The Big Lebowski

Dir. Joel and Ethan Coen. 1998, 117 mins. U.S. 4K Restored DCP. With Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Peter Stormare, Ben Gazzara, David Huddleston, John Turturro, Flea.  Some movies are cultural touchstones for a reason. The Big Lebowski, the Coen brothers’ funniest film, is a scene-to-scene blast, expertly folding an endless array of visual jokes and verbal gags into an absurdly convoluted plot that casts unemployed, eternally stoned Los Angeles bowling bum Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski (Bridges, in one of the movies’ great comic performances) as a loser Philip Marlowe, reluctantly investigating the kidnapping of the trophy wife of a wealthy local with whom he shares a name. Set in the politically volatile early nineties, the film taps into the Coens’ brand of fatalistic American pop existentialism, in which people get caught up in violent plots that end up revealing little more than the circular nothingness of life—while somehow making us laugh constantly. The extraordinary supporting cast includes Goodman as the Dude’s loose-cannon Vietnam vet best pal and Moore as a pretentious local artist who ropes the Dude into a scheme of her own.  

Tickets: $15 / $11 senior and students / $9 youth (ages 3–17) / discounted for MoMI members ($7–$11). There is a $1.50 transaction fee per ticket for all online purchases. The cost of admission may be applied toward a same-day purchase of a membership. 

Order tickets. Please pick up tickets at the Museum’s admissions desk upon arrival. All seating is general admission.