Two sets of twin sisters were born on the same day in the same rural hospital; one of each pair was placed with the wrong mother. Now one of them is rich and about to put everyone in the rural town where they born out of work, and it’s up to the other pair to stop them. Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin show off their comedic gifts in a pair of dual roles in Big Business, a raucously funny case of mistaken identity; Mill Creek has released it on Blu-ray at a very reasonable price.
Big Business (1988)
Studio: Touchstone (Distributed by Mill Creek)
Year: 1988
Rated: PG
Length: 98 Minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Resolution: 1080p
Languages: English 2.0 DTS-HD MA
Subtitles: none
MSRP: $9.98
Film Release Date: June 10, 1988
Disc Release Date: May 10, 2011
Review Date: September 22, 2011
The Movie:
3.5/5
Mistaken identity has been a literary device at least as far back as the Roman Era, when Plautus wrote Menaechmi; centuries later, William Shakespeare adapted it and another Plautus play to write The Comedy of Errors, while later still, Mark Twain used the device as the catalyst for the plot of The Prince and the Pauper. The Disney studio has used it more than once, in two direct adaptations of Twain’s novel (a live-action Wonderful World of Disney three-part mini-series in 1962 and an animated featurette starring Mickey Mouse), the two versions of The Parent Trap, and the two versions of Freaky Friday. Additionally, news reports about babies being switched at birth by hospitals had captured the attention of the public in the late 1980s. Combine these elements, mix in a bit of David-and-Goliath, and hand them to two eminently gifted comediennes, and the result is Big Business, a very funny, very farcial twist on those themes.
Sometime in the 1940s, wealthy New Yorkers Hunt Shelton (Nicolas Coster) and his pregnant wife Binky (Deborah Rush) are driving through the country, when Binky goes into labor. She demands to find the nearest hospital, which happens to be in the rural town Jupiter Hollow, West Virginia. The main industry here is Hollowmade Furniture, which also owns many services in town including the hospital. Rather than wait around for a room, the Sheltons buy Hollowmade so Binky can give birth. At the same time, Garth and Iona Ratliff (J.C. Quinn and Patricia Gaul, respectively) are expecting a baby; she is taken to the same hospital. After both mothers give birth to identical baby girls, a harried nurse accidentally puts one of each set with the wrong mother; both are given the names Sadie and Rose.
Flash forward to the 1980s: Sadie Shelton (Bette Midler) is the tough-as-nails, heartless CEO of Moramax, a large New York-based conglomerate; her flaky sister Rose (Lily Tomlin) is the vice-president. When Sadie announces plans to sell Hollowmade to Italian investor Fabio Alberici (Michele Placido), the folks in Jupiter Hollow are up in arms. Rose Ratliff (Tomlin), who works at the factory, plans to go to New York to put a stop to it, while her sister Sadie (Midler), who wants more than rural life has to offer, is eager to take a bite out of the Big Apple. When they reach New York, they end up in the Shelton sisters’ limo, sparking a string of misunderstandings and mishaps, entangling two gay Moramax assistants (Edward Herrmann and Daniel Gerroll) who have to find the Ratliff sisters, and the men in the ladies’ lives (Fred Ward, Michael Gross, and Barry Primus).
While well-constructed and often hilarious, the plot of Big Business is as improbable as they come. But when something works, it just does, and this film works well in no small part thanks to the efforts of its two stars and its director. Bette Midler, in her fourth film for Touchstone after Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Ruthless People, and Outrageous Fortune, and Lily Tomlin have exceptional chemistry in both of their respective roles as well as a wonderful way with the snappy one-liners they’ve been given; while the idea of Ms. Midler as a corn-fed country girl may be a bit of a stretch on paper, she makes Sadie Ratliff’s desire for a more lavish urban lifestyle shine through. Director Jim Abrahams, who directed Midler in Ruthless People, keeps the pace sprightly and the tone light, preventing the film’s anti-corporate themes from becoming ham-fisted. The supporting cast does a fine job of supporting the stars—especially Fred Ward, who has a very funny scene where his character, professional mini-golfer Roone Dimmick, is clueless to the real nature of the two Moramax assistants’ personal relationship, as well as a touching one where he explains exactly what makes Jupiter Hollow worth saving—but it’s Bette and Lily’s show from beginning to end. In a year whose cinematic comedy offerings included Coming to America, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, A Fish Called Wanda, The Naked Gun, Big, Scrooged, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Big Business did moderately big business, grossing $40,150,487, making it 27th for the year.
