It's been a little while since I've seen The Big Lebowski (1998) but I remember The Dude having a string of car problems. At one point his car is stolen for a briefcase full of money. The Dude does recover his car--albeit in poor shape--and finds some kid's homework inside. When he and Walter follow up on this, it seems they come to the conclusion that the kid had nothing to do with it.
Am I forgetting a detail or was this just a red herring? I know it originated from an anecdote the Coen brothers heard, so did they just throw it in because they thought it funny or does it have some bearing on the plot?