Cult classics come in a variety of forms. There are movies that everyone should see at least once in their lives, like Star Wars, and then there are movies that have a cult following, like Pulp Fiction. But when it comes to crime comedies, The Big Lebowski is high on that list of must-sees. Some of the most memorable quotes from The Big Lebowski show off its hilarious dialogue, wacky plotline, and stellar acting from the stars including Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, and John Turturro.
If you’re interested in a a memorable crime comedy movie, this 1998 film is the perfect choice. The movie centers around Jeff Lebowski, generally referred to as “The Dude”, who is mistaken for a millionaire of the same name. All he wants is to seek restitution for his ruined rug and enlist his bowling buddies to help him out. It’s an amazing film full of hilarious moments, and these quotes from The Big Lebowski perfectly summarize the movie.
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6. “The Rug Really Tied the Room Together” The Dude
Some movies really revolve around the most random thing. For instance, John Wick is about revenge after the death of a dog. For The Big Lebowski, it’s all about a rug. That’s why this is one of the best quotes from The Big Lebowski, as it captures the whole point of the movie.
The conflict that drags the Dude out of his tranquil, laid-back mentality and comfort zone is when a bunch of hired men break into his apartment and destroy his things, like his beloved rug. To most people, there might be more valuable items that were trashed, but to the Dude, it’s all about retribution for what happened, because the rug really did tie the room together.
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5. “You Want a Toe?” Walter
The Dude is definitely the lead character in this movie, but it would be a shame to not also mention his loyal and very intense friend, Walter Sobchak. The Vietnam War veteran is slightly unstable and a bit paranoid and also deals with passive-aggression that leaks into the mission to get the rug replaced, which makes a lot of situations worse.
But thanks to his crazy nature, he gives fans some of the best quotes from The Big Lebowski. Walter is the complete opposite of the Dude and is shown when the toe is brought up.
As the Dude worries over Bunny’s kidnapping, especially after receiving a toe in the mail, Walter doesn’t believe it’s actually a threat, saying “You want a toe? I can get you a toe, believe me. There are ways, Dude. You don’t wanna know about it… I can get you a toe by three o’clock this afternoon.”
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4. “Smokey, My Friend, You Are Entering a World of Pain” Walter
Another hilarious line delivered by John Goodman’s character Walter, and perfectly shows just how intense he is, is during the two-minute scene when Walter berates fellow bowler Smokey, played by Jimmie Dale Gilmore. Smokey goes over the line during league play, which is a very small thing in the grand scheme of things.
However, Walter sees this differently, starting out by saying “This is not ‘Nam, this is bowling, there are rules.” But while the beginning is rather calm, it quickly escalates to an insane scene, where Walter threatens Smokey by saying he’s entering a world of pain, insisting he marks his score zero.
It only escalates further when he proceeds to pull out a gun and says “Am I the only one around here who cares about the rules?” The chaotic scene will forever go down in history as one of the best in The Big Lebowski.
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3. “Yeah, Well, You Know, That’s Just, Like, Your Opinion, Man” The Dude
From the exceedingly violent nature of Walter to the relaxed atmosphere of the Dude, this movie is a whirlwind of two split personalities. One of the next best quotes from The Big Lebowski is by the Dude himself when Jesus, the opponent of the Dude’s bowling team, is trashing-talking them.
Jesus believes that his team will win over theirs, and the Dude simply replies with “Yeah, well, you know, that’s just, like, your opinion, man.” You can almost hear the Dude’s voice when you read that line. While it might be a low comeback, with a very lack of effort and ferocity, it’s also the perfect one when it comes to the Dude, because he really is all about taking it easy rather than getting caught up in the drama.
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2. “This Is What Happens, Larry!” Walter
As mentioned, you can’t have someone completely chill the whole time, you need the other character that will fly off the handle in a matter of seconds. Walter is back with another one of the best quotes from The Big Lebowski.
One of the funniest lines and scenes is when Walter assumes a teenager named Larry stole his money and spent it on a sports car. But when he grabs a crowbar to smash the sports car, which he believes belongs to Larry, saying “You see what happens, Larry? See what happens?”, he’s actually met with the owner who lives in another house entirely and is furious.
The actual owner begins to attack the Dude’s car in retaliation. It’s a hilarious moment with sheer chaos and stupidity, but it’s also perfect in every way.
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1. “The Dude Abides” The Dude
When thinking of the best quotes from The Big Lebowski, none of them can reach as much fame as this famous line. At the end of the film, Sam Elliott’s “The Stranger” returns to narrate the film, but before he does, he and the Dude have a final moment in the bowling alley.
After all the crazy mishaps that the Dude went through, as well as Donny’s unfortunate end, the Dude leaves fans with this memorable quote, “The Dude abides.” The Stranger repeats this line, and before looking at the camera also says, “I don’t know about you, but I take comfort in that.”
Even though this is his final line in the movie, the meaning behind this phrase still leaves fans miffed. Maybe it all comes down to, as long as the Dude has something to sip on and a bowling lane, he’ll be content.