The Big Lebowski showcases the best of the Coen brothers’ comedic talents—lovably ridiculous characters, hilarious echolalic wordplay, and delightful sight gags—making this one of their most successful pure comedies. But just as effectively, Lebowski functions as Coen brothers wisdom literature. If A Serious Man is their Book of Job, then this film is their Ecclesiastes. By puncturing numerous archetypes of American manhood—the cowboy, hippie, self-made millionaire, obsessive sportsman, war hero, film noir detective, Hollywood bigshot—we are shown that all is vanity. And while all is ephemeral (toes with green nail polish, a rug that really tied the room together, and life itself), the world and our relationships (as exemplified by the transcendence of the bowling alley and the bond between the Dude and his hapless sidekick Walter) are beautiful things to be cherished.
—Andrew Spitznas