Opening

78% Fast & Furious 6 May 24
—— The Hangover Part III May 23
—— Epic May 24
95% Before Midnight May 24
83% We Steal Secrets: The Story Of Wikileaks May 24
—— Fill the Void May 24
—— A Green Story May 24
—— Alyce Kills May 24

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69% The Croods $3.0M
77% 42 $2.8M
56% Oblivion $2.3M
98% Mud $2.2M
37% Peeples $2.2M
8% The Big Wedding $1.2M

Coming Soon

—— After Earth May 31
—— Now You See Me May 31
88% The East May 31
100% The Kings of Summer May 31

The Big Lebowski (1998)

tomatometer

80

Average Rating: 7.2/10
Reviews Counted: 84
Fresh: 67 | Rotten: 17

Typically stunning visuals and sharp dialogue from the Coen Brothers, brought to life with strong performances from Goodman and Bridges.

64

Average Rating: 6.2/10
Critic Reviews: 14
Fresh: 9 | Rotten: 5

Typically stunning visuals and sharp dialogue from the Coen Brothers, brought to life with strong performances from Goodman and Bridges.

audience

93

liked it
Average Rating: 4/5
User Ratings: 305,096

My Rating

Movie Info

The plot of this Raymond Chandler-esque comedy crime caper from the Coen Brothers (Joel Coen and Ethan Coen) pivots around a case of mistaken identity complicated by extortion, double-crosses, deception, embezzlement, sex, pot, and gallons of White Russians (made with fresh cream, please). In 1991, unemployed '60s refugee Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) grooves into his laid-back Los Angeles lifestyle. One of the laziest men in LA, he enjoys hanging with his bowling buddies, pompous

R,

Comedy

,

Ethan Coen, Joel Coen

Oct 27, 1998

Gramercy Pictures

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Cast

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All Critics (84) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (73) | Rotten (17) | DVD (38)

Adds up to considerably less than the sum of its often scintillating parts.

November 7, 2007 Full Review Source: Variety | Comments (27)
Variety
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The result is a lot of laughs and a feeling of awe toward the craftsmanship involved. I doubt that there'll be anything else like it the rest of this year.

April 27, 2007 Full Review Source: New York Observer
New York Observer
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Far from being shallow pastiche, it's actually about something: what it means to be a man, to be a friend, and to be a 'hero' for a particular time and place.

June 24, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out
Time Out
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A typical Coen brothers film is like no film you've ever seen.

April 25, 2003 Full Review Source: Globe and Mail
Globe and Mail
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As tempting as it is to completely dismiss The Big Lebowski, it's hard to do because the Coens are able to create wickedly funny eccentrics and possess the ability to energize certain actors to inhabit them completely.

February 14, 2001 Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | Comments (12)
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The Big Lebowski is a mess. But what a glorious, wonderfully-entertaining mess it is.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: ReelViews
ReelViews
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Enormously entertaining!

August 4, 2012 Full Review Source: ReelTalk Movie Reviews
ReelTalk Movie Reviews

...yet another in a long line of promising yet disappointing comedies from Joel and Ethan Coen...

February 20, 2012 Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | Comments (10)
Reel Film Reviews

One of the funniest, coolest, most absurd cult films ever made, and one of the best from the dynamic duo - Joel and Ethan Coen.

January 29, 2012 Full Review Source: IGN DVD
IGN DVD

It's essential.

August 31, 2011 Full Review Source: Film Freak Central
Film Freak Central

It's the whole proud, embarrassing sociopolitical, cultural heap of American history-and the American Century in particular-in two fleet, funny hours. [Blu-ray]

August 22, 2011 Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews
Groucho Reviews

The Coens concoct an absurdist Chandler-esque mystery, drop in a couple hilarious dream fantasies, and even bring in a drawling Sam Elliot to narrate this tall tale like a western myth.

August 21, 2011 Full Review Source: MSN.com
MSN.com

There are few films that genuinely get better with each successive viewing. The Big Lebowski is one of them.

August 15, 2011 Full Review Source: Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine

[VIDEO] You'd never guess that the movie is loosely based on Raymond Chandler's detective novel "The Big Sleep."

