The Big Lebowski

  • Review Date: July 14, 2005
  • R
  • Genre: Comedy
  • 1998
 Review

Common Sense Media says

A wild ride for adults only.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

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.

  • A story of extortion and embezzlement set to the soundtrack of porn and drugs
  • 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.
  • Some frontal nudity. The Dude and Maude have sex, but it's not graphic.
  • Constant cursing, especially the f--k and s--t.
  • One grocery story is mentioned and pictured several times.
  • The Dude drinks and smokes pot while driving, and is constantly making drinks or smoking pot at other times.

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.


Explore, discuss, enjoy

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?


This review of The Big Lebowski was written by
Teen, 13 years old
May 26, 2009
 
Great Movie W/ Some Issues!!
Great movie with the only concern of the 200+ F-Words!! Hilarious film otherwise!!!
What other families should know:

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Teen, 13 years old
July 19, 2009
 
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

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Kid, 12 years old
April 9, 2008
 
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.

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Parent
March 5, 2010
 
The Big Lebowski
I absolutely love this movie. Anyone with a great taste in comedy films, watch it.

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Kid, 12 years old
April 9, 2008
 
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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Adult
July 21, 2009
 
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.
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Teen, 13 years old
April 9, 2008
 
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.

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Parent of 1, 8, 9, and 14 year old
January 10, 2009
 
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!

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Teen, 13 years old
June 10, 2009
 
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)
What other families should know:

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Teen, 14 years old
April 3, 2011
 
love it gotta donnie ur out of your element
What other families should know:

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This review of The Big Lebowski was written by
Studio:Universal Pictures
Director:Joel Coen
Cast:Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore
Genre:Comedy
Run time:108 minutes
Theatrical release date:January 1, 1998
DVD release date:October 18, 2005
MPAA rating:R
MPAA explanation:pervasive strong language, drug content, sexuality, and brief violence

This review of The Big Lebowski was written by
 

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