Plot Summary

The Big Lebowski follows the absurd misadventures of Jeffrey Lebowski, better known as “the Dude,” a laid-back and perpetually unemployed man who spends his days bowling and avoiding responsibility. His quiet routine is interrupted when two gangsters mistakenly break into his apartment, demanding repayment of a debt owed by someone else with the same name.

After the intruders vandalize his home—most notably by ruining his beloved rug, which the Dude believes “really tied the room together”—he sets out to seek compensation. This leads him to meet another man named Lebowski, a wealthy and influential figure who could not be more different from him.

The encounter unexpectedly lands the Dude a job: he is tasked with delivering a ransom to secure the release of Lebowski’s supposedly kidnapped wife. What initially seems like an easy way to earn some money quickly spirals into a tangled web of deception, missing money, eccentric characters, and escalating chaos.

As events grow increasingly bizarre, the Dude finds himself drifting through a series of misunderstandings and criminal schemes far beyond his control. The Big Lebowski stands as a cult classic, blending offbeat humor, noir-inspired crime elements, and unforgettable characters into a uniquely irreverent portrait of modern American slackerdom.