What makes the big lebowski good

Fuck it, dudes. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. The Big Lebowski is one of the funniest and most original comedies ever made. Here are 10 reasons it's a bonafide masterpiece.

The Big Lebowski has two storylines , both of which are hilarious and unpredictable. The main plot involves The Dude and his sidekick, Walter Sobchak, delivering a fake ransom for the "Real Lebowski's" kidnapped trophy wife and then dealing with the consequences. The second narrative centers around the upcoming bowling tournament and the qualification process.

Walter is so serious about the latter that he goes as far as to "draw a firearm during league play" when an opposing player commits a foul and refuses to accept the penalty.

Part of what makes this film so unique is that the protagonist is someone the audience has no confidence in whatsoever. Typically, the hero character in a story, though flawed , is equipped with enough redeeming traits to instill in the viewer some hope that he or she will prevail. Played by the great Jeff Bridges , The Dude, on the other hand, inspires no such confidence. He's a broke stoner who drinks White Russians by day and bowls by night. In this sense, he's the ultimate underdog, which makes his hero's journey a particularly daunting one.

Walter is a Vietnam vet who connects any and every plot development to his jungle warfare experiences. He approaches his various dilemmas with the confidence of a warrior, but with none of the necessary skills or intelligence to successfully navigate the world he's in. Sign up for the The Ringer Newsletter Thanks for signing up! Check your inbox for a welcome email. Email required. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Notice and European users agree to the data transfer policy.

The Latest. By Danny Heifetz , Danny Kelly , and 1 more. He has a fortune dangled before his eyes, only to have it replaced by telephone books and used boxer shorts. To heal and keep himself whole he stirs himself another White Russian, has a toke, sits in a warm bath. Like the Buddha, he focuses on the big picture. The film is narrated by The Stranger Sam Elliott , never more gloriously mustached.

It is he who observes at the end that the Dude Abides, and says he hears there is a little Lebowski on the way. The Dude however is denied matrimony, and indeed seems to have no women at all in his life, except by lucky chance.

Does this depress him? Is he concerned about being chronically unemployed? If a man has a roof over his head, fresh half-and-half for his White Russians, a little weed and his bowling buddies, what more, really, does he need?

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from until his death in In , he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism. Jeff Bridges as The Dude. John Goodman as Walter Sobchak. Julianne Moore as Maude Lebowski. Steve Buscemi as Donny. David Huddleston as Big Lebowski. John Turturro as Jesus. Tara Reid as Bunny Lebowski. Philip Seymour Hoffman as Brandt. Reviews Great Movies El Duderino in his time and place.

Roger Ebert March 10, Now streaming on:. Powered by JustWatch.