The Big Lebowski is really it’s own kind of film. It’s characters are all strange but yet seem to fit in perfectly. There seems to be no line drawn in the sand to limit The Big Lebowski’s creativity and bizarreness. Its main character alone has been such a draw that he has been the source of a new religion; Dudeism. The directors of The Big Lebowski, the Coen Brothers, are known for their unique filmography and outside-the-box thinking, but The Big Lebowski is certainly one of the movies that granted them that title.

We begin our journey from the outside, starting with The Stranger. An old cowboy who already knows The Dude himself (Jeff Bridges). The Stranger acts as a character, narrator and audience member all at the same time. He talks tall tales about The Dude, and we are promptly dropped into his world. The Dude roams around L.A. and bowls in his free time, always scavenging for his next White Russian and couch to kick back on. The Dude walks back home one day only to find two henchmen waiting for him. One throws The Dude’s head in his own gross toilet and the other unzips his pants and pees on his rug. It really tied the room together. One henchmen goes on to explain that the two are there to extort money from The Dude, calling him “Mr Lebowski.” Only, they’ve got the wrong Lebowski. The two leave in an aggressive embarrassment and The Dude is left on his bathroom floor with a toilet-water-soaked head and sunglasses on.

The Dude does some digging and eventually finds the real Mr. Lebowski in an attempt to get some money to replace his rug. The two meet in Mr. Lebowski’s illustrious house, and The Dude leaves without any money but having tricked Mr. Lebowski’s personal assistant, Brandt, into stealing a rug for him. As The Dude leaves he winds up chatting up Mr. Lebowski’s trophy wife, Bunnie, as well.

The Dude is a toker for sure. Always kicking back and lighting some J’s, he proves himself to be The Dude time and time again. The Dude’s casual mindset pairs well with his habit of smoking weed and in a good amount of scenes he is. However it’s almost like he goes unchanged. There isn’t a sober dude and there isn’t a high Dude he just is, The Dude. It’s the appearance of what The Dude is that makes him what he is, and weed is a strong component of that. Without the J, The Dude wouldn’t be the same dude.

The Dude goes back off into his exceedingly casual life and bowls with his teammates, Walter Sobchak (John Goodman) and Donny Kerabatsos (Steve Buscemi). However, not too long afterwards, The Dude receives an urgent voicemail left by Brandt requesting that The Dude come and visit, and it’s not about the rug. Mr. Lebowski’s wife, Bonnie, has been kidnapped for ransom. Mr. Lebowski and Brandt see The Dude as being in a unique position because they believe the men who captured Bunnie may also be the same culprits who “soiled” The Dude’s rug. The Dude abides, and the rest is a crazy hilarious journey. It’s like The Usual Suspects meets The Naked Gun. Jeff Bridge’s performance as The Dude is one of the most recognizable in Hollywood. Him and a litany of other cast members won awards for their unique and charismatic performances. The acting is from another world, the characters are the strangest in the world, but all need each other to exist. It’s almost a hallucinatory movie. The Big Lebowski is a must see for any movie fan and is sure to crack a few laughs and spark lots of curiosity. There’s no better time to enjoy the turbulent journey of The Dude than now. The Big Lebowski is best served with a White Russian, and it earns an easy 5 out of 5 stars for being an exemplary film.