When Joel and Ethan Coen first asked him to take a supporting role in The Big Lebowski as Theodore Donald Kerabatsos, the mild-mannered, oft-dismissed bowling enthusiast who succumbs to a heart attack while fighting a trio of nihilists, Steve Buscemi didn’t recognize their invitation as a ticket to .
⢠Movies return this weekend to the Robins Theatre with the cult favorite “The Big Lebowski.”
The Joel and Ethan Coen film wasn’t a commercial hit when it came out in 1998. It earned less than $20 million in theaters. And following the acclaim for the Coen brothers’ “Fargo,” its critical reception was muted.
Rotten Tomatoes shows its score at 83 percent positive, but that’s mostly using reviews posted in recent years. Back in 1998, I gave it a B but called it “second-tier Coen Brothers.” Even the positive reviews were mildly dismissive even while praising it. One called it “instantly forgettable.”
“The Big Lebowski” may be a lot of things, but it definitely wasn’t forgettable.