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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Marcus Bautista
The Big Lebowski found little success at the box office, but its outsize characters and witty dialogue eventually won the slacker comedy about the Dude and his defiled rug an army of superfans, known as Achievers. They gather annually at Lebowski Fest in Louisville, Kentucky, with satellite events held all over. One such acolyte is St. Louisan Marcus Bautista, who’s a dead ringer for John Goodman. He won the trophy for best Walter Sobchak costume at this year’s Louisville celebration and hopes to bring a fest to St. Louis.
Were you hooked the first time you saw the movie? It grew the more I saw it. Each time, it seemed to get better. In my circle of friends, we found ourselves quoting it more and more. The more people who saw it, the more who got into it and would quote it.
When did you start dressing up as Walter? I had never really had anyone mention my resemblance to John Goodman until I moved to the St. Louis area. People would point in bars. Then my friend, Christopher Galli, suggested I start dressing as the best Goodman character ever, Walter Sobchak. That was at his Halloween party, I believe in 2011.
When was your first trip to Lebowski Fest? After I started dressing up at local street fairs and the Midwest Mayhem, I realized how popular the response was. People would stop. They would be very polite and say, “Hey, can I get a picture?” You would meet great people. Anyone who really likes the movie is fun to talk to, has a great sense of humor, easygoing. So I found myself wanting to get deeper into it. That’s when I decided to go to my first fest, in July 2013.
You won the award for best Walter at this year’s Louisville event. I got the trophy on my mantle right now, and I’m still aglow from a wonderful weekend. Every time you go to a fest, whether it’s Louisville or anywhere in the country, you meet just the greatest and funnest people.
You and some fellow Achievers threw a Lebowski party here in July, hoping to attract a regional fest. How did it go? Great. We had a bunch of Nihilists who showed up. There were a couple of Maudes and one or two Walters. At some point, I decided St. Louis is ripe for the picking. You’ve got a bowling background, blue-collar union workers, beer. It’s time for it to come to St. Louis. We had a really good turnout. It was a big hit.
Do you have a favorite character? Of course it’s Walter, although Jesus [Quintana] is a close second. He’s a lot of fun to quote. The Jesuses we get at the festivals are a lot of fun. There was an interpretation of a Jesus who won this year, and it wasn’t the classic pederast Chino bowler. It was the actual savior. He had the hair, the thorny crown. His robe was Jesus-like, but yet it had printed on the back, “Property of Chino Correctional Facility.” The irreverence of the characters is what we focus on, not the seriousness of it.
What about a favorite quote? Well, I get requested “Over the line!” or “Shut the f—k up, Donnie!” People love to hear me say that, because I do have a deep, booming voice like Walter. But the Dude’s lines are really good, too. “Careful, man, there’s a beverage here.” You’re in a crowded bowling alley—you can use that just about any time you want.
What else happens at the festivals, besides the costume contest? Friday night is bands and then the movie viewing party. The next day is usually the bowling, trivia contest, and costume contest in a bowling alley. You’ll be there for four or five hours. They have specials on Caucasians and Oat Sodas. Then they also act out scenes. When you see a character who your character interacts with, people will always be stopping you for pictures.
Anything else? In Louisville, in the afternoon, they also have a garden party, where there are games. You try to hit the Dude in the forehead with a coffee mug. Or they have an inflatable woman who you try to throw up with a sheet and have her land in this target.
People come from all over for this. The longest trip this year was from India. The hardest journey was a Jewish fellow who actually stayed in the Israeli army an extra year so he could afford to come out this year for the Lebowski Fest. . They both got trophies. Everyone was just smiling from ear to ear about that.
It’s heartwarming, the Dude bringing people together. Absolutely. It’s such a positive thing. It’s a silly movie with some messages, but what it’s done for me is far more than made me laugh. I’ve gotten a really core group of friends who I’ll treasure until the day I die.
