The Dude

Without a doubt the most referenced movie I have come across on blogs or in person with people of a certain age (17-35) is the Coen brothers classic The Big Lebowski. This film (which was something of a dud on its initial release) has crept into the English-speaking worlds’ collective consciousness. An inspired premise (aging slacker becomes a reluctant Raymond Chandleresque anti-hero), a truly magnificent cast (has Jeff Bridges ever been better? Or Julianna Moore? Or John Goodman? Or any of the actors in the smaller roles?), and the Coens’ brilliant dialogue, this flick must certainly rank with their best work.

What sets this film apart is its sub-theme, an affectionate but pointed examination of Seventies culture, and its fading into irrelevance. This may be a film for the ages, one that future film scholars will reexamine, a movie whose importance will grow, not fade. As Sam Elliot's omnipotent cowboy said at its ending: “The Dude abides”.