The Video:
3/5
The film is presented in an AVC-encoded transfer at its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Having reviewed a number of 1980s comedies lately, I have come to accept the fact that they will never offer the visual splendor of Disney animated classics, Technicolor extravaganzas, or widescreen roadshow musicals and epics, and I have adjusted my expectations accordingly. The transfer accurately reflects the way the film has always looked, with average contrast, a subdued color palette, warm fleshtones, and few bright primaries. There is also a fair bit of grain, which is heavier in some shots than others; thankfully, Mill Creek has left it alone and not subjected it to DNR or Edge Enhancement that could make things worse. I also could not find any banding or compression artifacts.
The Audio:
4/5
The film’s Dolby Stereo soundtrack is represented here as a 2.0 DTS-HD MA track. The audio really comes alive thanks to Lee Holdridge’s score, with active use of the surrounds and a good balance of low, medium, and high frequencies; strings and horns have a real kick to them, as do the drum machines—which instantly gives away the film’s 1980s origins. Dialogue is clear and intelligible, and there are few anomalies save for those inherent in the use of Benny Goodman’s 1938 recording of “Sing Sing Sing (With a Swing)”.
The Extras:
0/5
There was nothing on the DVD, and Mill Creek has added nothing to the Blu-Ray.
Final Score:
3/5
Big Business is a raucous romp that gives Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin a chance to show off their comedic talents; they take that chance and get a huge payoff from their efforts. Despite its bare-bones status, Mill Creek has made it available at a low price that should make it the upgrade from the DVD worth it.
Studio: Touchstone (Distributed by Mill Creek)
Year: 1988
Rated: PG
Length: 98 Minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Resolution: 1080p
Languages: English 2.0 DTS-HD MA
Subtitles: none
MSRP: $9.98
Film Release Date: June 10, 1988
Disc Release Date: May 10, 2011
Review Date: September 22, 2011
The Movie:
3.5/5
Mistaken identity has been a literary device at least as far back as the Roman Era, when Plautus wrote Menaechmi; centuries later, William Shakespeare adapted it and another Plautus play to write The Comedy of Errors, while later still, Mark Twain used the device as the catalyst for the plot of The Prince and the Pauper. The Disney studio has used it more than once, in two direct adaptations of Twain’s novel (a live-action Wonderful World of Disney three-part mini-series in 1962 and an animated featurette starring Mickey Mouse), the two versions of The Parent Trap, and the two versions of Freaky Friday. Additionally, news reports about babies being switched at birth by hospitals had captured the attention of the public in the late 1980s. Combine these elements, mix in a bit of David-and-Goliath, and hand them to two eminently gifted comediennes, and the result is Big Business, a very funny, very farcial twist on those themes.
Sometime in the 1940s, wealthy New Yorkers Hunt Shelton (Nicolas Coster) and his pregnant wife Binky (Deborah Rush) are driving through the country, when Binky goes into labor. She demands to find the nearest hospital, which happens to be in the rural town Jupiter Hollow, West Virginia. The main industry here is Hollowmade Furniture, which also owns many services in town including the hospital. Rather than wait around for a room, the Sheltons buy Hollowmade so Binky can give birth. At the same time, Garth and Iona Ratliff (J.C. Quinn and Patricia Gaul, respectively) are expecting a baby; she is taken to the same hospital. After both mothers give birth to identical baby girls, a harried nurse accidentally puts one of each set with the wrong mother; both are given the names Sadie and Rose.
