Spoiler - Funnier every time you watch it

Rating: Null/10 (29 April 2015)

The Big Lebowski follows a peaceful, stoner, slacker type called The Dude (Jeff Bridges) as he is pulled into various adventures through a case of mistaken identity. The Dude is mistaken for a rich man with the same formal name of Jeffrey Lebowski (David Huddleston). This man's wife Bunny (Tara Reid) owes money to a pornographer named Jackie Treehorn and his two thugs rough up the dude looking for repayment. While abusing the Dude, the two thugs pee on his rug and then realize he is the wrong Jeffrey Lebowski and leave. The movie then cuts to the bowling alley and introduces the Dude's two bowling team members and good friends Walter Sobchak (John Goodman) and Donny (Steve Buscemi). Walter observes that the thugs are not the issue, but instead the real Lebowski is the one who should compensate him for the rug that so nicely "tied the room together". After confronting the real Lebowski and getting nowhere, the Dude helps himself to a rug that actually belonged to the daughter of the real Lebowski, Maude Lebowski (Julianne Moore). After leaving the home with the rug, the real Lebowski calls the Dude back the next day and confides in him that his wife Bunny was kidnapped. The Dude agrees to help get the wife back and hilarity ensues through various high jinx created by and around the Dude for the remainder of the movie. The theme of the movie is a satirical look at many aspects of the American society, especially materialism and what our society portrays as the stereotypical man. The Dude is a peaceful man that endures countless assaults on his personal life and is generally taken advantage of throughout the movie, but somehow he comes through the entire process with a positive outlook and seems to be more comfortable in his own skin than almost anyone else in this movie world. In the opening he is characterized as an incredible lazy representative of the society and possibly the world, but you come to have a great deal of respect for the character and his approach to life by the end of the movie. The soundtrack was very effective in setting the tone of various scenes. The opening scene features tranquil western tune that seems to fit perfectly with the Dude's peaceful outlook on life. You could argue that that this tumbleweed in that scene is the Dude himself roaming quietly through LA. The opening credits drew a direct line to the theme through the song the Man in Me. This song helps to highlight that the "Man" in the Dude in relation to the world around him. The dream sequence featuring the mini movie "Gutterballs" uses the song Just dropped in to perfectly frame the Dude's drugged mindset. Quintana is introduced with a Spanish version of the Hotel California playing in the background which highlights the wonderful eccentric personalities that inhabit LA. These examples show how the soundtrack helped to highlight the differences between the Dude and other men in this microcosm of the world. The dialog in the movie was the star of the film to me. The movie is a cult classic because of the many humorous exchanges between the characters. Walter yelling at Donnie "you're out of your element" and the Dude's constant humor "he fixes the cable?" really are the backbone of the movie. Throughout the movie the Dude is placed in these very tense situations, but he constantly finds humor in the situations. Don't get me wrong, the dude also gets very angry throughout the movie, but typically he can move on and dismiss the situation with a simple "Fu$* it" after some time has passed. This shows how this man won't let much get him down. Even after Donnie dies and the bartender mentions Donnie's death dude has moved on and won't let himself stay down. There is something inherently manly in the ideal sense about fighting to never let the world keep you down.
In the end this movie really pokes fun at the many different version of a man that the director provides and shows the Dude in a positive contrast to them. Nihilists, pornographers, a Millionaire that lies about his success and marries a trophy wife, a man stuck in Vietnam and a sex offender combined can't hold a candle to the Dude's outlook on life. They have all chased material possessions and that pursuit has done nothing but hurt them, while the Dude has floated wonderfully through the movie with this unbreakable positive outlook.