The document discusses elements of comedy characters and two comedy films, The Big Lebowski and A Fish Called Wanda. It analyzes whether the main characters, The Dude and Archie, undergo a character arc or change over the course of the film's hero's journey. It also examines whether the characters have interesting subtext, blind obsessions driving their desires, and if the writers developed the characters with care. The document provides discussion questions to analyze these elements of the characters and films.

1. COMEDY and a Full Arch of Experience

2. The Comic Character
• His/her desire against forces of antagonism is
marked by a blind obsession.
• Crackling wits such as Moliere, Shakespeare,
Wilde, Chaplin assigned characters a
“humour” – fixations that the protagonists do
not see.

3. Jeff Bridges as The Dude
The Big Lebowski 1998
Cohen Brothers, Writer/Directors)
Genre: COMEDY
Dude Lebowski, mistaken for a
millionaire Lebowski, seeks
restitution for his ruined rug and
enlists his bowling buddies to help
get it back.” (From IMDB)
Costars: John Goodman, Julianne
Moore, Steve Buscemi, Philip
Seymore Hoffman, John Turturro.

4. WATCH FOR:
• Does the Dude make a full character arch? Does he become
changed/more powerful after a hero’s journey?
• Does Dude have an interesting and complex subtext?
• Can we analyze Dude as he pursues desire against forces of
antagonism? Does he have a blind obsession?
• Does “Electronic Encoding” ie camera, lights, sound,
enhance the performance.
• Do the writers leave room for/love the character?
• Can we detect improv? How about blind obsessions?
NO
NO
YES
MAYBE
YES
Y Y
YES

5. John Cleese as Archie Leach
A Fish Called Wanda, 1998
Cleese/Crichton, Writer/Directors)
Genre: COMEDY
“A comedy about Sex, Murder, and
Seafood.” Characters team up to
commit armed robbery, then try to
doublecross each other for the loot.”
Ensemble: John Cleese, Jamie Lee
Curtis, Michael Palin, Kevin Kline

6. WATCH FOR:
• Does Archie make a full character arch? Does he
change/become more powerful after a hero’s journey?
How/When?
• Does Archie have an interesting and complex backstory?
• Can we analyze Archie as he pursues desire against forces of
antagonism? What is his blind obsession? Other characters?
• Do the writers leave room for/love the character?
• Can we detect improv? Electronic encoding?
• See signs as per the Pressure Cooker of Cultural Codes?