| | | From the creators of Fargo.
Features: DVD
The Dude. One cool guy. Who one day comes home to find two thugs have broken in and ruined his favorite carpet--the one that made the room "hang together." Thing is, they did it because he's got the same name as one of the richest men in town. Lebowski. But, hey, no problem. He'll get even. At least he'll get someone to pay for the carpet.
"...a genial, shambling comedy..." Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
"... Coen concoction with a most agreeable cast. Turturro is a standout as Jesus the bowler." James Berardinelli's ReelViews
"...uproariously hilarious in uniquely Coen fashion..." Wade Major, Boxoffice Magazine
Editor's Note
The Coen brothers have done it again. Mixing in Leninist philosophy, mistaken identity, crazy characters, a kidnapping plot, and a deep love of bowling, they have unleashed upon an unsuspecting world the many glories of THE BIG LEBOWSKI. Jeff Bridges plays Jeff Lebowski, known as the Dude, a laid-back, easygoing burnout who happens to have the same name as a millionaire whose wife owes a lot of dangerous people a whole bunch of money--resulting in the Dude having his rug soiled, sending him spiraling into the Los Angeles underworld.The film is beautiful to look at, especially the scenes in the bowling alley, which feature a vast array of bizarre characters--including Steve Buscemi, John Turturro, Sam Elliott, and the movie-stealing, riotously funny John Goodman as the Dude's crazy best buddy. As usual in Coen brothers films (BARTON FINK, RAISING ARIZONA), the dialogue is hysterically warped; the plot is confusing, complicated, and kinetic; the soundtrack is virtually another character; and the acting is weirdly stellar. THE BIG LEBOWSKI is yet another thoroughly entertaining foray into the strange and fascinating world ruled by Joel and Ethan Coen.
Plot Summary
When hired goons mistake oafish, amiable bowling enthusiast Jeff "the Dude" Lebowski for their proper shakedown, eccentric millionaire the Big Lebowski, their error sets into motion a wacky chain of events that pull the Dude into a hilariously twisted mystery. The film is a high-key, fanciful farce with the same runaway-train comic sensibility as the Coens' RAISING ARIZONA--and a surreal musical number to boot.
| Features | Teaser Trailer | | Exclusive 30-Minute Coen Brothers Interview On The Making Of The Big Lebowski | | Film & Cast Biographies | | Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1 | | Subtitles: French, Spanish | | Includes both Widescreen and Full Screen Presentations | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Access |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Universal |
| Release Date: 10/27/1998 |
| Running Time: 113 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1998 | | Catalog ID: 22666 | | UPC: 00025192266621 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English [CC], English | | Available Subtitles: French, Spanish | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | 1.85:1 |
| Cast & Crew
| Memorable Quotes| "Nobody calls me Lebowski. You got the wrong guy. I'm the Dude, man."----The Dude (Jeff Bridges) to Treehorn's thug | | "That rug really tied the room together, did it not?"----Walter (John Goodman) |"Freakin' a..."----The Dude | | "I don't roll on Shabbos!"----Walter to Donny (Steve Buscemi), upon realizing he's scheduled to bowl on the Jewish Sabbath | | "All the Dude ever wanted was his rug back."----The Dude to Jackie Treehorn (Ben Gazzara) | | "You're entering a world of pain."----Walter to a child | | "Are these the Nazis, Walter?"----Donny |"No, Donny, these men are Nihilists. Nothing to be afraid of."----Walter | | "The Dude abides. I don't know about you, but I take comfort in that."----The Stranger (Sam Elliott) |
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| | Professional Reviews | Rolling Stone
"...Smart and silly....A burst of wicked fun..." 03/19/1 p.71-2Sight and Sound
"...The range of acting turns is rich....Best of all, in a memorably unctuous cameo, is Philip Seymour Hoffman...the best character-actor find in years..." 05/01/1998 p.38-42 USA Today
"...The Coen brothers, those far-out FARGO guys, cover everything with eye-popping panache..." 3 1/2 out of 4 Stars 04/03/1998 p.5E New York Times
"...Mr. Bridges finds a role so fit for him that he seems never to have been anywhere else. Watch this performance to see shambling executed with nonchalant grace and a seemingly out-to-lunch character played with fine comic flair..." 03/06/1998 p.E31 Premiere
"...Joel and Ethan Coen have crafted another shrewdly ironic valentine to Americana with this hilarious tale..." 03/01/1998 p.17 Los Angeles Times
"...The Coens are able to create wickedly funny eccentrics and possess the ability to energize certain actors to inhabit them completely..." 03/06/1998 p.C1 Chicago Sun-Times
"...Genial....It's weirdly engaging, like its hero..." 03/06/1998 p.37 Entertainment Weekly
"...A masterpiece of anti-storytelling..." 05/23/2003 p.35 Rolling Stone
Ranked #7 in Rolling Stone's "Top 25 DVDs Of 2005' -- "[T]he prize in this Coen Brothers 1998 goodie is still Jeff Bridges..." 12/01/2005 p.92 Uncut
5 stars out of 5 -- "LEBOWSKI sees the Coens embark on a delirious joyride through the great Sin City itself, executing some audacious hair-pin turns through the conventions of noir along the way." 05/01/2006 p.148 Total Film
4 stars out of 5 -- "[W]hat makes the Coens' seventh film so inexhaustibly re-watchable is its oddball range of characters so gonzo, so heroically grotesque as to be the stuff of the greatest stoner-comic book never written." 06/01/2006 p.132 James Berardinelli's ReelViews 9 of 10
One of the things I appreciated the most about The Big Lebowski is its mockery of the voiceover narrative. Readers of my reviews know that this is one of my pet peeves, so it was great fun to watch a film in which this approach is openly satirized. The Big Lebowski is narrated by Sam Elliot, but, during his self-consciously long-winded opening monologue (in which he introduces The Dude), he suddenly loses his train of thought, and says as much to the audience. It's rare that any movie uses the narrator to comic effect rather than for unnecessary exposition... Once again, the Coens have chosen their cast well... The Big Lebowski ranks as one of the most audacious comedies of recent years...
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| Customer Reviews | ![]() | | Cinematography |  3 | | Plot |  5 | | Acting | 5 | | Overall Satisfaction | 5 |
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1 of 1 customers found this review helpful.
5 of 5 The Big Lebowski Friday, December 06, 2002
Tom from St. Paul MN
This is a plot driven Coen brothers (Fargo) comedy about Jeff Lebowski, "The Dude" (Jeff Bridges), and his quest to find those responsible for mistakenly soiling his rug, instead of the rug of millionaire Jeff Lebowski. This simple task takes the Dude on an unforgettable adventure through kidnapping, scandal, the pornography industry, and his bowling league playoffs. The movie features great acting from major players Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianna Moore, Steve Buscemi, and more. This movie has one of the most intriguing plots I’ve seen, which makes the viewer only appreciate it more with each viewing. All of this combines into one of the funniest movies out there and a must-have for any DVD collection. Was this review helpful?  
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