He taught us how to take it easy, how to be truly laid-back, and how life goes on despite all the woes. The Big Lebowski (1998) isn’t just a film; it’s a classic piece from the books of the Joel and Ethan Coen and unarguably one of Jeff Bridges’ most iconic roles of his career. And now, after a quarter of a century (and still counting), The Dude unleashes himself once again as this beloved classic returns to the theaters for its 25th Anniversary.
Released in 1998, the stoner crime comedy film is written, directed, and produced by the Academy Award-winning filmmaking duo the Coen Brothers and stars Bridges as the protagonist Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski. The Dude is a slacker, an avid bowler, and a pioneer of ultimate nonchalance who gets mistaken for a millionaire Lebowski by two mobsters. After the mobsters break into his home, beat him, and urinate on his favorite rug, The Dude tries to recoup his loss from his namesake but gets entangled in a kidnapping case, among various other unfortunate events.
The Big Lebowski is loosely inspired by the work of Raymond Chandler, while the character of The Dude is said to have been inspired by Jeff Dowd, the American film producer and political activist. The star-studded cast of the dark comedy also includes John Goodman, Sam Elliott, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, John Turturro, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Tara Reid, David Thewlis, Peter Stormare, Jon Polito, and Ben Gazzara in various supporting roles. On its release, the film received mixed reviews and just managed to gross over its budget of $15 million. So, in a way, the film was neither a massive box-office success nor a critical one. It was only later that The Big Lebowski earned more acclaim for its comedic sequences, varied soundtrack, eccentric characters, quirky dialogues, and not to mention the performances of the cast, particularly that of Bridges and Goodman, making the film a fan favorite. As of today, The Big Lebowski has an enduring legacy as a cult classic and is used as a significant reference material for film studies, socio-political analysis, and a lot more, which you’ll find out soon.
For those who have never had a chance to watch the film, this is a great chance to experience The Dude’s “dudeness.” And for those who have, wouldn’t you want to relive the iconic scenes, the crazy characters, and all that laidback cool once more? So, check out how, when, and where you can watch The Big Lebowski Anniversary re-release as The Dude bowls his way back to the big screen.
When Is The Big Lebowski Anniversary Re-Release Hitting Theaters?
The Big Lebowski had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 1998, and the 48th Berlin International Film Festival, followed by a theatrical release on March 6, 1998. And now, the film celebrates its 25th Anniversary with a theatrical re-release on April 16 and April 20, 2023, organized by Fathom Events.
The Big Lebowski Anniversary Re-Release Showtimes
The new release also includes an exclusive commentary from the film historian and critic Leonard Maltin, who will also share his insights and expertise on the film. You can use the following link to visit the Fathom Events website for showtimes and ticket availability in your town/city.
Is The Big Lebowski Available on Blu-ray and DVD?
In 2005, almost seven years after the theatrical premiere of the film, Universal Studios released a Collector’s Edition DVD of The Big Lebowski. It includes some extra features like "Jeff Bridges’ Photography", "Making of The Big Lebowski", etc. In 2008, a 10th Anniversary Edition (both standard and limited editions) was released with all the extras from the Collector’s Edition along with new additions like "The Dude's Life: Strikes and Gutters ... Ups and Downs ... The Dude Abides", "The Lebowski Fest: An Achiever's Story", "Flying Carpets and Bowling Pin Dreams: The Dream Sequences of the Dude", "Interactive Map", etc. The film’s Blu-ray was released in August 2011, with a limited-edition pack that included a photo book by Bridges, a 10-year retrospective of the film, and a detailed look at the Lebowski Fest.
For its 20th Anniversary, Universal Pictures also released a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray of The Big Lebowski on October 16, 2018. You can get that latest release now on Amazon with the link below and watch the Blu-ray trailer in the player above.
Is The Big Lebowski Available on Streaming?
While we recommend that this is a movie certainly worth watching on the big screen, there are other ways to catch up on this classic, perhaps from your couch or while lying on that rug that really ties the room together. The Big Lebowski is available for streaming on Prime Video. If you are not subscribed to Prime Video yet, it’s never too late to subscribe and watch this iconic comedy. The streaming service is available for subscriptions at $14.99 per month or $139 for a year. You can also rent the movie on Apple TV, Amazon, Vudu, Google Play, and YouTube, among other platforms.
So What Is The Big Lebowski About?
The Big Lebowski is a black comedy, a crime comedy, and a stoner comedy, all wrapped in one, and drives a simple message – no matter what happens, one must keep moving on and living on like The Dude.
The story follows a man named Jeffrey Lebowski, who prefers to be called The Dude, but he isn’t the titular Lebowski. The Dude is a stoner, a slacker, and the “laziest man in all of Los Angeles County”, but he has two passions – bowling like he’ll never bowl again and drinking White Russians like his daily dose of water. But his laid-back life is thrown off track when two gangsters break into his home and urinate on his rug, his prized possession, thinking he is the millionaire Lebowski (the actual Big Lebowski). The Dude decides to avenge this aggression and seeks a replacement for the rug from the wealthy businessman, who in turn sends The Dude to track down his missing wife. But all plans go awry when his friend, Walter Sobchak (Goodman), comes up with a plan to skim from the ransom money, and they both end up on a wild goose chase.
The Legacy of The Big Lebowski
The legacy of The Big Lebowski doesn’t just lie in the fact that it’s one of the Coen Brothers’ most legendary productions, but also in how the film impacted pop culture, and social and film studies, in the years to come. Over the decades since its release, the film has turned into a cult classic, spawning annual fests, bowling tournaments (are you surprised?), contests, and so on. The annual Lebowski Fest was started in 2002 in Louisville, KY, and later spread across other cities. The weekend-long event features unlimited bowling, costume, and trivia contests, and inspired the London edition of the fest, called The Dude Abides.
But if one has to pinpoint the highest peak of the film’s legacy, it’s probably the religious movement called Dudeism (yes, it is very real) that it inspired. Often considered a pseudo-religion, this philosophy encourages "going with the flow", "being cool-headed", and "taking it easy" when the going gets tough, just like The Dude does in the film. This is further supported by the organization, The Church of the Latter-Day Dude (pun likely intended), and the annual celebration of The Day of the Dude on March 6 (the release date of the film).
The Dude’s ideologies have also been cited by authors and journalists in social and political discussions and narratives on mass communication, and as a reference for analyzing the interactions of war and ethics. The film is preserved by the United States National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". In 2020, John Turturro wrote, directed, and starred in an unofficial spin-off sequel, titled The Jesus Rolls, based on his character of Jesus Quintana from the 1998 film.