10 hit movies you didn’t know were based on real stories
‘The Big Lebowski’
While the hit Coen Brothers film tells a fictional story, its titular character, Jeffrey Lebowski (Jeff Bridges), was inspired by a real person, Jeff Dowd. Joel and Ethan Coen met Dowd when he helped distribute their first film, 1984’s Blood Simple. Much like Lebowski, Dowd was a member of the anti-war group, The Seattle Seven, and referred to himself as “The Dude.”
Julianne Moore’s character, Maude, was based on experimental visual and performance artist Carolee Schneemann, known for her multimedia pieces on the body, sexuality, and gender. A barbecue at the home of screenwriting consultant and film professor Peter Exline — a friend of the Coens — was the source of the Walter Sobchak (John Goodman) quote, “Doesn’t this rug really tie the room together?” Exline also provided them with the tidbit about finding a child’s homework in his car after it had been stolen.