Big Business (1988)

Bette Midler (THE FIRST WIVES CLUB, BEACHES) and Lily Tomlin (DISNEY'S THE KID, ALL OF ME, 9 TO 5) -- the first ladies of laughter -- star in this critically acclaimed box office hit about two sets of identical twins who are mismatched at birth. Forty years later, their paths cross amid the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, and the result is unrestrained pandemonium. New York's opulent Plaza Hotel is the setting for a wildly hilarious, classic case of mistaken identities, split personalities, and double trouble! With the unparalleled comedic talents of Midler and Tomlin, two's company ... four's a riot!

BIG BUISNESS

When I was a kid, I had a tape with Big Buisness and Beetlejuice on, recorded off the TV. Both COMPLETELY different movies but I loved and still love both of them.

Big Buisness is one of THE funniest movies I have EVER seen, I NEVER get bored in the slightest watching it. I will say that Lily Tomlin is great as Rose (both twins) but Bette Midler steals the show and makes Big Buisness the movie that it is, I would actually say that Bette Midler and Sandra Bullock are equal as THE best comedy actresses EVER, her character, Sadie (again, both twins) is hilarious!

The movie starts with an upper class set of parents and a lower class set of parents both going to the hospital to have their kids, they end up in a very small and basic hospital and the nanny mixes the two sets of twins up. The upper class twins end up running a very successful buisness which was their Dad's and the lower class set of twins end up trying to save their home town getting destroyed, except the upper class Rose and the lower class Sadie aren't completely happy with their lives and both want to do the exact opposite of what they're doing, it was as if they were seperated at birth, ha ha.

That's the basic storyline but it really is a brilliant comedy, Bette Midler may have a good voice and made a classic song with "Wind Beneath My Wings" but she is at her best when she is making a comedy movie.

5 stars out of 5. December 17, 2008

Big Business

This is one of the funniest movies EVER!!

If you like Lily Tomlin and/or Bette Midler, you will LOVE this movie! September 5, 2008

Nature or Nurture, Disney Won't Decide

This film approaches the nature vs. nurture debate in comedic tones, but in politically correct Disney fashion, they never pick a side.

"Big Business" is an entertaining comedy. It is also a Disney product through and through. It is created by the same corporation that made "The Parent Trap" and it shows. This is a film based on the same mistaken identity and fish out of water genres.

I am with the folks that believe Disney created the Touchstone name so they could cash in on movies that include cussing and nudity, but still maintain their wholesome image. However, I do acknowledge that this film has neither of those, which is good, because if anyone was separated at birth I'm betting it was Lily Tomlin and Mick Jagger. The filmmakers do hurl a not so subtle rock at their chief competitor, Mr. Weinstein by dubbing the evil corporation of the film "Moramax."

Technically writing, the digital transfer is weak. The techs did nothing to improve the look of the film it is often grainy and the special effects are dated, with jarring color differences between the twins and their "clones." Touchstone added no features to the DVD, not even cast bios.

Some of the "cameos" were fun, but one wasn't. I enjoyed seeing a young Seth Meyers as the spoiled child and Louis Rukeyser of "Wall Street Week" getting beaten with a purse. The World Trade Center's twin towers were in several shots and that always takes me out of a film for a few moments.

Interesting choice for the writers/producers to go contrary to type and name red-head rose Midler's character "Sadie" and Tomlin's non-traditional character "Rose."

One must suspend a whole truckload of disbelief to swallow the premise that two sets of twins are born at the same moment at the same rural hospital, mixed up, named the same and then cross paths, multiple times 50 years later without seeing eachother. It is extremely contrived, to say the least. But...if you can do that, you'll be rewarded with a very funny, entertaining hour and a half.











July 6, 2008

comedic case of mistaken identities

I remember watching this as a young kid with my mother. I was surprised when this was released on DVD and bought myself a copy.

*Big Business* still cracked me up. Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin both play a set of twins. At a small hospital in a small town, Jupiter Hollow, a visiting rich couple give birth to twin girls. At the same time, a local poor couple give birth to twin girls. However, an overwhelmed nurse misplaces one girl with another girl in their cribs.

Fast-forward to their adulthood...the rich twin girls take over their father's company. Rich Sadie (Midler) wants to cut her losses and sell Jupiter Hollow. Rich Rose (Tomlin) is just not into this whole corporate world and just simply follows what Sadie wants. Meanwhile, Poor Rose wants to go to New York and give them a piece of her mind about this whole shebang. Poor Sadie just wants to taste the city life of NYC.

Pretty soon, they'll meet and have a moment they'll never forget.

*Big Business* is hilarious, especially with Rich Rose's obsession with pastries. Tomlin just cracks me up.

A classic, indeed! February 6, 2008

Lily Tomlin Rocks

Big Business rocks. It's one of the greatest movies ever made.
Get smart and see it.
This needs to be remastered and re-released. It's a shamed to
see the picture looking so old. January 10, 2008

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