Bootleg Betty
Trailer – Bette Midler & Lily Tomlin – Big Business
By Mister D
April 30, 2026
Bette Midler stars in “Big Business” (1988) as one of two sets of identical twins, delivering a comedic performance in a story of mistaken identities, wealth, and small-town charm.
Synopsis
In Big Business, a classic comedy of errors, Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin each play two roles as sets of identical twins who are accidentally switched at birth in the 1940s in the small town of Jupiter Hollow, West Virginia
. Forty years later, the twins’ lives overlap: one pair has been raised in Manhattan, enjoying wealth and corporate success, while the other remains in rural West Virginia, leading simpler, more grounded lives
.
The Manhattan twins, Sadie Shelton (Midler) and Rose Shelton (Tomlin), are co-owners of the conglomerate Moramax. Sadie is ruthless and career-driven, aiming to sell the family’s rural Hollowmade factory to a buyer who intends to strip-mine the land, while Rose prefers a quieter life
. Meanwhile, the rural Ratliff sisters, Sadie Ratliff (Midler) and Rose Ratliff (Tomlin), work at Hollowmade and catch wind of the sale. They travel to New York to prevent the closure, resulting in a series of comedic misunderstandings at the Plaza Hotel, with mistaken identities, romantic encounters, and farcical interactions between the four women
.
Cast Highlights
Bette Midler as Sadie Shelton / Sadie Ratliff
Lily Tomlin as Rose Shelton / Rose Ratliff
Fred Ward as Roone Dimmick
Edward Herrmann as Graham Sherbourne
Michele Placido as Fabio Alberici
Michael Gross as Dr. Jay Marshall
The film also includes supporting performances from Deborah Rush, Nicolas Coster, and Patricia Gaul
.
Production and Style
Directed by Jim Abrahams and produced by Touchstone Pictures, the movie’s screenplay draws inspiration from Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors, Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper, and Aesop’s The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse
. The filmmakers constructed a replica of the Plaza Hotel on a Disney sound stage due to filming restrictions
.
Trick photography was used effectively to have both actresses appear as two characters in the same scene
. Midler’s performance showcases her versatility, portraying both a sophisticated city woman and a country girl with comedic flair
.
Reception
Critical reception was mixed: Rotten Tomatoes reports a 52% positive rating based on 23 reviews
. Sheila Benson praised it as a “bright whirligig of a movie” with buoyant hilarity
. Roger Ebert criticized it for repetitive near-misses and lack of payoff, giving it two out of four stars
. Despite mixed reviews, the film became a modest commercial success, grossing $40.2 million domestically from a $20 million budget
.
Watching Big Business
The film is available for streaming on major platforms such as Disney+ and Prime Video, and has been released on DVD and Blu-ray as well
.
Summary
Big Business remains a notable showcase of Bette Midler’s comedic talent, paired brilliantly with Lily Tomlin. Its engaging concept of swapped twins, along with humorous social contrasts between wealthy city life and rural simplicity, provides a classic 80s comedy experience. Fans appreciate it for Midler’s dual-role performance, the charming farcical narrative, and the absurdly funny mix-ups that never fail to entertain
.
