Taking Care of Business (film): Difference between revisions

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	{{Short description\|1990 comedy film directed by Arthur Hiller}}		{{Short description\|1990 comedy film directed by Arthur Hiller}}
			{{Use American English\|date=January 2025}}
	{{Infobox film		{{Infobox film
	\| name = Taking Care of Business		\| name = Taking Care of Business
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	* ]		* ]
	* ]		* ]
	* Anne De Salvo		*]
	* ]		* ]
	* ]		* ]
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	\| gross = $20 million		\| gross = $20 million
	}}		}}
	'''''Taking Care of Business''''' (released in the United Kingdom as '''''~~Yer Maw~~''''') is a 1990 American ] directed by ] and starring ] and ]. It is named after the song ] by ], recorded by the Canadian rock group ] ~~(BTO)~~. The film is also known for being the first screenplay work written by ], who later went on to make several blockbuster films, including '']'' and '']''.		'''''Taking Care of Business''''' (released theatrically in the United Kingdom as '''''Filofax''''') is a 1990 American ] directed by ] and starring ] and ]. It is named after the song ] by ], recorded by the Canadian rock group ]. The film is also known for being the first screenplay work written by ], who later went on to make several blockbuster films, including '']'' and '']''.

			The film follows a work-obsessed businessman who is on a business trip and loses his ] which is found by a recent prison escapee who assumes his identity, moves into his home and proceeds to mess up his business dealings. A number of amusing situations ensue.

	==Plot==		==Plot==
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	* ] as Ted Bradford Jr.		* ] as Ted Bradford Jr.
	* ] as Diane Connors		* ] as Diane Connors
	* Anne De Salvo as Debbie Lipton		* ] as Debbie Lipton
	* ] as "Heavy G"		* ] as "Heavy G"
	* Burke Byrnes as Prison Guard		* Burke Byrnes as Prison Guard

⚫	==Reception==
	The film received negative reviews, with Caryn James of ''The New York Times'' labeling it as a film that "plays it safe and boring."<ref>{{cite news \|last=James \|first=Caryn \|date=August 17, 1990 \|title=Review/Film; An Adman, His Filofax and a Thief \|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C0CE3D7123EF934A2575BC0A966958260 \|work=] \|access-date=July 27, 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news \|last=Wilmington \|first=Michael \|date=August 17, 1990 \|title=MOVIE REVIEW: 'Taking Care of Business' Is Bankrupt of Laughter \|work=] \|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1990-08-17/entertainment/ca-521_1_movies-business-care \|access-date=July 27, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news \|last=Kempley \|first=Rita\|date=August 17, 1990 \|title='Taking Care of Business' (R) \|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/takingcareofbusinessrkempley_a0a094.htm \|newspaper=] \|access-date=July 27, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news \|last=Gleiberman \|first=Owen \|date=August 31, 1990 \|title=Taking Care of Business \|url=http://ew.com/article/1990/08/31/taking-care-business-2/ \|work=] \|quote=We gave it a '''D''' \|access-date=July 27, 2017}} (emphasis in the original).</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine \|last=Novak \|first=Ralph \|title=Picks and Pans Review: Taking Care of Business \|date=September 10, 1990 \|url=http://people.com/archive/picks-and-pans-review-taking-care-of-business-vol-34-no-10/feed/ \|magazine=] \|volume=34 \|issue=10 \|access-date=July 27, 2017}}</ref>

	The ] website ] reported that 33% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 15 reviews, with an average rating of 3.1/10.<ref>{{cite web \|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/taking_care_of_business \|title=Taking Care of Business (1990) \|website=] \|publisher=] \|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref>

	==Production==		==Production==
	Baseball scenes for ''Taking Care of Business'' were filmed at ] in ].		Baseball scenes for ''Taking Care of Business'' were filmed at ] in ].

			The film is notable for featuring John de Lancie and Gates McFadden together in scenes who were also in the ] television show at the time.

		⚫	==Reception==
	The film grossed $20 million in the United States.		The film grossed $20 million in the United States.

