IMDb RATING
6.4/10
9.8K
YOUR RATING
An uptight advertising exec has his entire life in a Filofax organizer that mistakenly ends up in the hands of a friendly convict who poses as him.An uptight advertising exec has his entire life in a Filofax organizer that mistakenly ends up in the hands of a friendly convict who poses as him.An uptight advertising exec has his entire life in a Filofax organizer that mistakenly ends up in the hands of a friendly convict who poses as him.
Jim Belushi
- Jimmy
- (as James Belushi)
Anne DeSalvo
- Debbie
- (as Anne De Salvo)
John Marshall Jones
- LeBradford
- (as J.J.)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
This is a nice, light comedy that floats along to the end so fast that you do not even notice it.
Grodin turns in another winning performance as the up-tight advertising executive that has his life taken over by an escaped convict, Belushi, who only escaped to watch the big baseball match which he has won tickets for, when he finds his Filofax at the airport.
What follows is some wonderful scenes as Belushi lives it up in the lap of luxury and does Grodin's job for him as he tries desperately to catch up with him.
Belushi is best as he tries to break back into jail so he can be legally released less than twelve hours later. Throughout this movie Belushi proves what a star he could have if he had arrived on the scene independent of everyone else, and without being over-shadowed by his self-destructive big brother.
Nevertheless, a very basic, but still highly enjoyable comedy.
Grodin turns in another winning performance as the up-tight advertising executive that has his life taken over by an escaped convict, Belushi, who only escaped to watch the big baseball match which he has won tickets for, when he finds his Filofax at the airport.
What follows is some wonderful scenes as Belushi lives it up in the lap of luxury and does Grodin's job for him as he tries desperately to catch up with him.
Belushi is best as he tries to break back into jail so he can be legally released less than twelve hours later. Throughout this movie Belushi proves what a star he could have if he had arrived on the scene independent of everyone else, and without being over-shadowed by his self-destructive big brother.
Nevertheless, a very basic, but still highly enjoyable comedy.
Funny, funny, funny and funny! This is the only word to define this lively comedy starring to James Belushi and Charles Grodin and directed by a master as Arthur Hiller. The pasted 80's were the best years for the American comedy, started to the later John Belushi till to the Chevy Chase's `Flecht' came to the Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd `Ghostbusters' the entertainment industry had generated a great lot to funny comedy, that it's true many funny movie are do still now, but the elegance and intelligence in the old movies are insuperable and unequalled. `Taking Care A Business is a comedy that it's do in the early 90's but it include all the 80's funny spirit thanks to a fast script and a professional directed to Arthur Hiller, but also thanks to the two leading players Belushi and Grodin two great comedians and also two great actors(You can see them in many drama movie). Belushi is surprising in his naturalness and expressiveness, he succeeded to give at his character a reality dimension where it's very believed his carefreeness and his `live a day at the time'. Grodin is very funny and professional in the measured and unlucky business man. The story is easy and simple in fact it's based to the classical Hollywood theme `the guy changed'. A rich business man Spencer Burns, lost his precious note-book where there all his life during a business travel, and this note-book is found to a likely jail man Jimmy Dworsky (Belushi) that he's escaped for see the baseball macht of his favourite league. Naturally the lucky fugitive take the place to the Spencer. You can not consider this movie as a great movie or a social flick with many reflection, but you must see the movie only for that's it's, a long and crackling unity to funny and laugher. And if I see under this aspect I give to the movie a good 8 to rate.
this is one of my favourite film, if not my favourite film of all time. i thought it was absolutely great and i can watch it and watch it again without getting bored of it! its funny, got a good plot and is a really enjoyable film. the film hasnt really made it big anywhere (as you can tell from the amount of votes on this website) but i would advise it to anyone because the film is great. i think belushi plays his part brilliantly and he is a great actor in film like k9 and k911, many more also!
the film is fun and there is no doubt that i would give this film 10/10 and i cannot fault the film!- please watch if you have not seen it- you will not be let down.
One of my personal favourites!
the film is fun and there is no doubt that i would give this film 10/10 and i cannot fault the film!- please watch if you have not seen it- you will not be let down.
One of my personal favourites!
