Dude, Where's My Car? is a 2000 comedy film directed by Danny Leiner, starring Ashton Kutcher and Seann William Scott.
It is about the journey of two young men named Jesse (Kutcher) and Chester (Scott) to find their stolen car and figure out what happened the night before after waking up with a whole refrigerator full of pudding. This is the least unusual thing that happens in the story. It is a stoner film, although technically only one of the film's characters, a dog, is seen smoking marijuana. But they are referred to as stoners, and their alter egos are allegedly Johnny Potsmoker and Smokey McPot, respectively. The shenanigans they get into were also directly related to them being blazed out of their minds.
The film received poor reviews from critics, but was a modest box-office success, and has developed a large cult following, especially after its DVD and home video release.
The title of the film, originally a reference to The Big Lebowski, has become a benchmark of popular culture of the time of its release. It is referenced widely in many different situations, an example being Dude, Where's My Country?, the title of a political book by Michael Moore criticizing the way Bush was leading America in the aftermath of 9/11.
Not even this website is immune. For the trope for situations where characters misplace their motor vehicles, see Dude, Where's Our Car?. It also inspired the names of two other tropes, Dude, Where's My Respect? and Dude, Where's My Reward?.
"Dude, where are my tropes?" "Where are your tropes, dude?"
- Aerith and Bob: "My name is Zarnoff. This is Zabu, Zellner, Zelbor, Zelmina and Jeff." Caption: "Jeff".
- Arc Words: The Continuum Transfunctioner is a very mysterious and powerful device.
- And its mystery is only exceeded by its power.
- Asian Rudeness: At a drive-through.
- Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: Attack of the Giant Woman in this case. The Alien Jumpsuit Chicks merge into her and she tries to kill Jesse and Chester.
- Bait-and-Switch: The "gender challenged male" stripper threatens Jesse and Chester when the police arrive. The guys laugh and point at him/her, thinking they've come to arrest him/her. But then the police handcuff the guys.
- Big Damn Kiss: A very big one between Jesse and Chester, trying to one-up Fabio and his date.
- Big Good: The two Nordic guys, the true keepers of The Continuum Transfunctioner. They stop it from destroying the universe at the end.
- Bilingual Bonus: The written name of the Chinese restaurant translates into the phrase "and then".
- Booze-Based Buff: Apparently during their wild night of drinking and getting high, Jesse and Chester managed to score a hole in one at the eighteenth hole during a game of mini-golf and win a lifetime supply of pudding.
- Boss Subtitles: The Super Hot Giant Alien gets these upon her introduction into the story.
- Breast Expansion: The end after the two leads give the alien necklaces to their girlfriends. The girls are happy about their increase and no moral is provided. Notably, the necklaces appear to be reusable. The Super Hot Giant Alien's breasts also balloon out while she's transforming, complete with sound effect.
- Broken Record: "And then?"
- Burger Fool: Jesse and Chester work for a pizzeria that it's a wonder that they don't get fired from. Their beleaguered boss barely puts up with their antics.
- The Cameo: Fabio and Kristy Swanson.
- There's also Jodi Ann Paterson as the Super Hot Giant Alien.
- The Cast Show Off: Mitzi Martin (the actress who plays the lead alien jumpsuit chick) actually can swallow a popscicle in one gulp.
- Cat Girl: The opening shows a sexy CGI cat girl dancing. It turns out to be the mascot of the strip club.
- Catchphrase: The Speaker box lady has the famous "And Theeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnn?"
- Chekhov's Gun: Numerous examples. One example is the lifetime supply of pudding the duo find in their cupboards. This helps them decide which group of mysterious strangers are on their side by asking what they scored during a game of mini-golf on the previous night; when the answer explains the pudding they know it is the correct one.
- Chekhov's Skill: An extensive knowledge of Animal Planet trivia saves them from a lunatic ostrich rancher and give Chester the idea to press a hard to reach button with a crazy straw.
- Chester is shown working on a Rubiks cube throughout the movie. When he finally completes it, it turns out to be the Continuum Transfunctioner.
- In a way, the lead Alien Jumpsuit Chick's ability to swallow a Popsicle whole could be seen as this, since when she decides to eat Tommy (she and the other alien women had merged into a giantess) she easily swallows him in a single gulp.