			] website ] reported that 33% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 15 reviews, with an average rating of 3.1/10.<ref>{{cite web \|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/taking_care_of_business \|title=Taking Care of Business (1990) \|department=] \|publisher=] \|access-date=November 30, 2022 \|archive-date=June 19, 2024 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240619003405/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/taking_care_of_business \|url-status=live }}</ref> On ], the film holds a weighted average score of 42 out of 100 based on 18 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Taking Care of Business Reviews \|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/taking-care-of-business \|access-date=July 9, 2023 \|department=] \|publisher=]}}</ref> Audiences polled by ] gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Home \|url=https://www.cinemascore.com/ \|access-date=2023-07-10 \|publisher=] \|language=en-US}}</ref> Caryn James of ''The New York Times'' labeled it as a film that "plays it safe and boring."<ref>{{Cite news \|last=James \|first=Caryn \|date=August 17, 1990 \|title=Review/Film; An Adman, His Filofax and a Thief \|newspaper=] \|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C0CE3D7123EF934A2575BC0A966958260 \|access-date=July 27, 2017 \|archive-date=June 10, 2016 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610180952/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C0CE3D7123EF934A2575BC0A966958260 \|url-status=live }}</ref> ] of the '']'' wrote, "This is a pretty stupid comedy in spots, with holes wide enough to drive trucks through, and director Arthur Hiller is as clunky as ever, but the cast is so funny and likable that they almost bring it off in spite of itself."<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Rosenbaum \|first=Jonathan \|date=1985-10-26 \|title=Taking Care of Business \|url=http://chicagoreader.com/film/taking-care-of-business/ \|access-date=2023-07-10 \|newspaper=Chicago Reader \|language=en-US \|archive-date=2023-07-10 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230710051643/https://chicagoreader.com/film/taking-care-of-business/ \|url-status=live }}</ref> Michael Wilmington of the '']'' wrote, "As a comedy, ‘Taking Care of Business’ has everything going for it but laughs. It's like a stand-up comic who invested his sense of humor in the Sunbelt Jokes Savings and Loan: It ''hasn't'' got a million of them," and that "There's something eerie about this movie: a kind of mix-and-match '']'', a cross-town '']'' with an '']'' who never meet."<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Wilmington \|first=Michael \|date=1990-08-17 \|title=MOVIE REVIEW : 'Taking Care of Business' Is Bankrupt of Laughter \|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-08-17-ca-521-story.html \|access-date=2024-08-03 \|newspaper=] \|language=en-US}}</ref>

	==See also==		==See also==
	* ]		* ]
			* ]

	==References==		==References==
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	{{J. J. Abrams}}		{{J. J. Abrams}}

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Latest revision as of 23:16, 18 January 2025

1990 comedy film directed by Arthur Hiller

Taking Care of Business
Theatrical release poster by Drew Struzan
Directed by	Arthur Hiller
Written by	Jill Mazursky J. J. Abrams
Produced by	Geoffrey Taylor
Starring	James Belushi Charles Grodin Anne De Salvo Mako Veronica Hamel Héctor Elizondo
Cinematography	David M. Walsh
Edited by	William H. Reynolds
Music by	Stewart Copeland
Production companies	Hollywood Pictures Silver Screen Partners IV
Distributed by	Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
Release date	August 17, 1990 (1990-08-17)
Running time	108 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$15 million
Box office	$20 million

Taking Care of Business (released theatrically in the United Kingdom as Filofax) is a 1990 American comedy film directed by Arthur Hiller and starring James Belushi and Charles Grodin. It is named after the song of the same name by Randy Bachman, recorded by the Canadian rock group Bachman–Turner Overdrive. The film is also known for being the first screenplay work written by J. J. Abrams, who later went on to make several blockbuster films, including Super 8 and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

The film follows a work-obsessed businessman who is on a business trip and loses his Filofax which is found by a recent prison escapee who assumes his identity, moves into his home and proceeds to mess up his business dealings. A number of amusing situations ensue.

Plot

A convicted car thief and diehard Chicago Cubs fan, Jimmy Dworski (Belushi) wins tickets to the World Series. Unfortunately, he still has a couple of days left to serve in prison and the warden, Frank Toolman (Héctor Elizondo), will not let him leave and come back. With the help of other inmates, Jimmy stages a riot so he can sneak out of prison to see the game. On the way, he finds the Filofax of uptight and spineless advertising executive Spencer Barnes (Grodin), which promises a reward if it is found.

Over the next day, Jimmy takes on Barnes' identity—staying in the Malibu beach house of Spencer's boss, flirting with the boss's daughter, even taking a meeting with a powerful Japanese food company magnate named Sakamoto (Mako Iwamatsu). The fake "Spencer"'s unorthodox methods, such as beating the magnate at tennis and telling him about the poor quality of his food products, gets the attention of the taken aback Sakamoto. However his unconventional negotiations with the food company insult some of the executives, seemingly ruining Spencer's reputation.

Meanwhile, lacking his precious Filofax, the real Spencer Barnes is spiraling into the gutter. Losing all his clothes, his car and money, he has to rely on an old high school flame, the neurotic and overbearing Debbie Lipton (Anne De Salvo) who keeps trying to rekindle a relationship with him.

Finally Jimmy and Spencer come together at a meeting with the advertising executives, where Spencer's boss finally pushes him over the edge for Jimmy's work, and Spencer quits. As a consolation Jimmy takes Spencer to the World Series, where Jimmy makes a spectacular catch on a home-run ball hit by Mark Grace, who makes a cameo.

When security goes after Jimmy, who was spotted on the Jumbotron, they escape by using Spencer's Filofax to slide down a support wire and out of the stadium. Spencer patches up his marriage with his wife, who had become exasperated with his overworking. Jimmy sneaks back into prison with Spencer's help, serves his last couple of hours and is released, only to find Spencer waiting to pick him up. With the promise of a beautiful girlfriend and a well-paying job in advertising work with Spencer, Jimmy's future looks bright, as does that of his beloved Cubs, who won the World Series.

