March 16, 1998

Oh, those Coens, those wacky and wonderful guys. They are responsible for one of the most interesting moviegoing experiences I've ever experienced. The Big Lebowski is a knock-down, drag-out, broad comic farce, and a thoroughly hilarious film (my stomach still hurts from laughing). However, if you're looking for Coen brilliance (a la Fargo), you will not find it here.

There is no way to adequately describe the plot of The Big Lebowski. That being said, here's an extremely skeletal sketch: Jeff Bridges plays "the Dude", whose given name is Jeff Lebowski. The Dude is a stoner and a sixties-flashback who loves to bowl with his buddies. The Dude shops in his bathrobe, writes checks for 69 cents (for milk for his beloved White Russians), and floats through life. One fateful night, a couple of thugs break into the Dude's place and ruin the rug which "pulls the room together" because they have mistaken him for a millionaire named Jeff Lebowski (the "Big Lebowski").

The Big Lebowski's wife, Bunny, owes many people money and the thugs were looking to scare the Big Lebowski into paying back Bunny's debt. After some prodding from his bowling buddies (John Goodman and Steve Buscemi), the Dude decides to seek out the Big Lebowski and claim restitution for his rug. Once he meets the Big Lebowski, the Dude becomes involved in a kidnapping plot and shuttles through the rich worlds of the Big Lebowski (David Huddleston), his haughty, artsy daughter Maude (Julianne Moore), and a Hugh Hefner-type pornographer (Ben Gazzara) (who lives in a magnificent Frank Lloyd Wright designed home). Lunacy, chaos, bowling and production numbers ensue.

The Big Lebowski boasts fabulous acting. I could not envision anyone other than Jeff Bridges playing the muddled, easygoing Dude, and John Goodman playing the Dude's loyal, loud buddy who re-lives the Vietnam War every day. Even characters appearing in only one scene - such as Ben Gazzara and David Thewlis (as an effete video producer named Knox Harrington) - are played to the hilt. There are many small parts and cameos played by actors as diverse as Sam Elliot (the cowboy narrator) and Flea (of the Red Hot Chili Peppers) playing a thug. The cinematography is gorgeous, and the pace of the film is dizzying. The script is clever and profane.

The Big Lebowski is the funniest movie I've seen in a very long time. It is a no holds-barred, raucous comedy. It appears that the Coens (Joel writes and directs, Ethan writes and produces) simply let loose and had fun with this film. However, it is not in the same class as Coen brother comic masterpieces such as Fargo, Barton Fink and Raising Arizona largely because it is missing the undercurrent of darkness and desperation present in those films. The Big Lebowski has no more depth than one of the Dude's joints - once it's smoked, it's gone. What The Big Lebowski has is inspired craziness, loads of belly-laughs and a fun way to spend a couple of hours.

Mary Walsh My husband, Erik, and I are recent transplants from New England. We live in Longwood with our two cats, Ellie (from Damiel, the angel in the German film Wings of Desire) and Phineas, otherwise known as Blackie (which describes both his fur and his soul). Being childless, by choice, these are our substitutes, and we never miss a chance to discuss them as such, much to the annoyance of our friends with children. We lead very exciting lives, something like jet-setters, except that we rarely travel, don't go out much and both prefer to read or watch films (although Erik also likes professional wrestling, which he continually refers to as our country's second great art form, after jazz). Other Articles I've Written