The Big Lebowski’s 10 Funniest Scenes

Although it was met with a lukewarm reception from critics and disappointment at the box office, The Big Lebowski has gone on to be remembered as a crime comedy classic. The Coen brothers’ curious blend of a Chandleresque mystery story and a stoner comedy is one of the most beloved cult hits in film history.

Even the directors themselves are confused by the Dude’s quasi-religious following. The Big Lebowski has no shortage of hysterical scenes, mostly carried by Jeff Bridges and John Goodman’s impeccable chemistry in the lead roles. So, here are the 10 funniest scenes in The Big Lebowski.

10 The Nihilists Interrupt The Dude’s Bath

At the beginning of The Big Lebowski, the Dude is enjoying a nice, quiet evening in, smoking a joint in his bathtub. Then, three nihilists break into his place and demand ransom money, mistaking him for a different Jeffrey Lebowski.

One of the nihilists pees on his rug, which really tied the room together, while another one shoves his head in the toilet. The way the Dude handles this situation is hysterical.

9 The Dude And Walter Make Funeral Arrangements For Donny

In the parking lot of the bowling alley, when the nihilists who burned the Dude’s car attack him, Donny ends up having a heart attack and dying amid the commotion.

As the Dude and Walter attempt to make funeral arrangements, Walter becomes irate at the funeral director’s fees: “Just because we’re bereaved, that doesn’t make us saps!”

8 The Dream Sequence

There are a couple of dream sequences in The Big Lebowski, brought to life with visual flair by the Coens, but the most exciting one comes when Jackie Treehorn drugs the Dude’s drink.

He has hallucinations ranging from a giant bowling ball rolling toward him to the nihilists running after him in a black void with a large pair of scissors.

7 “Smokey, My Friend, You Are Entering A World Of Pain.”

When Walter spots Smokey’s foot going over the line in a league game, he tells him to mark his shot zero. However, Smokey is determined to mark it eight. So, Walter tells Smokey he’s “entering a world of pain” and takes a handgun out of his bowling bag.

He points it at Smokey and cries out, “Has the whole world gone crazy? Am I the only one around here who gives a sh*t about the rules? Mark it zero!”

6 The Dude Meets The Other Jeffrey Lebowski

What bothers the Dude about the other Jeffrey Lebowski isn’t the fact that Lebowski looks down his nose at him and desperately wants to belittle him, but rather the fact that he keeps calling him “Mr. Lebowski,” as opposed to his chosen name, “the Dude.”

So, he explains, “I am not Mr. Lebowski. You’re Mr. Lebowski. I’m the Dude. So, that’s what you call me. You know, that, or ‘His Dudeness,’ or ‘Duder,’ or ‘El Duderino,’ if you’re not into the whole brevity thing.”

5 The Stranger Ends The Movie

There’s something soothing about Sam Elliott’s voice, so his monologues that both open and close The Big Lebowski are a delight. The Coens wanted to cast “a Sam Elliott type” as the Stranger, so they were over the moon when Sam Elliott himself answered the casting call.

4 Jesus Quintana’s Introduction

The Coen brothers’ films are renowned for their memorable minor characters. Their lead characters are always interesting, of course, from Llewyn Davis to Llewelyn Moss, but their minor characters often steal their brief handful of scenes.

Jesus Quintana from The Big Lebowski is a prime example. The Coens allowed John Turturro to come up with a lot of his own ideas for the character. His introduction, set to a Spanish-language cover of “Hotel California,” is a priceless moment.

3 “You Want A Toe? I Can Get You A Toe.”

When the Dude is sent Bunny’s severed toe in the mail, Walter maintains his theory that she kidnapped herself. The Dude sees the toe as hard evidence that he’s wrong, but Walter thinks the whole thing can easily be faked.

Walter says, “You want a toe? I can get you a toe, believe me. There are ways, Dude. You don’t wanna know about it, believe me. Hell, I can get you a toe by three o’clock this afternoon.”

2 Walter Scatters Donny’s Ashes Into The Wind

Following Donny’s fatal heart attack, the Dude and Walter take his ashes out to the beach in a Folgers-brand ground coffee tin to scatter them into the ocean.

However, since the wind is blowing against them, the ashes fly back in their faces — particularly the Dude’s, in a hilarious closeup — as Walter scatters them.

1 “This Is What Happens, Larry!”

When the Dude’s car is recovered and a homework essay written by a kid named Larry is found inside it, Walter becomes convinced that Larry stole the money. They arrive at his house and see a sports car parked outside, which Walter assumes Larry bought with the stolen money.

Larry doesn’t crack under questioning, so Walter takes a crowbar out to the sidewalk and starts bashing the car. However, it turns out to belong to one of Larry’s neighbors, who’s horrified to see the damage.

About The Author

Ben Sherlock
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Ben Sherlock is a writer, comedian, independent filmmaker, and Burt Reynolds enthusiast. He writes lists for Screen Rant and features and reviews for Game Rant. He’s currently in pre-production on his first feature (and has been for a while, because filmmaking is expensive). You can catch him performing standup at odd pubs around the UK that will give him stage time. Previously, he wrote for Taste of Cinema, Comic Book Resources, and BabbleTop.

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