The Big Lebowski [DVD] [1998]

The Dude comes home one night, only to find himself thrown face-down in the toilet and otherwise accosted by two chaps demanding money to pay off his wife's debts. He finally manages to convince the guys that he is not the Jeffrey Lebowski they are looking for – but not before one of the jokers gives his rug a golden shower. The Dude is not at all happy about this, as "that rug really tied the room together." After consulting with his bowling partners (the Dude spends a lot of time bowling), he decides to find the other, obviously rich Lebowski and ask him to reimburse him for the rug. Soon thereafter, the Big Lebowski calls him in and asks him to serve as the courier for a money drop to some guys who kidnapped his pretty young wife Bunny (Tara Reid). That's when all the trouble really starts. The Dude's soon mixed up with all sorts of crazy people (including a gang of nihilists), while Walter manages to get him deeper and deeper into a lot of trouble he never wanted in the first place. There are indeed lots of strands in the Dude's head as the whole story takes a series of odd twists and turns, each of them funnier than the last. And he's got to get ready for the big semifinals of bowling league play, to boot – Walter is very, very dedicated to the bowling league games. It's almost impossible to give a good overview of the plot, and I wouldn't want to do so anyway, as you really have to experience it all for yourself.

You've got to love the Dude. He's just a lazy slacker who wanted his good, clean rug back, and then all this crazy stuff happened to him. Rest easy, though, knowing that "the Dude abides." Sometimes, that's about all you can do in this crazy world. I should mention that the film more than earns its R rating for profanity, as about every third word anyone says is a curse word – so if that kind of thing bothers you, you may be "out of your element" here. I am quite confident, though, that most viewers will laugh themselves silly watching this movie and will want to keep on watching it over and over again. The Coen Brothers hit a grand slam with this one.

The story revolves around a man by the name of Lebowski; actually, he prefers to be called "The Dude." A couple of thugs mistake him for a different Lebowski and ruin his most prized rug that really tied the room together. Well, The Dude isn't going to stand for that kind of "unchecked aggression" (even if he is one of the laziest human beings on the planet). When he tries to get the other Lebowski to compensate him for his ruined rug, well... let's just say things get very complicated. And his psychopathic bowling buddy, Walter (who is also a Viet Nam Veteran), doesn't make things any better when he tries to help The Dude with his problems. But hey, everything's gotta work out in the end, right? He's The Dude! He is the man... or at least he better hope so, for his sake.

This is one of my favourite comedies. Although it is almost impossible for me to do the film justice by reviewing it, I have to because it is a movie that I love and watch on a daily basis. The dialogue and characters are so entertaining and fun to watch that it is almost impossible not to become captivated by the film. Jeff Bridges is amazing as The Dude and takes his role to the limit. John Goodman gives his best performance ever and really steals the show for the majority of the film. Even though he's only in the movie for a short amount of time, John Turturro is HILARIOUS in his two scenes. The movie is brilliantly written and directed. The Coen Brothers have made another gem; that much is for sure.

Be warned, this is no kiddy movie. If you get easily offended by movies with foul language, STAY CLEAR FROM THIS MOVIE!! Every other word in the movie is the f-word, and in fact, according to the IMDb (Internet Movie Database), the f-word appears in the movie 267 times. So please, take that under consideration. As foul as this movie is, I think it's necessary and works perfectly for the movie. It makes the characters what they are. If you've ever seen the watered-down "TV version" of the movie, you'll know that it quickly loses its spark and appeal that was so well-established in the regular version. The language is a necessity in this kind of environment, so it's better to avoid the movie if that's going to upset or offend you.

"The Big Lebowski" is a comedy to remember, although it's not a movie for everyone. It's not a movie to watch if you're looking for something solid or with a standard formula to it. The film is a wildly unpredictable journey into the unknown. The film really does a great job of standing out from the other "predictable" and "flat" comedies that we are plagued with. A five-star movie all the way.