I fell in love with this movie the first time I saw it, although the script is not brilliant the cast made a great effort and made it very convincing, James Belushi plays nice guy convict Jimmy Dworfski as he plans to escape prison for the weekend to see the Chicago Cubs in the World Series, getting his fellow in-mates to cover it up. While out he finds business executive Spencer Barnes (Charles Grodin) filofax and takes over his life. Belushi & Grodin are great together in this feel good comedy, as a lover of Baseball I was drawn to this even more, but if you're not you'll still find it just as enjoyable. This is the best James Belushi film I've seen!
An extremely well-paced and funny mistaken identity movie that got no credit. Belushi pulls off perfectly the exhuberant, boy-like fugitive who breaks out of prison for a couple days so he can see the World Series (wouldn't you)? The tickets he won on a radio show are to be picked up at LAX, where a bigger pick up awaits. While dodging a set of cops he spots Grodin's day planner atop a phone booth with the note of a reward to anyone who returns it. So he heads to Malibu looking for Grodin who has found himself in the slums of LA trying to get people to believe who he is. He's come to town to close a big advertising deal but loses his beloved orgonizer ("My life was in there!"). In the process he's mistreated by gang members, can't get anyone to believe him, has to resort to help from DeSolvo's mind-numbing nitwit, and ends up walking Pacific Coast Highway in the rain. Meanwhile Belushi takes it upon himself to enter Grodin's boss's Malibu mansion and even assume his job which includes a tennis date and dinner with a witchy female executive. Belushi even scores with the boss's daughter, leading to one of the film's funniest lines: "I slept with Walter's daughter?! How was I??" "You were great!" "I knew I could be great in bed!" It all culminates in an extended finale that goes from the World Series to prison. A lot of people point out the film's inplausibility, but as I always say, don't all films have a level of that? Just ignore it and enjoy the laughs. Though the film does feature the nicest set of prison inmates in history, maybe a little too far-fetched. And when Belushi gives a stolen car to his date, he's obviously unaware that cops are probably on the lookout for it (and he's supposed to be a car thief). He and Grodin also get along too well, but again, movie magic. All told this is a lot of fun and oddly enough was very reminiscent of Belushi's other work from 1990, "Mr. Destiny" (guy's life is altered with riches and adventure).
And a little sidenote about all the dumb brother comparisons by critics: Belushi is his own performer, judge his ability on that alone and stop comparing him to his sibling, please. At the point of this movie John had been dead nearly ten years and James had made his mark in great offerings like "About Last Night", "Red Heat" and "K-9". Be it comedy or drama, he can hold his own and needn't be put up against his brother's incomplete career.
And a little sidenote about all the dumb brother comparisons by critics: Belushi is his own performer, judge his ability on that alone and stop comparing him to his sibling, please. At the point of this movie John had been dead nearly ten years and James had made his mark in great offerings like "About Last Night", "Red Heat" and "K-9". Be it comedy or drama, he can hold his own and needn't be put up against his brother's incomplete career.
Did you know
- TriviaFirst film written by J.J. Abrams.
- GoofsWhen Jimmy is first checking out the Filofax, he finds a list of 'power words' he reads out FIRST RATE, PHENOMENAL, SUPERLATIVE, BENEVOLENT, but 'phenomenal' clearly is not on the list.
- Quotes
Ted Bradford Jr.: Spencer... Toast.
Jimmy Dworski: Yeah... A toast! To the Cubs winning the world series!... and to big tits!
- Alternate versionsThe UK theatrical release was cut by 22 seconds to remove strong language (i.e. uses of "fuck") and secure a 12 certificate:
- [Reel 1] Black prisoner during baseball game in prison yard: "Shut the fuck up!"
- [Reel 2] James Belushi as he enters opulent mansion: "I'm in fucking 'Dynasty'!"
- [Reel 3] Belushi to men in tennis gear: "I got a great fucking job, don't I?"
- After white-suited Belushi admires himself in mirror: "Fucking A, man!"
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Girl Next Door (1999)
- SoundtracksTakin' Care of Business
Written by Randy Bachman
Performed by Bachman-Turner Overdrive
Courtesy of Polygram Special Products
A Division of Polygram Records, Inc.
- How long is Taking Care of Business?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Taking Care of Business
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $15,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $20,005,435
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $3,620,054
- Aug 19, 1990
- Gross worldwide
- $20,005,435
- Runtime
- 1h 48m(108 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content