The Dude Abides, and Shatters the Comedy Genre Single-Handedly

Rating: 10/10 (11 July 2008)

I've watched my share of comedies, and in all this time I've only been able to single out four as definitive and making a mark on the movie industry and establishing themselves as classics: Ghostbusters (the first one, mind you), Caddyshack (also only the first), National Lampoon's Animal House, and (drum roll please), The Big Lebowski. Let's discuss that last one further, shall we? The Big Lebowski follows the story of Jeffry "The Dude" Lebowski, an L.A. bum who gets sucked into the underground crime scene, drugs, sex, rock and all. I can't really give away more info than that without spoiling something, so that's all I will say in regards to the plot. On the character side of the movie, the whole film is comprised of bums, thugs and wackjobs, all who are lovably bizarre. While the characters all seem to have one-track minds, you never seem to tire of them and are all amusing in their own way (for example, Walter constantly tells Donny to "shut the f**k up", Donny is always almost completely unaware of what's going on throughout the movie, The Dude always says some witty one-liner that lightens the mood the way any stoner could, etc.). The script is absolutely hysterical and top-notch, as can be expected of the Coen brothers, and the acting is completely believable, despite how far out the dialogue and events are. How could anybody forget The Dude's reaction when they drag him out of the limo while he's drinking a White Russian? Well, here it is: "Whoa whoa, h-hey dude, careful, I've got a beverage here!" Overall, I loved everything about the movie. It's an incredibly fresh, original movie that can't possibly be put in any specific genre it's so unique. Here's a warning though: the first time you watch it, you might not enjoy it as much as the next time, as it's one of those movies that gets better with age. This can perhaps attribute to the commercial and critical failure it exhibited upon release, but since has grown so huge, that they have made a convention for it named Lebowskifest. Once you get sucked into the wild world of The Dude, you will never want to leave.