The Big Lebowski (1998)

Director:

Joel Coen

Writers (WGA):

Ethan Coen (written by) &
Joel Coen (written by)

Release Date:

6 March 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

They figured he was a lazy time wasting slacker. They were right.

Plot:

"Dude" Lebowski, mistaken for a millionaire Lebowski, seeks restitution for his ruined rug and enlists his bowling buddies to help get it.

Plot Keywords:

Rug | Millionaire | Bowling | Jewish Convert | Slacker

Awards:

1 win & 7 nominations

Cast

Jeff Bridges	...	Jeffrey Lebowski - The Dude
John Goodman	...	Walter Sobchak
Julianne Moore	...	Maude Lebowski
Steve Buscemi	...	Theodore Donald 'Donny' Kerabatsos
David Huddleston	...	Jeffrey Lebowski - The Big Lebowski
Philip Seymour Hoffman	...	Brandt
Tara Reid	...	Bunny Lebowski
Philip Moon	...	Woo, Treehorn Thug
Mark Pellegrino	...	Blond Treehorn Thug
Peter Stormare	...	Nihilist #1, Uli Kunkel / 'Karl Hungus'
Flea	...	Nihilist #2, Kieffer
Torsten Voges	...	Nihilist #3, Franz
Jimmie Dale Gilmore	...	Smokey
Jack Kehler	...	Marty
John Turturro	...	Jesus Quintana

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive strong language, drug content, sexuality and brief violence.

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English | German | Hebrew | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

South Korea:15 (DVD rating) | Philippines:R-18 | Spain:18 | Brazil:14 | Italy:T | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Belgium:KT | Canada:14A | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:18 | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R (certificate #35633) | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Singapore:R(A) | Singapore:M18 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Beverly Hills, California, USA

Company:

Polygram Filmed Entertainment

Trivia:

Norwegian posters and video cassettes carried the text "anbefales av norsk bowling forbund" (recommended by the Norwegian Bowling Association).

Goofs:

Continuity: When the blond thug plunges the Dude's head repeatedly into the toilet we see the water in the bowl is milky white from the exploded carton of half-and-half. Later when the Dude is leaning against the wall and reaches into the toilet to retrieve his sunglasses, the water is clear.

Quotes:

[first lines]
The Stranger: [voiceover] Way out west there was this fella I wanna tell ya about. Goes by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least that was the handle his loving parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. See, this Lebowski, he called himself "The Dude". Now, "Dude" - there's a name no man would self-apply where I come from...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Defective Man! (2009)

Soundtrack:

Stamping Ground

A celebration of the ultimate man, nay, the ultimate dude

I'd heard a lot of bad press about this movie. Not as good as Fargo, was a much used phrase. I wasn't overly impressed with Fargo, the atmosphere just didn't click for me, but anyway, that made me a little apprehensive about this.

It's easily better than Fargo, IMHO, and it's right up there with Barton Fink or Miller's Crossing. A true comedy classic with so many memorable lines and characters, but it's the movie's atmosphere which is so truly joyous, a wonderful celebration of basically doing nothing. Achieving one's goals is important, yes, but it's okay to set them low, is what I perceived this movie to be saying. As long as one is basically a good guy, then that's enough. Well, that's what it seemed like to me, and it was expressed so beautifully in the stunning cast of grotesques, lovely music ( although more Burwell would have been nice ), and the trippiest, funniest, most absurd dream sequences you've ever seen. Great stuff.