Ethan and Joel Coen have carved out their niche as America's preeminent independent filmmakers. Their films are quirky, arresting, comic, and intelligent. Not given to talking publicly about their work, they have given access to William Preston Robertson and Tricia Cooke to interview the cast and crew of their latest film, The Big Lebowski. In a prose style that complements the Coens's filmic one, the book discusses the Coens's oeuvre, the themes of their films, their atypical brand of humor, their craft and their artistic vision. Several scenes of The Big Lebowski are examined closely to see how the movie goes from idea to reality, making this an ideal book for fans, filmmakers, and filmmaking students. The Big Lebowski is a razor-sharp comedy thriller of mistaken identity, gangsters, bowling, kidnapping, and money gone astray, written by the Coens, directed by Joel Coen, and produced by Ethan Coen. In addition to Jeff Bridges and John Goodman, the film stars Steve Buscemi, Julianne Moore, John Turturro, Willem DaFoe, Sam Elliot, and Ben Gazzara.