There are enough drugs and alcohol in The Big Lebowski to feed a horde of hungry hippies. For the most part, they're there to develop The Dude's character. And to make The Big Lebowski one of the greatest stoner films of all time.
Anyone who treats his weed and alcohol as though they were his best friends is probably a "problem user" of substances, but The Big Lebowski isn't too worried about the destructiveness of The Dude's habits. In this film, drugs and alcohol are played for laughs. The Dude seems to be getting by just fine despite all of the weed and White Russians, if everyone else would just let him be.
Questions about Drugs and Alcohol
- Does The Dude's substance use affect his judgment about things?
- Why did the Coens avoid including hard drugs like heroin or amphetamines in The Dude's repertoire?
- Are there times when The Dude's drug use seems dangerous?
Chew on This
The Dude is never sober in The Big Lebowski, and this may be what makes him such a brilliant sleuth.
The film gives mixed messages about whether the stoner life is useless or if it's preferable to being a self-important achiever.