Big Business (1988) Touchstone/Comedy RT: 97 minutes Rated PG (language, sexual innuendo and references) Director: Jim Abrahams Screenplay: Dori Pierson and Marc Rubel Music: Lee Holdridge Cinematography: Dean Cundey Release date: June 10, 1988 (US) Cast: Bette Midler, Lily Tomlin, Fred Ward, Michael Gross, Edward Herrmann, Barry Primus, Michele Placido, Seth Green, Daniel Gerroll, Joe Grifasi, Mary Gross, John Hancock, Nicholas Coster, Deborah Rush, J.C. Quinn, Patricia Gaul, John Vickery, Leo Burmester, Lucy Webb. Box Office: $40.1M (US)
Rating: ** ½
One would hope that a movie with the combined talents of Bette Midler (Ruthless People), Lily Tomlin (Nine to Five) and Airplane co-director Jim Abrahams would be awesome. Alas, Big Business falls way below expectations. It has a few laughs, but leaves the viewer desiring a lot more.
The main problem with Big Business is that it’s redundant. Midler and Tomlin play two sets of twins who constantly just miss bumping into each other at New York’s Plaza Hotel. This goes on for almost the entire movie. This type of scenario is rarely, if ever, funny, especially for a sustained period of time. It shows a considerable lack of creativity among the writers.
Big Business starts with a solid premise- two sets of identical twins mixed at birth- that brims with possibilities. After a fairly promising beginning, it devolves into a routine farce with all the expected gags about people mistaking one twin for another. While it’s disappointing the makers couldn’t come up with anything better, the movie itself isn’t too bad. Some of it is rather amusing. It’s one of those entertaining-at-the-moment movies that don’t stand up to close scrutiny afterwards.
The story begins in the late 40s with an affluent New York couple giving birth at the same rural hospital and at the same time as an impoverished West Virginia couple. Both mothers have twin girls. The elderly nurse assisting the doctor gets them mixed up. Also, both sets of twins are named Rose and Sadie. Cut to present day New York where the Shelton sisters Sadie (Midler) and Rose (Tomlin) now run their father’s business, a major conglomerate. Sadie S. is very career-oriented; Rose S. is the nice one who’s always felt out of place. Sadie S. has plans in place to sell one of their ownings, a factory that makes wooden furniture, to an Italian businessman, Fabio (Italian actor Placido). The factory is located in Jupiter Hollow, the same town as the hospital they were born in. The same town where the other twins- Rose (Tomlin) and Sadie Ratliff (Midler)- still reside. Rose R. believes that the sale would ruin her town since many of the people work at the factory. She plans to go to New York to stop the sale. Sadie R. agrees to join her, mainly because she’s always felt out of place in Jupiter Hollow. Naturally, all sorts of confusion ensues from the moment the Ratliff sisters arrive at the airport at the same time the Shelton sisters are supposed to pick up Fabio.
I could sit here and try to explain in detail the romantic complications of the central characters, but that would take up too much space and it wouldn’t be all that interesting. Instead, I’ll approach it from a different angle by saying that Big Business benefits largely from a likable supporting cast. Fred Ward (Tremors) plays Rose R’s boyfriend from back home who follows her to New York. Michael Gross (Family Ties) plays the other Rose’s ex-boyfriend. Barry Primus (The Rose) plays Sadie S’s ex-husband who doesn’t like how she spoils their uncontrollable son (Green, Family Guy). I think you can see where this is going.
A lot happens in Big Business yet it still feels like a half-finished movie. It’s all build-up and no follow-through. You keep waiting for the big payoff, the moment when all four women are in the same place at the same time. When they finally do meet, nothing happens. After the initial shock, you’d think they’d take a moment or two to figure out what happened, but no. This should have been the movie’s money centerpiece.
Overall, Big Business is something of a letdown. It really should have been better than it is. What ultimately saves it is the chemistry between its two leads. I like Midler a lot, but the movie’s PG rating puts her on a short leash. Tomlin is usually great as well. It’s too bad they’re saddled with a substandard script. As for the twin effects, they’re a step up from The Patty Duke Show. Big Business is a watchable movie, but given the talent involved it should be much more than just watchable.