- Cool and Unusual Punishment: "We will now use the power of the Continuum Transfunctioner to banish you to Hoboken, New Jersey."
- Covered in Gunge: When Tommy is shown to have survived his time in the stomach of the Super Hot Giant Alien, he's coated from head to toe in a clear, slimy substance.
- Diabolus ex Nihilo: The Super Hot Giant Alien, on top of being something one wouldn't expect in a stoner comedy, really comes out of left field. The alien women just suddenly merge into this giant woman that devours Tommy, in a rather
BLAM-y way to (almost) kill off a character, and goes on a rampage.- The alien women are this in general, as well, as we never find out who or even what they are or why they wish to use The Continuum Transfunctioner to destroy the universe.
- Devour the Dragon: Towards the climax, Tommy starts working for the Alien Jumpsuit Chicks, who promise him oral sex if he brings them the continuum transfunctioner. But once they decide to take matters into their own hands and merge into the Super Hot Giant Alien, the first thing she does is snatch Tommy off the ground eat him alive, much to his fear and confusion.
- Drive-Thru Antics: Jesse gets in a fight at a Chinese drive thru because the voice at the intercom keeps asking "And then?"
- Dude, Where's Our Car?: Trope Namer because the whole movie is about our two stoner heroes trying to find their car and, by extention, the gifts they got for their girlfriends.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: Nelson, he spends most of the movie as a Nerdy guy everybody picks on. At the end he gets Christie Boner as a girlfriend.
- Eaten Alive: The Super Hot Giant Alien makes a quick meal of Tommy.
- Exactly What It Says on the Tin: Super Hot Giant Alien is just what you'd expect, a giant woman (played by playboy model Jodi Ann Paterson) wearing a purple bra and miniskirt.
- Expy: The impound lot attendant is similar to Juanita from Billy Madison. Only difference is that Juanita enjoys teasing Billy for fun while this chick enjoys messing with people (or just Jesse and Chester) for sadistic pleasure.
- Foreshadowing: When the Alien Jumpsuit Chicks are first introduced the leader takes Jesse's Popsicle from him, shoves the whole thing in her mouth, and swallows it in one gulp. Later, when she turns into the Super Hot Giant Alien she devours Tommy in the exact same manner.
- French Jerk: Pierre, the ostrich guy.
- Until Chester answers his question correctly. Then he's all smiles, at least with Jesse and Chester. (He's still a jerk with Mark, though).
- Fusion Dance: The "evil space sluts" into the Super Hot Giant Alien.
- Genre Shift: Starts off as buddy stoner film. Then aliens enter the picture.
- Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: After realizing that their drunken antics have had much greater consequences than is typical, Jesse suggests that they should perhaps cut back. Chester slaps him and he quickly changes his mind.
- Getting Eaten Is Harmless: After Super Hot Giant Alien is blown up by the Continuum Transfunctioner, Tommy is left behind, Covered in Gunge but otherwise intact.
- Giant Woman: Super Hot Giant Alien!
- Girl on Girl Is Hot: Debatably in the scene where the "gender challenged male" stripper and his/her girlfriend dressed like a man kiss.Jesse: Dude, are we supposed to be grossed out?
Chester: (smiling) I don't know. - Goofy Print Underwear: Super Hot Giant Alien's pink bunny panties.
- Groin Attack:
- Nelson's dog bites Tommy's crotch for touching his pipe.Tommy: My balls!
- Pierre has a "No Trespassing" sign that threatens violators with castration.
- Nelson's dog bites Tommy's crotch for touching his pipe.
- Here We Go Again!: At the end, the twins discover the guys' back tattoos and the Who's on First? routine begins all over again.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: Jesse and Chester. Or are they?
- Hidden in Plain Sight: The Continuum Transfunctioner, disguised as a Rubik's Cube.
- Human Aliens: All the aliens in the movie look like regular people. Even the Super Hot Giant Alien looks like a normal human woman, just a lot bigger.
- Humble Goal: All Jesse and Chester want is to find their car and get the anniversary presents for their girlfriends inside.
