i registered just to give a vote of 10 for this gem of gems

Rating: 10/10 (4 May 2001)

bottom line: if you need to laugh, and laugh HARD, rent it. watch it twice. watch it five times. don't watch it 50 (like me), or you'll find yourself conversing in lebowskian dialect.
it's the story of the Dude (Bridges), who, through a case of mistaken identity becomes mixed up in a debacle involving a host of characters from all walks of L.A. life. the screenplay is terrific, the casting is nothing short of brilliant, and the story line, tho difficult to follow due to some, er, zany twists in plot and misinformation from the players, is very entertaining. the cohn brothers invoke some marvelous theatrical tricks, especially video cuts in the middle of a conversation and extensive use of repetition (if something is funny once, it's bound to show up 2,3,5 more times).
call it a cult flick, a sad commentary on the state of affairs in California, if not the US... bogus! This movie is top notch, and it pokes fun at everything it seems to hold dear. give it a second screening if it blew over your head the first time (as was the case for me), and i promise you'll be renting to own :D