The Big Lebowski
(1998)
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The Big Lebowski is a 1998 American crime comedy film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. It stars Jeff Bridges as Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski, an unemployed Los Angeles slacker and avid bowler. After a case of mistaken identity, The Dude is introduced to a millionaire also named Jeffrey Lebowski. When the millionaire Lebowski's trophy wife is kidnapped, he commissions The Dude to deliver the ransom to secure her release. The plan goes awry when the Dude's friend Walter Sobchak schemes to keep the full ransom. Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, and John Turturro also star, with Philip Seymour Hoffman, David Huddleston, and Tara Reid appearing in supporting roles. There is some narration at the beginning and towards the end by a cowboy known only as "The Stranger", played by Sam Elliott. The film is loosely inspired by the work of Raymond Chandler. Joel Coen stated: "We wanted to do a Chandler kind of story – how it moves episodically, and deals with the characters trying to unravel a mystery, as well as having a hopelessly complex plot that's ultimately unimportant". The original score was composed by Carter Burwell, a longtime collaborator of the Coen Brothers.