Flash forward to the 1980s: Sadie Shelton (Bette Midler) is the tough-as-nails, heartless CEO of Moramax, a large New York-based conglomerate; her flaky sister Rose (Lily Tomlin) is the vice-president. When Sadie announces plans to sell Hollowmade to Italian investor Fabio Alberici (Michele Placido), the folks in Jupiter Hollow are up in arms. Rose Ratliff (Tomlin), who works at the factory, plans to go to New York to put a stop to it, while her sister Sadie (Midler), who wants more than rural life has to offer, is eager to take a bite out of the Big Apple. When they reach New York, they end up in the Shelton sisters’ limo, sparking a string of misunderstandings and mishaps, entangling two gay Moramax assistants (Edward Herrmann and Daniel Gerroll) who have to find the Ratliff sisters, and the men in the ladies’ lives (Fred Ward, Michael Gross, and Barry Primus).
While well-constructed and often hilarious, the plot of Big Business is as improbable as they come. But when something works, it just does, and this film works well in no small part thanks to the efforts of its two stars and its director. Bette Midler, in her fourth film for Touchstone after Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Ruthless People, and Outrageous Fortune, and Lily Tomlin have exceptional chemistry in both of their respective roles as well as a wonderful way with the snappy one-liners they’ve been given; while the idea of Ms. Midler as a corn-fed country girl may be a bit of a stretch on paper, she makes Sadie Ratliff’s desire for a more lavish urban lifestyle shine through. Director Jim Abrahams, who directed Midler in Ruthless People, keeps the pace sprightly and the tone light, preventing the film’s anti-corporate themes from becoming ham-fisted. The supporting cast does a fine job of supporting the stars—especially Fred Ward, who has a very funny scene where his character, professional mini-golfer Roone Dimmick, is clueless to the real nature of the two Moramax assistants’ personal relationship, as well as a touching one where he explains exactly what makes Jupiter Hollow worth saving—but it’s Bette and Lily’s show from beginning to end. In a year whose cinematic comedy offerings included Coming to America, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, A Fish Called Wanda, The Naked Gun, Big, Scrooged, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Big Business did moderately big business, grossing $40,150,487, making it 27th for the year.
The Video:
3/5
The film is presented in an AVC-encoded transfer at its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Having reviewed a number of 1980s comedies lately, I have come to accept the fact that they will never offer the visual splendor of Disney animated classics, Technicolor extravaganzas, or widescreen roadshow musicals and epics, and I have adjusted my expectations accordingly. The transfer accurately reflects the way the film has always looked, with average contrast, a subdued color palette, warm fleshtones, and few bright primaries. There is also a fair bit of grain, which is heavier in some shots than others; thankfully, Mill Creek has left it alone and not subjected it to DNR or Edge Enhancement that could make things worse. I also could not find any banding or compression artifacts.
The Audio:
4/5
The film’s Dolby Stereo soundtrack is represented here as a 2.0 DTS-HD MA track. The audio really comes alive thanks to Lee Holdridge’s score, with active use of the surrounds and a good balance of low, medium, and high frequencies; strings and horns have a real kick to them, as do the drum machines—which instantly gives away the film’s 1980s origins. Dialogue is clear and intelligible, and there are few anomalies save for those inherent in the use of Benny Goodman’s 1938 recording of “Sing Sing Sing (With a Swing)”.
The Extras:
0/5
There was nothing on the DVD, and Mill Creek has added nothing to the Blu-Ray.
Final Score:
3/5
Big Business is a raucous romp that gives Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin a chance to show off their comedic talents; they take that chance and get a huge payoff from their efforts. Despite its bare-bones status, Mill Creek has made it available at a low price that should make it the upgrade from the DVD worth it.
