The Big Lebowski (1998) Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
The Dude has abided in my heart since 1998.
The Coen brothers were a staple of my movie watching education. Raising Arizona being the first one I remember from childhood. The Big Lebowski (1998), however, is one that has lasted the longest in my heart. Jeff Bridges is the Dude to all who know him, but when some goons come after him calling him Lebowski, he knows that aren’t there for him. That doesn’t stop them from dunking his head in the toilet and peeing on his rug. The rest of the movie is a mixture of hilarious mix ups and misfires as the Dude tries to solve the mystery, recover the money, find Bunny, and win a bowling tournament. There is also some high art and fertility mixed in. The Coen brothers really can do it all with striking visuals and a top-notch cast.
If the Coen brothers’ collection of oddballs is exactly your kind of company, try Micmacs next. Jean-Pierre Jeunet also gathers a group of wonderfully eccentric people, gives them a ridiculous problem to solve, and lets their peculiar talents loose. Read the review →
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