Big Business (1988)

Beautiful, moving film.

A Masterpiece!

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Reworking of the main gag in 1970's "Start the Revolution Without Me" has a rich couple from New York City, driving through a small southern town, checking into a bumpkin hospital where the wife delivers twins--two girls; at the same time, in the same befuddled hospital, a local woman also delivers twins--two girls. The joke, of course, is: one of the city babies is switched with one of the daughters from the farm family and, many years later, they all meet up at the Plaza Hotel. Bright, funny comedy, one of Bette Midler's better efforts for Touchstone, although it takes its time getting started. Once the action moves to the Plaza, it becomes less a vehicle for stars Midler and Lily Tomlin than a visual effects-driven farce with overtures to the 1930s. Tomlin's small town fussbudget is colorful, but her big city counterpart never takes shape, and she doesn't quite click with Midler (one may argue their characters are not related and therefore shouldn't click, but Tomlin's timing is very different from her co-star's, and she doesn't segue into brash slapstick comfortably). There's a great deal of incidental plotting revolving around the main action, with nutty characters continually popping up, but the jokes are freshest and funniest when director Jim Abrahams simply sets the camera on Bette Midler and lets her go. The editing is sloppy and abbreviates some of Midler's liveliest moments, yet Bette is very amusing when she's allowed to take charge. Fred Ward also appealing as a country rube who loves one or both of the Tomlins--although this pairing, too, lacks charisma (it's a plot device, like much of the rest of "Big Business"). *** from ****

Nobody in the eighties made a huge success than Bette Midler,she was a comedy's Queen in that period,like this movie who she plays twice,if one Bette Midler is good try to imagine on double acting...fantastic,this turn she plays a rich and arrogant business woman instead your twin sister who is poor and friendly,together with another twin sister played by Lily Tomlin not so funny this time,when all sister end up meeting the confusion is done,all kind weird situation was placed in this clever comedy,Bette as unmistakable style as walk and as talk...singular to say at minimum!!! Resume: First watch: 2007 / How many: 2 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.5

I know farce is supposed to be fast and furious but it is also supposed to be funny and unfortunately "Big Business"(absolutely no connection with the Laurel and Hardy masterpiece of the same name)isn't.Miss Midler and Miss Tomlin squeal,shout,wriggle and giggle to very little effect indeed. Whether playing country gals from Jupiter Holler or Manhattan sophisticates they merely go into their respective schticks no matter if it helps or hinders the creaking plot that was old when Shakespeare gave it a lick of paint. Both ladies have large vociferous followings whom I would hate to offend but I must in all honesty say that I find them an acquired taste.Perhaps it's me. The whole ragbag of identity jokes is ravaged without shame but "Big Business" brings nothing new to the party. However,if you are amongst the Midler/Tomlin fanbase you will already be ignoring me and settling down in front of your DVD with your cans of Stella and Indian Takeaway ready to belch and burp your way through it.Er,sorry,did I get that bit wrong?

This is one of those movies that has a lot of jokes and a lot of different relationships going on (two sets of identical twins with their significant others). I actually watch this film whenever it is on television and it just comes across as a no-brainer type movie without much to say. Just watch it and say "Ho-Hum." The backup actors to Tomlin and Midler actually have better lines to work with. Maybe the character of rich Midler needed to be super mean to make this more than a seven out of ten. But the show really never went anywhere but it had a candy bar ending which probably saved it for the rerun mill on television.