The Dude Abides - Kate Shore's Homage to Jeffrey Lebowski
Enjoy Kate's joyful tribute to the hero we all need.
Jess says: I first met Kate at her wedding to my favourite homie Bryan. She’d had a Shakesperean introduction from my bestie, Em: “She’s one of us,” she’d told me on the phone, with zeal.
“One of us” meant the kind of creative, quick-witted sister who would regale us with tales of teenage hijinks that rivalled our own. I fell in love with her the moment she shared the time she and her friend cooked a full roast dinner at 3 a.m. to accompany their movie watching - she’d just spoken my life goals out loud.
Kate is an important talent. She’ll get all squirmy with me saying this as she’s not an asshole, but as a musician and songwriter and as an artist - she has an energy, a style, a distinct and interesting take on life all informed with this vintage sensibility.
I am so proud to be able to share her work with all of you. And for more Kate - follow her on Instagram, follow her band The Baby Seals, or check out more of her art.
Kate says:
When “The Big Lebowski” came out in ‘98, me and my friend Abby went to see it at the cinema at Brighton Marina - we loved it, and came out of the cinema right opposite the bowling alley (Bowlplex as it was in the 90s), which seemed too perfect. I went as Valkyrie Maude to a fancy dress party once, spray painting colanders for breast armour & a dress gold, which then chafed my pits like fuck.
Has there ever been a film with better peripheral characters? Turturro as Jesus is incredible.
Jesus Quintana : Are you ready to be fucked, man? I see you rolled your way into the semis. Dios mio, man. Liam and me, we’re gonna fuck you up.
The Dude : Yeah, well, you know, that’s just like, uh, your opinion, man.
Sam Elliott is deliciously twinkly as The Stranger, our narrator. Julianne Moore perfect as avant garde hip artist Maude. Hoffman’s ill at ease fawning as Brandt is a total joy. And that barely scratches the surface.
The music and cinematography are beautiful and highly imaginative and the story rolls along at such a beautiful effortless pace. Everything about this film is glorious, like a fine rug...
Jeff Bridges was made for the role of loveable drop out The Dude, apparently using his own clothes for The Dude’s wardrobe, which only makes me love him more.
When the film first came out, I remember the dude writing a cheque for milk in the supermarket resonating with me, at the time I’d routinely buy a pint of milk on switch at my local Safeway, in order to get a large amount of cash back to the chagrin of the checkout staff…A man of simple pleasures and a kind heart, Jeffrey Lebowski is a countercultural Taoist hero.
The world needs more Dude.