By: Tyler Garling
Bowling has, and always will be, regarded as an “easy” sport. What can be so difficult about rolling a ball down a lane and hitting 10 pins? Though some see it as a simple little game, there are plenty of people out there who take it very, very, seriously. One of them is The Dude.
In 1998, Joel and Ethan Coen wrote one of the funniest movies ever: The Big Lebowski. Jeff Bridges plays the main character of the film, a slacker who goes by the name “The Dude.” The Dude and his best friends, Walter Sobchak (John Goodman) and Donny Kerabatsos (Steve Buscemi), are all part of a bowling team. The three amigos are usually found lazing around the bowling alley, but things start to get very interesting when The Dude gets involved in an identity mix up.
Next to his love for bowling, The Dude’s only passion is his rug that “really tied the room together.” When The Dude arrives at his house and is beaten by two thugs, the only thing he truly is concerned about is the fact that they messed up his rug. However, the two thugs realize that they got the wrong guy who has the same name as that of their actual target.
After telling his friends about the incident, Walter tells The Dude that he should talk to Jeffery Lebowski (David Huddleston), the “Big Lebowski,” about getting compensation for his rug. After he meets with Lebowski, The Dude comes across Jeffery’s wife, Bunny (Tara Reid), soaking it up in the sun. A few days later, The Dude gets a call from Jeffery Lebowski saying that Bunny has been kidnapped and The Dude needs to be the courier for the million dollar ransom tied to her name. The conflict in the film is pretty serious, but it is executed in a very creative, comical way.
The Coen brothers have one of the most impressive track records in Hollywood. Along with The Big Lebowski, the two brothers have made movies such as Miller’s Crossing; Fargo; O Brother, Where Art Thou?; No Country for Old Men; and True Grit. While the Coens’ filmography is mostly serious dramas, The Big Lebowski is a shining moment for the two because it’s a terrific comedy. Scene after scene provides laugh after laugh. No matter how many times I watch it, my laughter still brings me to tears when Walter decides to teach Larry a “lesson.”
The soundtrack of the film is also very enjoyable. Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, and Creedence Clearwater Revival are a few of the artists who are featured in the film. Not to mention the Gipsy Kings’ cover of the Eagles’ classic “Hotel California”…in Spanish.
The Big Lebowski has some great actors, and all of them give a terrific and hilarious performance. Jeff Bridges is The Dude and no one else could have captured what makes The Dude “The Dude.” Goodman is also hilarious as his Vietnam vet character that will, literally, pull a gun on someone who isn’t following the rules of bowling during a league game. Bridges and Goodman work perfectly together in the film and are a major source of the laughs.
The Big Lebowski is a cult film, which means it has a specific set of fans. Upon its release, many critics had mixed views on the movie. However, critics now say that The Big Lebowski is one of their favorite Coen brothers’ films and one of their favorite movies of all time.
The acting is great and hilarious, the writing is quick and witty, the dream sequences are fantastic, and the movie is just incredibly enjoyable. The Big Lebowski is easily one of the funniest movies of all time and will make anyone laugh. The Coen brothers created a masterpiece with this film and cannot be missed.
