Big Lebowski

[charsibb]

OK, I watched it.

 

And I still don't get it.

 

I suppose if I was 18 and stoned when I first saw it, I would have fond memories of it (a la Porky's, American Pie, or any of the Cheech and Chong flicks, etc)

 

Even after reading the reviews and watching the "Making of" it still seems pretty bad.

 

The acting is one-dimensional, there is no arc of growth in the characters, none that I could identify or sympathise with, and the dialogue is stilted.

 

It seemed like an inside-joke, sophomoric, inane circle-jerk of the "friends of Coen"

 

I will say that it was VERY creative, the camera work was nicely done, and the soundtrack was excellent. But the characters, script, plot, and acting were all major fails.

 

[ZeroBullChip]

It means you are way older or way younger than me.  It's a period piece.  It totally is an inside joke, but one many can relate to.  It's the opposite of fail.

[Markeymark]

If you have to dissect it that much, it's probably not for you.

[charsibb]

It means you are way older or way younger than me.  It's a period piece.  It totally is an inside joke, but one many can relate to.  It's the opposite of fail.

 

Probably older.

 

I actually went through the 60's and 70's and knew many people who were similar to what Jeff Bridges' character was supposedly modeled on.

 

So, what's the joke I'm unable to relate to?

 

Need to get Riz in here, he's the one who made me watch it.

[Skingraft]

I never liked it... Just an odd movie

[GaUSFBull]

*******WARNING - SPOILERS BELOW IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE YET ***********

 

 

It's just funny.  A stoned, aging hippie loser and his Vietnam-vet buddy (great pairing of two diametrically opposed types of people, btw) are sent to try to get back the wife of a rich dude who happens to have the same name as the stoner, when it's really just an extortion scheme by the wife against her husband.  And the husband was trying to get her killed anyway.  

 

It just goes for the Dude - he gets dunked in the toilet by the "extortioners" who think he's the rich guy, getting the name confused.  Then the Dude goes to the rich guy to get compensated for his inconvience, and then gets dragged into the whole mess, but just when you think it's finally working out for the Dude - he gets laid by the rich guy's daughter ... and loses his buddy Donny to a heart attack.  Even the spreading of the ashes gets effed up.  

 

And the bowling just makes everything ok.  In the end, it's all good.  

 

Kind of ends with the feeling that no matter what, it's gonna be all right - which is pretty much the hippie mentality, right?  

 

I love that movie.  One of my top 5 ever.  

[Paisa el Toro]

I think it's the quirkiness of the dialogue between characters that gets people. I thought it was a funny movie, but it's far from being in my top-5 favorites. I think people that worship the Big Lebowski are the same kind of folks that find Arrested Development to be the funniest sitcom ever to have been unfairly cancelled. Both share humor that tends to go over with some folks like a lead balloon--dare I say a bit subversive?

[GaUSFBull]

I've never seen Arrested Development.  Will have to check it out.  Most shows I think are great get cancelled though, just a cross I have to bear when it comes to television entertainment.