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Big Business

Play trailer Poster for Big Business PG 1988 1h 37m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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52% Tomatometer 23 Reviews 69% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Two sets of twins born in the small town of Jupiter Hollow are mixed up by a confused nurse. The parents -- one set poor local farmers, the other wealthy socialites just passing through -- are none the wiser and take the twins home. Now, some 40 years later, the wealthy pair (Bette Midler, Lily Tomlin) are involved in a business deal to buy and close down a factory in Jupiter Hollow. Hearing the news, the other set of twins travels to New York City to try and stop the sale.
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Big Business

Critics Reviews

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Pauline Kael The New Yorker 09/15/2023
Midler is a classic figure -- a grinning urchin out of Volpone. Her appetite is the audience’s appetite. It’s as if she and we were passing a flask of euphoria back and forth. Go to Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times 01/01/2000
2/4
People running into each other can be funny, but when they just miss, what are we supposed to do? Slap our knees and say, "Lord a-mighty, they dern near ran into each other and wouldn't that have been funny!" Go to Full Review Quentin Crisp Christopher Street 05/07/2024
This is easily the most enjoyable film that we have seen since Down and Out in Beverly Hills. Go to Full Review Kristin Battestella InSession Film 07/25/2023
Midler and Tomlin master four separate characterizations with zingers, press on nails, mint juleps, and sass to match. Go to Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com 06/07/2023
3/5
…Midler is in her element here; she’s the motor that keeps Big Business on track to deliver on the promise of double trouble… Go to Full Review Michael Bronski Gay Community News (Boston) 09/15/2022
The problem here is that beyond the premise of grand farce there is no script, just a series of formula misunderstandings without much sense or feeling behind them. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Pincho P @RT62651033 Aug 18 This is a must see oldie, where twins get mixed up, one set rich city dwellers, the other set country bumkins. Once they start getting mistaken for each other the fun begins. If you have seen Laurel, and Hardy Our Relatives then you get the picture. See more Hollie R @RT89957143 08/15/2025 So many childhood memories with this movie! I’m not sure how many times I’ve watched it, but a lot in my younger years when block buster was 5 movies for $10! See more Stephen C @bob25009 07/09/2025 Funny in 1 hour and 37 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $39,600,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more thiago s @Thiagostone 03/10/2025 Filme ruim, o roteiro é fraco, o elenco é ruim, as cenas são fracas e nenhuma cena relevante para Filme ser bom, e as protagonistas são muitos ruins e deixam o filme ruim, com isso, eu não recomendo esse filme. See more Amelia A @RT49304715 12/09/2024 A delightful comedy from the late 80's. Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin are twice the perfect duo in this classic tale of swapped twins and romantic mishaps, with New York as the glamorous setting of the evil business vs rural town showdown. What's not to love? Even if a couple of gags have been since done to exhaustion, the movie remains fresh and perfectly enjoyable. See more Da Nugster Joel N @d4nu65t3r 09/04/2024 bette and lily are a riot. See more Read all reviews
Big Business

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Cast & Crew

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Jim Abrahams

Director

Bette Midler

Sadie Ratliff

Lily Tomlin

Rose Ratliff

Fred Ward

Roone Dimmick

Edward Herrmann

Graham Sherbourne

Michele Placido

Fabio Alberici

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Big Business

Big Business (1988) Big Business (1988) Big Business (1988) Big Business (1988) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Two sets of twins born in the small town of Jupiter Hollow are mixed up by a confused nurse. The parents -- one set poor local farmers, the other wealthy socialites just passing through -- are none the wiser and take the twins home. Now, some 40 years later, the wealthy pair (Bette Midler, Lily Tomlin) are involved in a business deal to buy and close down a factory in Jupiter Hollow. Hearing the news, the other set of twins travels to New York City to try and stop the sale.
Director
Jim Abrahams
Producer
Michael Peyser, Steve Tisch
Screenwriter
Dori Pierson, Marc Rubel
Distributor
Touchstone Pictures
Production Co
Touchstone Pictures, Silver Screen Partners III
Rating
PG
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 10, 1988, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 18, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$39.6M
Runtime
1h 37m
Sound Mix
Surround
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