The Big Lebowksi is a hilarious film that anybody who enjoys films must watch.

Rating: 10/10 (28 February 2017)

As a college student with a very busy schedule, life can be very stressful at times. For me, when I get stressed I watch films. This has been my favorite pastimes for many years and, in those years, I have seen many movies. Some of the movies have been entertaining and well made, while others have been complete failures. One film that is among the more memorable is the Coen brothers' film The Big Lebowski. This 1998 comedy is certainly one of the best, and most hilarious, films I have ever watched. The hilarious dialogue, enthralling story, and great acting are what make The Big Lebowski one of the most influential films in recent years.
The dialogue is one of the most effective pieces in this film. It is certainly a film that I, and many people around me, quote frequently. One of the most memorable lines in the movie is the classic, "The rug really tied the room together," (The Big Lebowski), which is repeated numerous times throughout the film. This is funny because the rug, that is so frequently mentioned, was urinated on at the very beginning of the movie and, it is the only reason why the Dude pushes on through the madness during the film. Another, and equally memorable, quote in the film is at the very end of the film when the Dude utters, "Yeah? Well, the Dude abides," (The Big Lebowski). This laid back comment is so comical because the Dude has gone through so much at this point in the film, yet he is still content with the way things ended up. The memorable dialogue in The Big Lebowski is credited to the movie's brilliant writers Joel and Ethan Coen, who also directed the film.
Another great component of the Coen brother's writing can be seen in the film's outrageous story. There are so many twists and turns in this movie which just adds to the hilarity of it all. The film starts with a bang when the Dude returns to his home, after grocery shopping, and is attacked by two men asking, "Where's the money Lebowski?" (The Big Lebowski). The comedy in this scene comes from, the Dude getting mistaken for another Jeffrey Lebowski, and being the inciting incident that throws the Dude immediately into his absurd quest for a new rug. Another hilarious part of the film is when John Goodman's character, Walter Sobchak the Vietnam War vet, destroys a Corvette he mistakenly thought was a young boys', with a crowbar, which resulted in the car's true owner smashing the Dude's car. In any movie, no matter how good the writing is, the actors must be able to deliver it in a way that is believable. In the case of The Big Lebowski, it must also be funny, and that is exactly what the actors were able to accomplish.
The acting is by far the most important aspect of the entire movie. Everyone who was cast in The Big Lebowski was able to deliver every joke with great timing, yet make their character believable even though the story is so off the wall. Jeff Bridges' portrayal of the Dude could not have been better because he was able to make the absurdity going on around him completely believable. A great example of Bridges' ability to do this is in the scene where the Dude gets one of his friends ashes thrown in his face while spreading them in the ocean. What makes Jeff Bridges' acting so funny in this scene is his stoic face and almost non-existent reaction. John Goodman also did a fantastic job as Walter in this film. As his character, Goodman had to go from being completely calm, to being furious, back to acting completely calm in an instant and that's exactly what he did. The scene that Goodman demonstrates this best is when he pulls a gun on one of his friends for not marking their foul while bowling. To this day, whenever I see Bridges in a film, I immediately think of the Dude.
While there are many fans of the film, it is, of course, not for everyone. The biggest complaint I have heard from the people that I have recommended the movie to has been that, while there are many surprises in it, the film doesn't really go anywhere, which is exactly what I thought the first time I watched the film. Although I do see their point, I think the reason why somebody would say something like this is because, what the Dude is trying to do is get a new rug, since the two men from the beginning of the film peed on his first one. This, to most people, is not a story worth telling or watching, but the movie is more about the Dude's journey than what he is seeking. I would recommend The Big Lebowski to anybody looking for a good laugh. The one piece of advice I would give, though, is that if you don't like it the first time give it at least one more chance, if not two chances, all the way through. Because of the film's memorable dialogue, ridiculous story, and great acting, I would give The Big Lebowski a whole hearted A+.