If you were around in 1988, you probably remember the posters. Two sets of twins. Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin. It looked like a standard high-concept comedy, but Big Business the movie is actually a weirdly masterful piece of farce that somehow got lost in the shuffle of late-80s blockbusters. It isn't just a movie about mistaken identity; it’s a logistical nightmare that shouldn't have worked, yet it does because the chemistry is just that bizarre.
Most people today think of it as "that one with the twins," but there's a lot more going on under the hood.
The plot is basically a Shakespearean "Comedy of Errors" set against the backdrop of Reagan-era corporate greed. Two sets of identical twins are born in a rural hospital. A tired nurse mixes them up. One "matched" pair goes to a wealthy New York family (the Sheltons), while the other stays in the hollows of West Virginia (the Ratliffs). Fast forward forty years, and you have Bette Midler playing both a ruthless CEO and a country sweetheart, while Lily Tomlin plays a high-society neurotic and a pro-union activist.
It’s messy. It’s loud. Honestly, it’s kind of a miracle the production didn't collapse under its own weight.
The Technical Wizardry Behind Big Business the Movie
You’ve got to remember that this was 1988. We didn't have seamless digital compositing or the kind of CGI that makes a single actor playing two roles look effortless today. When you watch Big Business the movie, you are seeing the absolute peak of "twinning" technology for that era. They used split-screens, body doubles, and very specific camera movements that required the actors to hit their marks with terrifying precision.
Director Jim Abrahams—one of the guys behind Airplane!—brought a specific kind of slapstick energy to the set. But unlike the rapid-fire spoofs he was known for, this required a slower, more deliberate pace to handle the technical side.
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- They used the "Introvision" process for certain shots.
- The Plaza Hotel in New York served as the primary battlefield.
- Bette Midler often had to act against a piece of tape on a wall.
Imagine being Bette Midler at the height of her Outrageous Fortune fame. You’re playing Sadie Shelton, a woman who wants to strip-mine a mountain, and Sadie Ratliff, the woman trying to save it. You’re essentially arguing with yourself in a mirror for three months. It’s exhausting just thinking about it. Midler’s energy is what keeps the engine humming, especially when the two sets of twins finally converge on the Plaza Hotel.
Why the Plaza Hotel Setting Actually Matters
The Plaza isn't just a fancy background. In the 80s, the Plaza was the symbol of "making it." It was owned by Donald Trump at the time of filming—he even has a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo—and it represents the exact type of corporate excess the film is poking fun at.
The geography of the hotel is essential to the comedy. You have four women moving through the same lobby, elevators, and hallways, constantly missing each other by seconds. It’s a classic farce structure. If they were in a modern, open-plan office, the movie would be over in twenty minutes. The maze-like corridors of the Plaza allow the suspense to build. You're waiting for that "clink" when the reality finally shatters.
The movie deals with a lot of heavy themes if you actually look for them. Class warfare. Urban vs. Rural divides. The exploitation of natural resources. But it refuses to be "preachy." It’s too busy trying to make sure Lily Tomlin doesn't trip over her own feet while playing a woman who thinks she's losing her mind.
The Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin Power Dynamic
Let’s be real: casting is everything here.
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Midler is a force of nature. She plays the "rich" Sadie with a sharp, metallic edge that feels like a precursor to every "devil wears Prada" trope we see now. But her "poor" Sadie is surprisingly sweet without being a caricature. Then you have Lily Tomlin. Tomlin is the queen of subtle physical comedy. Her "rich" Rose is a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown, while her "country" Rose is the backbone of her community.
The movie works because these two women respected each other's space on screen. There’s a specific scene—the bathroom mirror scene—where the two Sadies finally meet. It’s a masterclass in timing. They move in sync, they mimic each other, and for a second, the audience forgets they’re looking at a special effect. They’re just looking at two very confused women.
Interestingly, the film wasn't originally written for them. There were rumors and early drafts that floated around Disney (under the Touchstone banner) that considered different pairings. But once Midler and Tomlin signed on, the script was heavily tailored to their specific comedic voices. You can hear Midler’s brassy New York tone in every line of the Shelton dialogue.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Reception
There’s this weird narrative that Big Business the movie was a flop or a "minor" 80s movie. That’s just factually wrong. It was a solid hit. It grossed over $40 million in 1988 dollars, which was a very respectable number back then.
Critics were a bit split, sure. Some thought the plot was too thin. Roger Ebert gave it two stars, saying it felt like a "missed opportunity" for more depth. But the audiences didn't care. They wanted to see two legends running around New York. The film found a massive second life on VHS and cable. If you grew up in the 90s, you probably saw this movie twenty times on HBO or TBS during a rainy Saturday afternoon.
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Lessons in Corporate Satire (Sorta)
While the movie is a comedy, it hits on something very real about the corporate world. The Shelton sister is willing to sell off a whole town’s livelihood for a bump in the stock price. It’s cynical. It’s "greed is good" culture wrapped in a bright pink 80s blazer.
The resolution—where the "country" twins basically outsmart the "city" twins—is a classic trope, but it works because of the stakes. If the Ratliffs lose, the mountain gets leveled. The movie manages to keep the comedy high while the stakes remain grounded. It’s a difficult balance. Most modern comedies struggle with this; they either become too silly or too dark. Big Business stays right in the pocket.
How to Revisit the Film Today
If you're going to watch it now, keep an eye out for the supporting cast. Edward Herrmann (of Gilmore Girls fame) and Fred Ward put in some incredible work here. They have to play the "straight men" to the absolute chaos of the four leads. It’s not an easy job.
Also, look at the fashion. It is peak 1988. The shoulder pads are big enough to land a plane on. The hair is architectural. It’s a time capsule of a specific moment in American aesthetic history where "more" was always "more."
Actionable Takeaways for Movie Lovers
- Watch for the "Invisible" Cuts: If you're a film nerd, try to spot where the body doubles are used. Pay attention to the back of the heads. It’s a fun game that shows just how well-blocked the movie was.
- Contextualize the "Twin" Trope: Compare this to The Parent Trap or Adaptation. You’ll see that Big Business leans much harder into the farce elements than the psychological ones.
- Check the Streaming Platforms: As of now, it frequently pops up on Disney+ or can be rented on Amazon. It’s worth the $3.99 for the nostalgia alone.
- Research the "Introvision" Process: If you’re interested in the history of VFX, looking up how they shot the Plaza scenes without actually being in the way of real guests is fascinating. They used a sophisticated front-projection system that was revolutionary at the time.
The real legacy of Big Business the movie isn't its box office or its technical feats. It’s the fact that it’s one of the few movies from that era that successfully captured the frantic, over-the-top energy of its stars without letting them descend into total caricature. It’s a movie that knows exactly what it is: a loud, colorful, slightly ridiculous celebration of the fact that no matter who you are or where you came from, you’re probably just as confused as everyone else.