The Dude definitely abides. The Coen brothers achieved comedic perfection with their 1998 cult crime romp The Big Lebowski. Jeff Bridges stars as Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski, a bowler in Los Angeles who spends most of his days stoned out of his gourd. When he becomes tangled up in a kidnapping plot involving the wife of another man named Jeffrey Lebowski, The Dude's life is turned upside down.
The Big Lebowski remains one of the most popular comedies of all time. Bridges is supported by hilarious performances from John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, and Philip Seymour Hoffman - to name a few. The movie's original plot and flawless dialogue have solidified its spot in pop culture history.
Watching The Big Lebowski For The 100th Time
Many fans agree The Big Lebowski is one of those rare comedic masterpieces that seems to get better with each subsequent viewing. Thanks to its layered dialogue, nuanced performances, and perfectly pitched situational humor, there is always someone new to discover when watching this Coen brothers movie.
In fact, The Big Lebowski doesn't suffer from one bad scene. Not one. It's hard to say this about almost any other quirky '90s comedy, but this film about a stoned bowler just comes together so well.
The Line
John Goodman's unhinged character Walter Sobchak bowls by the rules, and he doesn't like it when anyone challenges his calls. While working through a league game, Walter loses it when his friend and competitor Smokey accidentally crosses the foul line.
When Smokey refuses Walter's assertion that his roll doesn't count, Walter warns him: "Smokey, my friend, you are entering a world of pain." Smokey keeps pushing the line, and Walter whips out his handgun - a bad look for the bowling alley.
The Dude Abides
For those not into the whole brevity thing, imagine a world where The Dude taps into The Force in a galaxy far, far away. Instead of a lightsaber, El Duderino rocks a White Russian and a robe to fight forces of evil in the Star Wars universe.
While he's no Luke Skywalker, His Dudeness definitely knows how to stand on his own, especially when thieves pee on his favorite rug. After all, it really tied the room together.
Strong Men Also Cry
It turns out The Dude is mistaken for another man named Jeffrey Lebowski, an older businessman whose much younger wife Bunny is running around Los Angeles causing all kinds of problems. This other Lebowski is a total schemer, though, and he wraps The Dude up in a haphazard extortion plot involving a group of nihilists and his wife.
The other Lebowski lays it on thick, developing a fake narrative about his wife being kidnapped. In an effort to seem emotional, he sheds a few tears while proclaiming, "Strong men also cry."
You Can't Have Just One Favorite Scene
It's impossible to have one favorite scene when every scene is marked by unique characters, fantastic dialogue, and new levels of comedic gold. There's the diner scene between Walter and The Dude, The Dude's first meeting with Maude Lebowski, and the nihilists who break into The Dude's apartment with their ferret.
There's also the Uzi car chase scene, the one-man play performed by The Dude's landlord, and The Dude's night with Jackie Treehorn. How can any person be expected to pick just one favorite scene?
I Don't Hang With Nihilists
Uli, Dieter, and Franz are a trio of German nihilists who work with Bunny Lebowski to extort money from her husband. When The Dude gets involved because his name is also Jeffrey Lebowski, the nihilists try to make life difficult for the film's perpetually stoned protagonist.
The Dude finds nihilists exhausting, and he'd rather not have anything to do with them, especially when they threaten to cut off his johnson. "We believe in nothing, Lebowski," they assert with their furious accents.
Don Wick
Poor Donny is always being shot down by Walter, who loves to tell him he's out of his element. Walter doesn't give Donny and his bowling skills time to shine, but he rolls as well as the rest of them.
Donny doesn't mind being on the sidelines, but he'd kill it as the star of his own saga. If Keanu Reeves ever retires from the John Wick franchise, it's definitely time to give Steve Buscemi (who plays Donny) a call.
Calmer Than You Are, Dude
The Dude and Walter spend most of the film bickering at each other. Usually, Walter implicates himself in The Dude's business - which causes whatever The Dude is trying to accomplish to blow up in his face.
Walter doesn't see it that way, though, and he believes he knows how to respond to every situation. Ultimately, Walter shrugs it off and says, "Let's go bowling."
Are You Employed Sir?
As The Dude would likely say, "What does it even mean to be employed?" Employment isn't Duder's style, and he manages to get by just fine with a spliff and a bowling ball.
He doesn't society's expectations about how he should live his life get him down, either. "Well, that's just like your opinion man," is about as far as The Dude goes to justify his life choices.
2020: The Big Lebowski Edition
The Dude's insane journey in The Big Lebowski is a great metaphor for 2020. Every step of the way, he just wants to have a hot bath and chill out - but the stories of the Coen brothers always have darker plans.
Even The Dude's optimistic charm is no match for 2020 and Nicolas Cage's character from The Coens' movie Raising Arizona perfectly encapsulates how most of us really feel.