Quand les jumelles s'emmêlent

Mistaken identity comedy has always been something that really cracks me up. (TV's "Three's Company" comes to mind) Plots that revolve around scenes with two people thinking two completely different things is just FUNNY. "Big Business" has a couple of truly hysterical scenes (The one in the elevator nearly killed me). Maybe it helps to be in the mood, but either way, it's an enjoyable little movie with some great performances.

Forget the fact that this situation would never happen. Just have a laugh.

That this 1988 movie contains 2 sympathetic, non-stereotypical gay characters says a lot about the movie makers. There seems to have been some real care taken over what could've ended up a cheaply made throwaway farce.

Lily Tomlin and Bette Midler are simply superb in their roles as separated twins and in my view out-do Jeremy Irons in that year's other twin movie `Dead Ringers' - and he was fantastic.

This film has been criticised for not delivering laughs where you would predict them based on the film's premise. But is that a fault? Big Business builds comedic tension early on and sustains it throughout by clever use of supporting characters and the subtle way that from their scenes with them we learn about the 4 leads.

The eternal dilemma of nature v nurture is portrayed in a fairly non-preachy way coupled with a similar approach to town v country. To do this in a farce containing 4 romances plus all the rest is a tall order for any moviemaker but this rich premise is cleverly negotiated by Jim Abrahams & the writers with only a handful of misfires.

Now I'm not one for romances but the studly Fred Ward, who was unbelievably 46 years old at the time, as the whiter than white Roone Dimmick, manages an amazing feat - his meeting and courting of Lily Tomlin in the space of a few minutes is carried off quite plausibly by this accomplished and underrated actor and is a joy to behold.

10 out of 10 and a real shame that there is no more from these 2 writers.

"Big Business" is a hilarious, stylish comedy starring Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin as two sets of twins mixed at birth. One mixed set has a successful company in New York City. The other mixed set lives a simpler life in the country. The Sadie twins (Bette Midler) desire the highlife of the city; with its glitz and glamour. So, the Sadie living in the country jumps at the chance to go to New York City when her "sister" Rose needs to travel there to save their local place of employment. The Rose twins (Lily Tomlin) desire a slower way of life, and the Rose living in New York City has never felt like she belonged there. What happens next is a comedy of errors and mixed identity as the Rose and Sadie from the country prepare to do battle with the company run by the Sadie and Rose of the city. Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin both shine in their roles. The finely acted supporting cast includes Fred Ward, Edward Herrmann, and Michael Gross. The movie was very well written and filmed. The use of the trick photography when both sets of twins are together looks great. The comedy in "Big Business" is constant with its sight gags and humor ranging from cheery and campy to slick and nicely sophisticated. "Big Business" is delightful, and a comedy that's hard to outsnake when it comes to laughter.

I rushed right out and located the DVD of "Big Business," even though I knew that Disney had a bad reputation for minimal value in extras on their DVD releases. That situation has improved over time, and seeing BB in wide screen made it all worthwhile. This movie started out funny for me and has gotten better with repeated viewings. It has an excellent pedigree with Jim Abrahams directing and Dean Cundey manning the camera, and the leads are definitely up to the challenge of dualie roles.

It is unusual for a comedy to have the strong viewpoint and values expressed in this movie. Fred Ward's Rune talks about the simple pleasures of living in the rural country and you know that somebody involved with the script knew those pleasures personally. The characters rarely become stereotypes. Even the secondary characters are treated with respect.

Dean Cundey, Director of Photography, must have been specializing in trick photography as he went on to shoot "Back to the Future 2" and "3" with even better results. The effects budget for BB was high enough to keep the believability intact.

To me this is an all-around enjoyable light comedy.

Two pairs of mismatched identical twins (you'll understand this term when you see this movie) grow up in different American cities. One pair (Midler and Tomlin) grow up in Manhattan, the other pair (played by the same actresses) grow up in their Southern hillbilly birthplace, "Jupiter Hollow." Although this comedy lacks in some departments, it's still worth a viewing. Midler and Tomlin do an admirable job switching personalities... the rich-bungling Tomlin is a perfect match, personality wise, for the podunk Midler; and the rich-snobby Midler is the worthy challenge for the podunk-spunk of Tomlin (again, you'll understand this when you see it).