There are uptight folks out there who don't get it, but they will. Or not.

Rating: 10/10 (11 June 2014)

For fun, I wondered who would give this film a no star. I find it fascinating that when I see a great film and others see a terrible one, a Battlefield Earth, what causes the discrepancy? Is it perhaps they're humorless or lack the capacity to "get it?" The investigation was interesting. The reviewers seemed articulate much of the time and not mere trolls. Yet, they hated the Dude. The whole thing. Every character. They were bored. They felt it was stupid.
So perhaps here's why a few people can't "get" the Dude: They just don't like him. They didn't like the characters. The nihilists ordering "piggie in the blankets" or a Vietnam vet whose converted to Judaism and watches his ex-wife's dog. The film has a wonderful backstory that invites you to fill in the gaps with similar characters in your own life and fiction. It's full of rich details but if you don't like one, or more, of the characters, then it's like listening to colleagues you dislike at work prattle on about their facebook posts. They don't get it and don't care and just want to leave.
The genius of the film is that many people who don't see the humor on the first viewing a few years later see it again, perhaps on TV as their spouse or friend is watching it, and realize: "I missed that the first time around. That's pretty funny and insightful." Then they watch some more. Then more. Then they're hooked.
The Dude is not for the faint of heart. You would NOT want the Dude to move in with you. He'd burn down the house because he forgot to turn off the oven but, hey, stop being so fascist about it will ya? But even if you want some distance between you and him, you come to love him and his troupe of characters that are simultaneously stereotypes, both in fiction and real life, and at the same time unique characters in their own right. The Dude says you need to stop being so uptight, relax, and get it. Or not. And when someone gets uptight and doesn't get it, they don't get it. And they are the ones who write 0 star reviews of this film on IMDb.
A few years down the road, they'll have a few drinks in them and relax and watch it and then they'll change. Maybe they'll fix their 0 star IMDb review. Maybe they'll apologize to the Dude but the Dude is OK with that. He has far more important things to do.