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Movies / Upcoming / The Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski

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The Big Lebowski (1998)

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Reviews Counted:72

Fresh:56

Rotten:16

Average Rating:7.1/10

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

Runtime: 1 hr 58 mins

Genre: Comedies

US Box Office: $0

Synopsis: 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... 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. [More]

Starring: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi

Starring: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, David Huddleston, John Turturro, Peter Stormare, David Thewlis, Ben Gazzara, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Tara Reid, Flea, Torsten Voges, Philip Moon, Mark Pellegrino, Jack Kehler, Aimee Mann, Asia Carrera, Jerry Haleva

Director: Joel Coen

Director: Joel Coen
Producer: Ethan Coen, Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan
Screenwriter: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Composer: Carter Burwell

[See More Credits]

Reviews for The Big Lebowski

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1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 >> >|
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It may not be Fargo, but you’ll be swept away by the sheer nonsensical, farcical wonder of it all.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
01/01/00
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Dark Horizons | comment Comment
03/14/05
Garth Franklin
Garth Franklin
Dark Horizons
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: In Film Australia | comment Comment
01/01/00
Luke Buckmaster
Luke Buckmaster
In Film Australia
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It's the wealth of great characters and their insane dialogue that make this a memorable film.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
04/17/01
BBC
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No review available.

comment Comment
01/01/00
USA Today
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
05/06/08
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The Big Lebowski tiene el efecto deseado: creer en los personaje, aún sin creer necesariamente en la historia.

Full Review Source: Cinenganos | comment Comment
06/06/04
Alex Ramirez
Alex Ramirez
Cinenganos

A genial spoof about life on the unhinged margins of L.A. that's a lot more carefully constructed than it pretends to be.

Full Review Source: Salon.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Andrew O'Hehir
Andrew O'Hehir
Salon.com

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.

Full Review Source: New York Observer | comment Comment
04/27/07
Andrew Sarris
Andrew Sarris
New York Observer

Although there are plenty of laughs to be had, what ultimately makes this film feel like a minor effort is the lack of the tightly coiled (albeit noticeably bent) internal logic that governed the duo's previous efforts.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
Andrew Wright
Andrew Wright
rec.arts.movies.reviews

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

Full Review Source: KPBS.org | comment Comment
11/17/07
Beth Accomando
Beth Accomando
KPBS.org

Nimble, crackerjack entertainment with the crazed, anything-goes humor and the visual splendor we have come to expect in the best of the Coen Brothers' offerings.

Full Review Source: Critics Inc./America Online | comment Comment
01/07/03
Brandon Judell
Brandon Judell
Critics Inc./America Online

When you're having a down day, pop in THE BIG LEBOWSKI for a little pick-me-up, and always remember: The Dude Abides.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
03/19/03
Brian Mckay
Brian Mckay
eFilmCritic.com

It sounds like another precious Coen brothers gimmick, but in Bridges' hands it becomes a hysterical running joke.

Full Review Source: Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus | comment Comment
01/01/00
Bryant Frazer
Bryant Frazer
Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus

The Coen Brothers try really hard to be outrageously funny, and they succeed more often than they fail.

comment Comment
08/11/03
Carlo Cavagna
Carlo Cavagna
AboutFilm.com

It's pretty much impossible not to love The Dude.

Full Review Source: FulvueDrive-in.com | comment Comment
02/20/06
Chuck O'Leary
Chuck O'Leary
FulvueDrive-in.com

Not that The Big Lebowski is without its charms, but, like its central character, it is occasionally aimless and incoherent.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
01/01/00
Dan Jardine
Dan Jardine
Apollo Guide

Viewers with a taste for bizarre, even surreal, humor will have a ball.

Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor | comment Comment
01/01/00
David Sterritt
David Sterritt
Christian Science Monitor

The comedy here is sometimes so sharp that you could roll in the aisle with laughter and not seem any odder than the characters you see onscreen.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

This deliberately messay comedy stars Jeff Bridges as a slack-brained pothead, but the funniest turn is given by John Turturro as a gay Latino bowler who urges his ball with sexy thrusts of his pelvis.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment 1 Comment
04/13/06
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 >> >|
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