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Biff Tannen

By Biff Tannen
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Rimbo

Rimbo 25,707

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4 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

I’ve rewatched with this theory in mind. It doesn’t work out. 

No. The whole sad story about Donny is that they don't really ever acknowledge him. He's not an imaginary friend, he's a guy that occasionally intrudes into their self-absorbed lives, and that's the only time they ever really react to him. It's really sad that he's just... there. And when Walter delivers his eulogy, it's clear how little they knew about him, and how little they really cared about anything going on in his life.

He's only imaginary in that it was such a one-way friendship. Donny imagined that Walter and The Dude were his friends, but they really weren't very good friends for him at all.

if you need to drink heavily after reading that, feel free

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Biff Tannen

Biff Tannen 45,439

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2 hours ago, Rimbo said:

No. The whole sad story about Donny is that they don't really ever acknowledge him. He's not an imaginary friend, he's a guy that occasionally intrudes into their self-absorbed lives, and that's the only time they ever really react to him. It's really sad that he's just... there. And when Walter delivers his eulogy, it's clear how little they knew about him, and how little they really cared about anything going on in his life.

He's only imaginary in that it was such a one-way friendship. Donny imagined that Walter and The Dude were his friends, but they really weren't very good friends for him at all.

if you need to drink heavily after reading that, feel free

I disagree.  I think they most of the time ignored Donny, but in the end, they were good friends.  I always assumed there was a lot of backstory that wasn't told about their past, hence the stuff about surfing.  When Donny got shot, Walter was genuinely concerned.  And I thought the eulogy was beautiful.  Clearly he didn't have any other family, so The Dude and Walter were it.  Goodnight Sweet Prince.

Edited by Biff Tannen
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Rimbo

Rimbo 25,707

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33 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

I disagree.  I think they most of the time ignored Donny, but in the end, they were good friends.  I always assumed there was a lot of backstory that wasn't told about their past, hence the stuff about surfing.  When Donny got shot, Walter was genuinely concerned.  And I thought the eulogy was beautiful.  Clearly he didn't have any other family, so The Dude and Walter were it.  Goodnight Sweet Prince.

I think the bit about surfing was just Walter bloviating as he struggled to remember anything about him. And how does he end it? He makes it about 'Nam. And then The Dude, what does he do? He yells at Walter. About Walter. And he really has nothing to say about Donny at all, through the entire movie, INCLUDING that scene. 

And then they go bowling. Without their partner.

I mean, I see where the whole "Donny is imaginary" thing comes from, because the characters barely acknowledge him. But it's not that he's imaginary; it's just really that sad that his only friends in the world are too wrapped up in their own assholes to care about him.

 

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futureman

futureman 22,384

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4 hours ago, Rimbo said:

it's just really that sad that his only friends in the world are too wrapped up in their own assholes to care about him.

you're really hung up on this.  a group of guys may treat one of their friends like shit all the time and it doesn't mean they don't genuinely care about them.

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Texzilla588

Texzilla588 767

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I’ve rewatched with this theory in mind. It doesn’t work out. 

I heard this first from a doc where the three actors are in a bar discussing the film. Buscemi brings it up, and they consider it. They finally show a single scene where the dude speaks to him. I haven’t rewatched trying to prove or disprove.
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Biff Tannen

Biff Tannen 45,439

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Just now, Texzilla588 said:


I heard this first from a doc where the three actors are in a bar discussing the film. Buscemi brings it up, and they consider it. They finally show a single scene where the dude speaks to him. I haven’t rewatched trying to prove or disprove.

There are multiple scenes where they talk directly to him and he’s in the conversation.  If it takes another viewing to finally put the nail in the coffin of this theory, I’m not against it. 
 

 

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Texzilla588

Texzilla588 767

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The imaginary folks think he’s either a fallen soldier from Walter’s time in Nam (we don’t know if Walter is really a veteran) or Walter’s conscience. “Shut up Donnie!”

I said I didn’t agree with it. I think the fact the Dude barely speaks to him in the movie is just the Dude. The real kicker is his death; those were real ashes from his body that blew all over Lebowski.

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WelfareBuysMyWeed

WelfareBuysMyWeed 5,385

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In college, a bunch of my friends invited me to a Big Lebowski convention where everyone was gonna dress up like the dude and other characters. I told them I had never seen the movie before and they immediately made me sit down and watch it. That was over 20 years ago now, and I must have seen this a hundred times since. All time great, I crack up every time John Goodman dumps Donny's ashes all over The Dude.

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