The Big Lebowski
By Heather Boerner,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Quirky cult comedy has drugs, language, violence, sexism.

A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
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The Big Lebowski
Community Reviews
Based on 22 parent reviews
Really funny.
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It gave me headaches hearing the F bombs
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What's the Story?
All The Dude (Jeff Bridges) wants in THE BIG LEBOWSKI is more milk for his White Russians. Instead, he comes home from an all-night grocery store to an ambush by men who mistake him for Jeffrey Lebowski, a philanthropist with a wife who's racking up debts all over town. The guys shove The Dude's head in a toilet, pee on his rug, and leave the place with a threat. From there, The Dude just wants to replace his rug, which "tied the room together." The film takes viewers on a crazy ride, 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 avant-garde artist Maude (Julianne Moore) carry his baby? And what ever happened to the pornographic 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 in this wild ride of a movie. The Big Lebowski takes viewers through Los Angeles' underbelly, and, like other Coen brothers' movies, the story is too crazy to be believed. But it's so well done that 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 in the characters and actors. Along with the two main players, there's the Oscar-winning and brilliant Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Steve Buscemi, who uses his doe eyes to great effect here. Having sung the film's praises, it's also important to say that this is NOT a movie for kids, nor have all of its punchlines aged well over time.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Dude's lifestyle in The Big Lebowski. 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?
The Big Lebowski is an example of a movie that has taken on a life of its own in terms of how the story and characters are interpreted. Do you think art is a subjective experience, or are some things objectively good or bad? Can you think of other movies or TV shows that inspire debate about their meaning?
Why is this movie a cult favorite? Does the humor still work today? Why, or why not?
Movie Details
- In theaters: January 1, 1998
- On DVD or streaming: October 18, 2005
- Cast: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi
- Directors: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
- Studio: Universal Pictures
- Genre: Comedy
- Run time: 108 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: pervasive strong language, drug content, sexuality, and brief violence
- Last updated: April 21, 2023
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