July 23, 2011 Full Review Source: ColeSmithey.com
ColeSmithey.com

I'm not a fan of the Coen Brothers, but this is an entertaining enough diversion.

June 9, 2011 Full Review Source: Cinema Sight
Cinema Sight

A wild ride for adults only.

December 18, 2010 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media

To what do we owe the pleasure of the Coen Brothers' new joie de vivre and love for their fellow man?

August 21, 2009 Full Review Source: City Pages, Minneapolis/St. Paul

Stylish and wickedly funny black comedy illuminated by a great performance from Jeff Bridges, and loaded with all the Coen brothers' trademark wit and flair.

May 6, 2008 Full Review Source: Film4
Film4

As with Raising Arizona, The Big Lebowski gives us a protagonist whose dopey innocence seems to be his only protection from the real world.

November 17, 2007
KPBS.org

If it's all supposed to be in fun, why does it feel so much like an insult?

November 7, 2007 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | Comments (40)
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Bridges does more with his deflated body language than many comedians can manage by chewing the furniture.

July 23, 2007 Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com
eFilmCritic.com

If nothing else, the Dude speaks for me when appraises the music of the Eagles.

July 11, 2007 Full Review Source: Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) | Comments (4)
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Audience Reviews for The Big Lebowski

The Dude abides. Not much else I can say but what a great movie this is. One of the all time great cult films.
March 23, 2007
jmanard52

Super Reviewer

A cult phenomenon that seems to only get better with age, the Coen Brothers' absolutely hilarious comedy The Big Lebowski should keep winning fans over as it gets seen and rewatched by newbies and fans all over the world. Jeff Bridges' iconic performance as "The Dude" is one of his all time best, while John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Julianne Moore, and John Tuturro as Jesus provide laugh after laugh after laugh. The film noir influenced plot is just the backdrop to the antics that The Dude and his bowling buddies are up to as they try to solve a kidnapping mystery involving a millionnaire named Jeff Lebowski and his young wife.
The Big Lebowski is classic Coen Brothers. It isn't quite a masterpiece like Fargo or No Country for Old Men. but it is a worthy film to the hype that has surrounded it over the past decade.
March 3, 2008
MovieGeek13

Super Reviewer

    1. Walter Sobchak: Am I the only one who gives a shit about the rules?
    – Submitted by Tyler H (8 days ago)
    1. Walter Sobchak: Am I wrong?
    2. The Dude: No.
    3. Walter Sobchak: Am I wrong?
    4. The Dude: No, you're not wrong Walter, you're just an asshole.
    5. Walter Sobchak: Okay then.
    – Submitted by Joe N (11 days ago)
    1. Private Snoop: You see what happens Lebowski?
    2. The Dude: Nobody calls me :ebowski, you got the wrong guy, I'm the Dude, man.
    3. Private Snoop: Your name's Lebowski, Lebowski. Your wife is Bunny.
    4. The Dude: My wife? Bunny? Do you see a wedding ring on my finger? Does this place look like I'm fuckin married? The toilet seat's up man!
    – Submitted by Joe N (11 days ago)
    1. The Dude: Yeah man. it really tied the room together.
    2. Donny: What tied the room together dude?
    3. The Dude: My rug.
    4. Walter Sobchak: Were you listening to the Dude's story, Donny?
    5. Donny: I was bowling.
    6. Walter Sobchak: So then you have no frame of reference here, Donny, You're like a child who wonders in the middle of movie.
    – Submitted by Joe N (11 days ago)
    1. The Dude: She probably kidnapped herself.
    2. Donny: What do you mean dude?
    3. The Dude: Rug Peers did not do this. look at it. A young trophy wife, marries this guy for his money, she figures he hasn't given her enough, she owes money all over town,
    4. Walter Sobchak: That fuckin bitch.
    – Submitted by Joe N (33 days ago)
    1. Walter Sobchak: Forget it, Donny, you're out of your element!
    – Submitted by Thomas B (34 days ago)

Discussion Forum

Topic Last Post Replies
Most quotable movie of all time 40 days ago 1
The Coen's Best Movie 59 days ago 2

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