I am not sure I have the ability to do justice to a movie that is as quirky, fun, and awesome as The Big Lebowski! Brought to us by the Coen Brothers, this is my favorite movie of theirs and it is an all-time classic. It is the kind of movie I have watched many, many times and I always have a whole lot of fun with it. It has so many quotable lines and a truly outstanding cast that all 100 percent deliver.
How to The Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski was released on April 24, 1998. You can or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the button at the end of this review and make your choice. Check out also another film by the Cohen Brothers – The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018).
The Movie Review
The Enduring Appeal of The Big Lebowski
The first time I saw The Big Lebowski was not until a couple of years after its 1998 release. It was on one of the Sky TV movie channels and I ended up watching it on a whim and I was hooked right from the start. This is a crime caper, a comedy, and a story that when you think about it is just nuts and full of so many moving pieces, but all you care about is The Dude!
The Dude and His Eccentric Circle
Trying to tell someone who has not seen The Big Lebowski is about it is so freaking weird. Our main character is The Dude, Jefferey Lebowski who is a slacker that just loves to get high and bowl with his buddies. Jeff Bridges is The Dude and it is honestly my favorite role out of everything that he has ever done.
The Dudes bowling buddies are Walter and Donny. Walter is played by John Goodman and holy crap is he awesome. Walter is a Vietnam Vet and he is crazy, he brings a gun to the bowling alley and he is always at a 10 on the tension scale. He is the complete opposite of what The Dude is.
Donny on the other hand is much quieter and the middle ground between The Dude and Walter. Donnie has a really laid back kind of vibe about him and you get the feeling he would just go along with whatever The Dude and Walter wanted to do. Steve Buscemi plays Donny and as always, he is great.
A Tale of Mistaken Identity and Hilarious Consequences
Ok, so we know The Dude is the main guy, but what the hell is this movie about? Well, The Dude ends up assaulted and his prized rug is pissed on by two guys looking for Jefferey Lebowski as his wife owes them money. Clearly, they have the wrong Jefferey Lebowski and this starts The Dude’s quest.
The Dude tracks down the “real” Jefferey Lebowski and feels that he owes him a new rug. This interaction between The Dude and the uptight, millionaire Jefferey Lebowski is awesome! The Dude ends up with a rug and he also meets Mrs. Lebowski as well, but both these events lead to more craziness including a ransom, a sexual encounter, and a severed toe! The movie just goes from one crazy moment to the end.
The Unique Charm of The Big Lebowski
The funny thing is, when you tell someone about The Big Lebowski, it sounds like it is just odd and trying way too hard to be weird, but that is not the case at all. This is a movie that you have to see for yourself to appreciate how brilliant it is. I have seen this movie a million times and it always keeps my attention. I could easily do a top ten scenes from it as there are that many hilarious moments. My personal favorite has to be the scene that involves The Dude, Walter, and Donny on the top of a cliff, if you know, you know!
Why The Big Lebowski Is An All-Time Classic
I love The Big Lebowski. This is a movie that I have in my collection multiple times, I have the Blu-Ray 25th Anniversary Collector’s Edition which is awesome, but I also had to get the 4K release. I can see why it may not click with everyone, but The Big Lebowski will always be an all time classic to me.
