Every time I'm in a bad mood or need a pick-me up, the Big Lebowski invariably gets popped into the VCR, DVD player and these days streamed from Netflix or my own personal collection. I still have the 4x3 version believe it or not. I'm sure I'll eventually purchase the fully restored, letterboxed 15th anniversary Blu Ray when it comes out next year.

It is a joy to watch and gets better with repeated viewings. The more you watch it the more nuances, real and imagined,  come to light. From John Tuturo as The Jesus, Peter Stomare, Flea and Torsten Vorges as the nihilists, I find the supporting cast gets funnier and more flawed. The fact remains that everyone in the movie, no matter how small their part, brought their A game and made the most of the few minutes they were given.

The fact that it has become one of the most popular cult films of this past decade, spawning drinking games, festivals, Halloween costumes, college dissertations and books by academics that shuttle between serious and absurd -- does not diminish the impact or likability of this movie. Primarily because we all want to be Jeffrey Lebowski, the dude happy in his own skin.

And as we all know, "The Dude Abides"