- Humiliation Conga: Tommy, and it is well-deserved. First he gets eaten alive by a giantess who he sexually harassed and his girlfriend who he generally treats like garbage doesn't mind too much. Then after he survives the giantess getting destroyed his girlfriend leaves his punk ass for the nice guy hippie and the hippie's dog relieves itself on his leg.
- Hypocritical Humor: Pierre bought the guys' car at auction, only for it to go missing in the interim. Jesse has the nerve to ask "How do you just lose a car?"
- I'm a Humanitarian: The first thing Super Hot Giant Alien does after merging and expanding is pick Tommy up and eat him alive.
- Insistent Terminology: "We are not guys, we are hot chicks." Technically, they're neither.
- Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique: Parodied. Jesse and Chester are interrogated by the cops for a crime they didn't commit, but they don't remember anything from the night before. Thinking they're holding out on them, the cops then bring in a dummy, which they "torture" with beatings, pouring hot coffee in its face, and cigarette burns.Chester: Leave him alone! He doesn't know anything!
- Jerk Jock: Tommy.
- The Joy of X: The title is often parodied.
- Just Desserts: For the whole movie Tommy is a Jerkass and a recurring source of antagonism. Even his girlfriend Christy seems to be getting tired of his antagonistic attitude (probably not helping is the fact that he seems willing to cheat on her with the alien jumpsuit chicks). At the climax as soon as the Super Hot Giant Alien spots him she picks him up and eats him alive.
- Karma Houdini: The two neighbors who hit Jesse and Chester with their cars never receive any sort of punishment for committing vehicular assault.
- Killed Mid-Sentence: In the extended version of the scene, as soon as the Super Hot Giant Alien grabs Tommy and lifts him off the ground, he panics and starts asking her what she's about to do to him. But before he can even finish his sentence she stuffs him into her mouth and swallows him whole.
- Lady Not-Appearing-in-This-Game: See those two bikini-clad women on the movie's cover? They aren't in any part of the film.
- Lack of Empathy: What was Kristy's reaction to Tommy being devoured by the Alien giantess? A little dismissive "hmph." Admittedly, he is a rude, philandering thug, but you would think she would show at least a little concern over him getting eaten alive.
- Left the Background Music On: Zoltan is introduced by a Leitmotif played by Jeff on an electric piano. Jeff carries on a bit longer than intended.
- Literal Maneater: Super Hot Giant Alien eats Tommy in one gulp.
- MacGuffin: The Continuum Transfunctioner. And the car, of course. And the briefcase full of money.
- Make My Monster Grow: The female alien leader grows to enormous size during the final confrontation.
- Make Way for the New Villains: While Tommy along with the cult are the more active threat to the boys for most of the movie, once the climax hits the women in jumpsuits take over as the real threat when they merge into a giant woman. Once she is formed she devours Tommy alive and the cultists run for their lives.
- Meaningful Name: Together, the names of the two Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist characters, Jesse and Chester, sound like the word "jester". Which is pretty Genre Savvy and fitting.
- Mythology Gag: Ashton Kutcher's character threatening a Chinese restaurant worker that he will put his foot in her ass.
- Nice Guy: The Nordic guys are strange, but also mild and polite considering what's at stake. They're two of the only characters in the film with no real jerkass moments. This foreshadows they are actually the film's Big Good.
- Overcomplicated Menu Order: Inverted when the boys place a fairly straightforward drive-through order and the worker complicates it by repeatedly asking "And then?"
- Overly-Long Gag:
- "And theeeeennn...?"
- The Who's on First? gag involving the tattoos.
- Precision F-Strike: Mrs. Crabbleman's "fucking stoners."
- Quest for Sex: Part of the main characters' motivation. Which they give up when the quickest path is revealed to be through the alien bad guys who want to destroy Earth.
- Tommy is also on a quest for sex himself, despite having a girlfriend. When the alien jumpsuit chicks offer to give him "erotic pleasure" in exchange for the Continuum Transfunctioner he's more than happy to comply. After the alien chicks merge into a giant playboy model in a bra and miniskirt Tommy is promptly picked up and eaten by her for his troubles
- Rescue Equipment Attack: Played for Laughs. Jesse gestures to Chester to smash the two men wearing bubble wrap jackets with a fire extinguisher. Chester doesn't understand, so Jesse grabs the extinguisher himself and knocks them both with it.
