Themes: Big Break, Fired or Laid-Off, Assumed Identities
Main Cast: James Belushi, Charles Grodin, Anne de Salvo, Loryn Locklin, Stephen Elliott, Veronica Hamel
Release Year: 1990
Country: US
Run Time: 108 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
James Belushi and Charles Grodin team up for this variation on the Prince and the Pauper. Belushi plays Jimmy Dworski, a convicted car thief, serving time in a minimum security prison. But when Jimmy wins a pair of tickets to the World Series from a radio call-in show, he can't resist walking out of jail, particularly when the warden won't even let the inmates watch the series on television. Grodin plays rich workaholic Spencer Barnes, who, when his wife walks out on him right before a long-planned vacation, leaves his datebook in an airport telephone booth. Happening upon Spencer's datebook is Jimmy, who simply intends to return the datebook to Spencer for a 1,000-dollar reward. But when he finds the datebook contains his credit cards, Jimmy assumes Spencer's identity, living the good life and dating the boss's daughter, while making his way to Malibu to return the property to Spencer. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
Review
This 1990 Hollywood formula comedy is a pleasant surprise. Arthur Hiller's role-reversal picture will never be accused of originality; it reiterates the ancient Prince and Pauper setup recycled from scores of other screen comedies, such as John Landis's 1983 Trading Places. But what it does, it does impeccably well. Hiller one-ups the Landis film and other similar efforts by retaining a gleeful congeniality throughout and resisting crassness and ugliness. Some critics responded favorably to Trading Places by comparing it to Frank Capra, but the overrated Landis film turns terribly dour and ugly. The breeziness, warmth, and sheer affability of this effort come much closer in spirit to the old Hollywood masterworks of social satire, such as My Man Godfrey; in fact, it's as if Hiller and co-scripters Jill Mazursky (the producer's daughter) and Jeff Abrams cross-pollinated Capra and Ernst Lubitsch. Only a Hollywood comedy could present a 37-time car thief and prison escapee (played by Jim Belushi) who is such a swell guy, and work out the mechanics of the plot so slickly that he slides right through the shaggy-dog plot without being detected as an imposter and reincarcerated. The film bears about as much relation to the real world as a Playboy pictorial. Half of it is just eye candy (such as Belushi's explorations of the Sharper Image-laden Malibu beach home where he crashes), and the ending terribly desperate. But there are enormous pleasures to be had here; we have fun watching the apish Belushi careen his way through Charles Grodin's business meetings, like an unmanned bulldozer, destroying everything (and everyone) in his path, as he salutes Grodin's snooty female client on the size of her cleavage, and refers to uber-powerful Japanese business mogul Sakamoto (Mako) as "Big Sak." Moreover, Grodin proves himself the master of the slow burn, as he gets pummeled, soiled, shoved into a dumpster, and eventually forced to wear ladies' pants and walk ten miles in the driving rain; the indignities he suffers are truly hilarious, and he turns in a finely modulated comic performance. Hiller and company grace this much underrated film with a gifted supporting cast, including Hector Elizondo, Anne de Salvo, Veronica Hamel, and the radiant Loryn Locklin. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
Hector Elizondo - Warden; Mako - Sakamoto; Gates McFadden - Diane; Louisa Abernathy - Guard; Andrew Amador - Prison Reporter; Selma Archerd - Woman in Pro Shop; Tony Auer - Prison Guard; Elisabeth Barrett - Diane's Assistant; Michael Blue - Beach House Cop; Bert Blyleven - Himself; Marjorie Bransfeld - Tennis Club Receptionist; Joe Bratcher - Mediator; Andre Rosey Brown - Heavy G; Burke Byrnes - Prison Guard; Ron Chenier - Beach House Cop; Kristen Amber Citron - Twin; Baldo Dal Ponte - National Anthem Singer; Buddy Daniels - Gang Member; John deLancie - Ted; Stanley de Santis - Car Rental Man; Sandra Eng - Prison Reporter; Ken Foree - J.B.; Mark Grace - Himself; Howie Guma - Sakamoto's Assistant; Darlene J. Hall - Jeep Driver; Michele Harrell - High Quality Receptionist; Whitby Hertford - Yuppie Son; Lenny Hicks - Mediator; J.J. - LeBradford; Jill Johnson - Tennis Court Girl; John Marshall Jones; Janet Julian - Woman on Plane; Dan Kern - Snooty Man; Joe Lerer - Ira Breen; Michael McNab - Main Gate Guard; John P. Menese - Chauffeur; Stu Nahan - Radio Reporter; Tom Nolan - Mr. Wright; Hank Robinson - Umpire; Tee Rodgers - Stadium Guard; David Ruprecht - Yuppie Dad; Marte Boyle Slout - Brenda; Leslie Suzan - Malibu Jail Woman; Tom Taglang - Waiter; Joe Torre - Himself; Terrence E. McNally - Hamilton; Thom Sharp - Mike; Chris Barnes - Luggage Boy; Tommy Morgan Jr. - Gang Member; Michael Kinney - Malibu Jail Guard
Credit
Lynn Stalmaster - Casting, Duncan Henderson - Co-producer, Marilyn Matthews - Costume Designer, Arthur Hiller - Director, William H. Reynolds - Editor, Paul Mazursky - Executive Producer, Stewart Copeland - Composer (Music Score), Jack Norworth - Songwriter, Lewis - Songwriter, Ablert von Tilzer - Songwriter, Richard Arrington - Makeup, Jon Hutman - Production Designer, David M. Walsh - Cinematographer, Geoffrey Taylor - Producer, Charles William Breen - Set Designer, Linda Spheeris - Set Designer, Richard Ratliff - Special Effects, Joe Dunne - Stunts, Jeffrey Abrams - Screenwriter, Jill Mazursky - Screenwriter
Taking Care of Business, or Filofax, as it was released in the UK, tells the story of convict and Chicago Cubs fan Jimmy Dworski (Belushi). Jimmy wins tickets to the World Series. Unfortunately, he still has a couple of days left to serve in prison and the warden won't let him leave and come back. With the help of the other prisoners, Jimmy sneaks out of prison to see the game. On the way, he finds the filofax of uptight yuppie advertising executive Spencer Barnes (Grodin), which promises a reward if it is found. Over the next day, Jimmy takes on the persona of Barnes—staying in Spencer's boss' home, flirting with the boss' daughter, and taking a meeting with a powerful food company magnate (Mako). "Spencer"'s unorthodox methods, such as beating the magnate at tennis and telling him about the poor quality of his food products earns respect from the impressed businessman. Meanwhile, lacking his precious filofax, the real Spencer Barnes is spiraling into the gutter. A series of misunderstandings finally brings Jimmy and Spencer together. Spencer patches up his marriage with his wife, who had become exasperated with his overworking. Jimmy sneaks back into prison and finishes his last couple of days and is released, only to find Spencer waiting to pick him up. With the promise of a beautiful girlfriend and a well-paying job working with Spencer, Jimmy's future looks bright.
