve gotten into that habit. There are so many great lines. You can live your life quoting The Big Lebowski.