- "Shaggy Dog" Story: Jesse and Chester spend the movie needing to find their car. In the end, everybody's memories from that day are erased so when they wake up they think it's the previous day, with the aliens leaving their car across the street from their house. We never know where the car was all this time.
- Ship Tease: While pretty plainly obviously platonic and heterosexual friends, Jesse and Chester openly wonder what kind of boyfriends they would be to each other if they were a gay couple, and respond to Fabio driving up in his car and acting intimate to his female arm candy by making out with each other.
- Shirtless Scene: Where the two main characters find their tattoos.
- Single Woman Seeks Good Man: Christie doesn't like Tommy, and breaks up with him for someone who would respect her as a person, like Jesse and Chester. She does, however, get another boyfriend at the end, and rejects Tommy.
- Stoner Flick: Few other ways to describe a movie with "Dude" in its name. Despite only one scene involving weed, and the one smoking it being a dog.note
- Strange Salute: The culist's "Zoltan!" salute involves placing their left palm facing out and their right palm facing in while touching their thumbs together, forming a sort of "Z". This is usually accompanied by them shouting "Zoltan!"
- Strange-Syntax Speaker: Nelson talks like Yoda, which often confuses Jesse and Chester.
- Swallowed Whole: Tommy gets swallowed whole by the Super Hot Giant Alien.
- Taught by Television: Chester's endless hours of watching Animal Planet pay off at least twice.
- Title Drop: About 20 times!Jesse: Dude, where's my car?Chester: Where's your car, dude?Jesse: DUDE! Where's my car?!Chester: Where's your car, dude?!
- Too Dumb to Live: Tommy when he decides to keep standing next to the alien giantess instead of running which results in her eating him alive
- Trash of the Titans: Boy howdy, the beginning of the movie....
- Troll: The lady at the Chinese drive-thru. There's no other explanation for her behavior.
- Trope Codifier: Although the film was obviously not the first picture about the adventures of stupid addicts who, during their journey, fall into very stupid situations, Memetic Mutation has made it a model for such works.
- Two Words: I Can't Count: After Jesse and Chester get thrown out of the twins' house, one of the characters splits the word "management" into two words."I got three words for you! Anger manage ment!"
- Unsettling Gender-Reveal: "Dude, you're a DUDE!"
- Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist: Jesse and Chester are both rude, selfish jerks who don't have their lives together at all and sadistically cause chaos and discomfort to anyone who puts up with them. Together, they save the world.
- Though to be fair, most of the chaos they cause is unintentional on their part.
- There's also Christy Boner whose list of offenses include: cheating on her boyfriend with one of the main characters (while said mains were too drunk/stoned out of their minds to remember), breaking up with her boyfriend after he suffered in a Humiliation Conga, and probably most notably, seemed pretty satisfied watching her boyfriend be devoured alive by a giant woman. Then again, it's a bit difficult to feel sorry for Tommy. She's also very nice to her new boyfriend Nelson
- Wacky Sound Effect: When the giantess is growing, her boobs make a "balloon/boing" sound effect as they expand to their proper size.
- What Did I Do Last Night?: The movie starts out here and spirals out of control. "Damn, you were wasted last night."
- Who's on First?: They each got tattoos on their backs that say "Dude" and "Sweet" on them, respectively. Here's how they find out:"Dude, you got a tattoo!""So do you, dude!""Dude, what does my tattoo say?""Sweet! What about mine?""Dude! What does mine say?""Sweet! What about mine?""Dude! What does mine say?""Sweet! What about mine?""Dude! What does mine say?""Sweet. What about mine?""Dude, what does mine say?""Sweet. What about mine?""Dude. What does mine say?""Sweeeeee-t. What about MINE?""Duuuuu-de. WHAT DOES MINE SAY?""SWEET!"
- Year's Supply Prize: The main characters wake up to find every cupboard in their house filled with packages of chocolate pudding, and they have no idea where it came from.
- Your Size May Vary: The Super Hot Giant Alien's size doesn't remain consistent. When she first transforms she appears to be around 25 feet tall. She appears smaller than that when she crawls out of the arcade and then much larger once she's outside.
