I’ll cut right to the chase on this one: There is a line in The Big Lebowski that has haunted me since one of my first viewings. After The Dude has encountered the “real” Lebowski, he’s given a beeper so that he can resolve the Bunny kidnapping with the rug-pee-ers, if the need should arise. Sitting in the bowling alley and chatting with Walter about this development, he has this exchange
On the page, it might look something like this:
Dude: They gave dude a beeper, yeah? So whenever these guys call…
Walter: What if it’s during a game?
Dude: Oh, I told them, if it was during league play…
Donny: What’s during league play?
Walter: Life does not stop and start at your convenience you miserable piece of shit.
It’s that last line that is the source of this mystery. Most people will watch this scene or read the above dialogue and instantly conclude that, of course, Walter is talking to Donny. Donny has been known to interrupt conversations constantly, which is a source of constant rage for Walter. Walter’s usual rejoinder to Donny is “You’re out of your element,” or “Shut the fuck up, Donny.”
I will argue that he’s NOT talking to Donny, that he is, in fact, referring to the other Lebowski and his associates.
Here are arguments for both sides:
Arguments in favor of “Walter is directing the line towards Donny”:
- Donny did, in fact, interrupt their conversation
- Walter has been known to get pissed off when Donny interrupts
- Walter says the line almost immediately after Donny interrupts
- Based on the actual content of the line, Walter could easily be referring to the fact that Donny is interrupting their conversation
Arguments in favor of “Walter is directing the line towards the rich(er) Lebowski and Co.”:
- During the beginning parts of the exchange, Walter appears to be lost in thought, gazing off into space. His “Shut the fuck up, Donny” towards the beginning of the conversation is one of his most sedate ones yet.
- Walter typically uses “Shut the fuck up, Donny,” and “you’re out of your element” to chasten Donny. This is the first, and perhaps only, instance in which he uses another phrase for this purpose.
- “Shut the fuck up Donny” and “you’re out of your element” are almost second-nature to Walter at this point. They are, in some ways, affectionate expressions. The idea that Walter would call Donny a “miserable piece of shit” seems out of character.
- Conversely, Walter reserves much of his rage during this exchange for the upper class of society and, in particular, Bunny Lebowski. His anger seems more directed towards them, and thus, this line could easily be aimed at taking them down a notch.
- Walter strongly values league play and disdains the people who gave The Dude the beeper. Hence, “life does not start and stop at your convenience” is a stern warning that anyone who messes with league play is messing with Walter.
To me, this convincingly makes the case that Walter is in fact referring to Bunny and her associates. But there are no easy answers when it comes to mysteries as deep as these.
What do you guys think about this extremely important distinction? Either way, I don’t think it’s nearly as cut-and-dried as people think.