Ignoring how all three Steve Buscemi characters have different names and have pretty varying personalities, the theory could hold up. In fact, Danny ends up shooting a guy in a public setting at the end of “Billy Madison,” so perhaps the authorities arrest him right then and there, leading directly into the events of “Con Air.” However, there’s one vital detail that derails everything @confusedbreakfast sets up.
“Billy Madison,” “Con Air,” and “The Big Lebowski” were released in 1995, 1997, and 1998, respectively. The release order dictates the chain of events in the fan theory, but “The Big Lebowski” actually takes place before “Billy Madison” and “Con Air,” as it’s set in the early 1990s. This is seen at the beginning of the film when The Dude puts the date on a check as September 11, 1991. Additionally, President George H.W. Bush is on television discussing Kuwait, so “The Big Lebowski” is technically a period piece.
The years in which “Billy Madison” and “Con Air” are set aren’t quite so clear, but one would assume the films’ events take place when they came out. Regardless, “Billy Madison” includes a reference to “Mortal Kombat,” which first came out in 1992. No matter what, it seems like “Billy Madison” has to occur after “Big Lebowski,” and Steve Buscemi’s character visibly dies at the end of the latter. Donny is ash, so there’s no way there could even be a fake-out like in “Con Air.”
Apologies for raining on anyone’s parade, but if nothing else, the theory’s a good reminder that Steve Buscemi was in some truly stellar movies in the ’90s.
