MoviesForAM "Big Business" had received very mixed reviews upon its release. Perhaps the critics did not anticipate how lousy many mainstream comedies would get as the decades went on. The film is so well executed in plot, comic timing, performances and visuals. Bette Midler actually should have won the Oscar for Best Actress for "Big Business," but the Academy never takes comic roles seriously when it comes to such an honor. Midler's energy and her comedy are expert in "Big Business." The movie is entirely charming and consistently entertaining. Supporting roles are terrifically performed. The comedy and the satire has endured. There are few mainstream movies as underrated as "Big Business."

FlashCallahan In a small town, two sets of identical twins are born in the same hospital on the same night. One pair to a poor local family and the other pair to a rich family passing through the small town . The nurse on duty mixes the twins by mistake unbeknown to the parents. Flash forward to the eighties, and the twins are about to cross paths following a business deal to close down a factory that has mutual connotations the both pairs of twins.....Its a Bette Midler vehicle for sure, and the back end of the eighties were just hit after hit for her. But the quality wasn't always there, and despite Midler and Tom,in being really good, it's not got the venom that her other films had, a really dark streak was needed in this.What we get is a running joke of the nice Tomlin/Midler talking to someone, and then the not so nice Tomlin/Midler talking to the same person, leaving the camera on said person looking highly confused.Its funny the first couple of times, but then the film begins to rely on that one joke.It's typically eighties fodder, high heels, big hair, and shoulder pads, featuring a brilliant song during the end credits.It would probably hold some nostalgia value to someone who saw it when it first came out, but for me, it's pretty average stuff.

vintkd "Big Business" is one of my favorite comedy from my childhood but to really understand its humor I could just today. Superstars of comedies from 80s Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin on the screen played several characters and done it perfect and very laughable. They were changing their images literally every second and looked very naturally. I like in this movie what everything happens very fast and dynamically and you don't boring no one minute. It's very important what humor in "Big Business" is very kind and not vulgar and therefore it's a perfect movie for evening watching with family. By the way I was nice surprised seen in this film an Italian actor Michele Placido, who I remember as Commissario Corrado Cattani from excellent old TV show "La piovra". He was a hero for me and my friends in my childhood. Then he was very serious and brutal but in "Big Business" he is incredibly funny and it's stunningly.

ianlouisiana 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?