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The Big Lebowski

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 16, age appropriate for kids over 18; suggested age 17.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0
  • Common Sense says

    A wild ride for adults only.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 17–18

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    A story of extortion and embezzlement set to the soundtrack of porn and drugs
  • Violence:

    Men threaten to cut off the Dude's penis; fighting between the Dude and some nihilists; a police chief throws a coffee cup at the Dude's head.
  • Sex:

    Some frontal nudity. The Dude and Maude have sex, but it's not graphic.
  • Language:

    Constant cursing, especially the f--k and s--t.
  • Consumerism:

    One grocery story is mentioned and pictured several times.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    The Dude drinks and smokes pot while driving, and is constantly making drinks or smoking pot at other times.

What Parents Need to Know

This review of The Big Lebowski was written by Heather Boerner

Parents need to know that this movie is inappropriate for kids. The Dude is subject to a lot of violence. One group threatens to cut off his penis, while another threatens him by shoving his face in the toilet. A Malibu police chief hits him with a coffee cup. A woman's toe gets cut off (though not on screen), Walter wields a gun more than once, and Walter, the Dude, and Donny get in a fight with a group of nihilists. Women are most often treated as objects and there's some frontal female nudity. The Dude drinks and smokes pot while driving, and while doing everything else. There's lots of profanity as well.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about the Dude's lifestyle. Is that something you aspire to? How would you handle a situation of mistaken identity? Would you listen to your friends the way the Dude listens to Walter?
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More on The Big Lebowski

What’s the Story?

All the Dude (Jeff Bridges) wants is some more milk for his White Russians. Instead, he comes home from an all-night grocery store to an ambush by some thugs who mistake the Dude for Jeffrey Lebowski, a philanthropist with a wife who's racking up debts all over town. The guys shove his head in a toilet, urinate on his rug, and leave the place with a threat. From there on, the Dude just wants to replace his rug, which "tied the whole place together." Following the Dude, THE BIG LEBOWSKI takes the viewer on a crazy ride through psychotic bowling beefs, deception by the disabled, naked, flying art, kidnappings, nihilists, and ransoms. All along, the Dude is accompanied by his blustering Vietnam vet bowling buddy Walter (John Goodman), who gets him in even worse trouble. Will the Dude be able to recover a lost $1 million ransom? Will Maude carry his baby? And what ever happened to the porn actress-turned-trophy wife-turned-supposed kidnapping victim? The Dude will show you.

Is It Any Good?

Nymphomania, pot, White Russians, and the search for a rug to tie his living room together set the stage for The Big Lebowski, a wild ride through Los Angeles' underbelly. Like other Coen brothers' movies, the story is too crazy to be believed -- and so well done you can't stop watching it.

The brilliance of The Big Lebowski isn't so much in the story -- though it's got plenty of twists and turns -- but the characters and actors. Along with the two main players, there's the masterfully creepy and hilarious Jesus (John Turturro), the Oscar-winning and brilliant Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Steve Buscemi, who uses his doe eyes to great effect here. Having sung the films praises, it's also important to say that this is NOT a movie for kids.

Movie Details

Studio: Universal Studios, Director: Joel Coen
Run time: 108 minutes
Theatrical release: 01/01/1998, DVD release: 10/18/2005
MPAA Rating: R for pervasive strong language, drug content, sexuality, and brief violence

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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Ohio
    I rate this title on for age 9 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate language
    • My highlights are:
    • Good role models

    I'm a lebowski, your a lebowski

    This is a great movie. The coen brothers are the best sibling directors ever. Jeff Bridges does a great job. You dont mess with jesus.

  2. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    I rate this title iffy for age 11 and give it 5.0

    great movie

    this is the coens masterpeice, waaaaay above and beyond fargo. but apart from the swearing its all very comedy and saying its not appropriate for kids is well an overstatement. most will be able to deal with it fine, and its awesome

  3. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in Missouri
    I rate this title iffy for age 15 and give it 4.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate language

    A cohens, cussin' classic!

    A classic cohen brothers, very strong, frequent language if you check any content guide you will see that the film has over 250+ F-bombs, which I don't mind, language is language just the same to me there is no difference between dam n, hel l or the F-bomb (which I can't print on this website)

  4. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in Illinois
    I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give it 4.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate language

    Great Movie W/ Some Issues!!

    Great movie with the only concern of the 200+ F-Words!! Hilarious film otherwise!!!

  5. Parent Reviewer
    Lives in Massachusetts
    I rate this title on for age 16 and give it 5.0

    LALALALALALA THES BEST COMEDY EVER!

    Jeff Bridges and John Goodman give the performance of a life time and this was big time snubbed. This cult is an american classic!

  6. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in Maryland
    I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it 5.0

    I laughed my head of at the Ferret part!

    Now this is a funny movie, but a bit edgy, so watch out for your kids parents.

  7. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Lives in California
    I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it 5.0

    absolutely HILARIOUS!

    This movie is a one of a kind. I thought it was great, really funny, and a really great plot. There's a lot of cursing in the movie (mostly the F-word), The Dude smokes pot, and drinks a lot. And the Dude may not be someone you want your little ones immitating. they also may have a hard time following the storyline . Great movie, for about 12-13 and up.

  8. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in Maine
    I rate this title on for age 0 and give it 5.0

    hilarious adult comedy!!

    this was a great movie. It had pretty much constant swearing and some violence also some nudity and sex. Still very funny. If your my age watch it with an adult, maybe your dad like I did.

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