With the fourth overall pick, team Clint Eastwood (no allusion to the No. 1 overall selection, this team name was decided long beforehand!) is pleased to select, in the category of Comedy, The Big Lebowski.
(clips to come)
This movie opened at number 6 in 1998 (while Titanic was still enjoying its obscene Number One streak) and grossed less than $50 million worldwide during its theatrical run (box office information
here). The film has since become a cult phenomenon, spawning legions of fans and imitators and Rocky Horror-esque midnight screenings where people dressed up as the Dude congregate to get high and drink White Russians.
As a comedy, this movie for me seems to get funnier every time I see it. The laughs don't get old so much as they renew themselves; I've seen this movie so many times with so many people it's almost like a reunion with old friends.
If time permitted I could try to get into a discussion on how this movie subverts the detective genre or its function as a commentary on the Gulf War, but at this point suffice it to say that these deeper contexts make this movie more than just a stoner comedy (which this movie does better than most stoner comedies to begin with); the latter of which being pervasive enough given current the current state of affairs that this movie still has, and will likely continue to have, great meaning as far as a humorous perspective on our Western culture.
I thought about going with a heavyweight selection for the 4th overall pick but I wanted to ensure this film was part of my roster and I think it is a great example of how comedies can be just as effective as, if not moreso than, other genres and styles of film in communicating a provocative and enduring text.