Cast

James Belushi as Jimmy Dworski / Spencer Barnes
Charles Grodin as Spencer Barnes
Mako as Mr. Sakamoto
Héctor Elizondo as Warden Frank Toolman
Veronica Hamel as Elizabeth Barnes
Stephen Elliott as Walter Bentley
Loryn Locklin as Jewel Bentley
John de Lancie as Ted Bradford Jr.
Gates McFadden as Diane Connors
Anne De Salvo as Debbie Lipton
Andre Rosey Brown as "Heavy G"
Burke Byrnes as Prison Guard

Production

Baseball scenes for Taking Care of Business were filmed at Angel Stadium of Anaheim in California.

The film is notable for featuring John de Lancie and Gates McFadden together in scenes who were also in the Star Trek: The Next Generation television show at the time.

Reception

The film grossed $20 million in the United States.

Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 33% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 15 reviews, with an average rating of 3.1/10. On Metacritic, the film holds a weighted average score of 42 out of 100 based on 18 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale. Caryn James of The New York Times labeled it as a film that "plays it safe and boring." Jonathan Rosenbaum of the Chicago Reader wrote, "This is a pretty stupid comedy in spots, with holes wide enough to drive trucks through, and director Arthur Hiller is as clunky as ever, but the cast is so funny and likable that they almost bring it off in spite of itself." Michael Wilmington of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "As a comedy, ‘Taking Care of Business’ has everything going for it but laughs. It's like a stand-up comic who invested his sense of humor in the Sunbelt Jokes Savings and Loan: It hasn't got a million of them," and that "There's something eerie about this movie: a kind of mix-and-match Trading Places, a cross-town Midnight Run with an Odd Couple who never meet."

References

"AFI|Catalog".
"Taking Care of Business (1990)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Archived from the original on June 19, 2024. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
"Taking Care of Business Reviews". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
"Home". CinemaScore. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
James, Caryn (August 17, 1990). "Review/Film; An Adman, His Filofax and a Thief". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 10, 2016. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
Rosenbaum, Jonathan (1985-10-26). "Taking Care of Business". Chicago Reader. Archived from the original on 2023-07-10. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
Wilmington, Michael (1990-08-17). "MOVIE REVIEW : 'Taking Care of Business' Is Bankrupt of Laughter". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-08-03.

External links

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v t e Films directed by Arthur Hiller
Massacre at Sand Creek (1956) Homeward Borne (1957) The Edge of Innocence (1957) The Careless Years (1957) Before I Die (1958) Miracle of the White Stallions (1963) The Wheeler Dealers (1963) The Americanization of Emily (1964) Promise Her Anything (1965) Penelope (1966) Tobruk (1967) The Tiger Makes Out (1967) Popi (1969) The Out-of-Towners (1970) Love Story (1970) Plaza Suite (1971) The Hospital (1971) Man of La Mancha (1972) The Crazy World of Julius Vrooder (1974) The Man in the Glass Booth (1975) W. C. Fields and Me (1976) Silver Streak (1976) The In-Laws (1979) Nightwing (1979) Making Love (1982) Author! Author! (1982) Romantic Comedy (1983) The Lonely Guy (1984) Teachers (1984) Outrageous Fortune (1987) See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989) Taking Care of Business (1990) Married to It (1991) The Babe (1992) Carpool (1996) An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (1997) National Lampoon's Pucked (2006)

Films directed by Arthur Hiller

Massacre at Sand Creek (1956)
Homeward Borne (1957)
The Edge of Innocence (1957)
The Careless Years (1957)
Before I Die (1958)
Miracle of the White Stallions (1963)
The Wheeler Dealers (1963)
The Americanization of Emily (1964)
Promise Her Anything (1965)
Penelope (1966)
Tobruk (1967)
The Tiger Makes Out (1967)
Popi (1969)
The Out-of-Towners (1970)
Love Story (1970)
Plaza Suite (1971)
The Hospital (1971)
Man of La Mancha (1972)
The Crazy World of Julius Vrooder (1974)
The Man in the Glass Booth (1975)
W. C. Fields and Me (1976)
Silver Streak (1976)
The In-Laws (1979)
Nightwing (1979)
Making Love (1982)
Author! Author! (1982)
Romantic Comedy (1983)
The Lonely Guy (1984)
Teachers (1984)
Outrageous Fortune (1987)
See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989)
Taking Care of Business (1990)
Married to It (1991)
The Babe (1992)
Carpool (1996)
An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (1997)
National Lampoon's Pucked (2006)

v t e J. J. Abrams
Films directed	Mission: Impossible III (2006, also wrote) Star Trek (2009, also produced) Super 8 (2011, also wrote, produced) Star Trek Into Darkness (2013, also produced) Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015, also wrote, produced) Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019, also wrote, produced) Untitled Portal film (TBA)
Films written	Taking Care of Business (1990) Regarding Henry (1991) Forever Young (1992) Gone Fishin' (1997) Armageddon (1998) Joy Ride (2001, also produced)
Films produced	The Pallbearer (1996) The Suburbans (1999) Cloverfield (2008) Morning Glory (2010) Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015) 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) Star Trek Beyond (2016) The Cloverfield Paradox (2018) Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) Overlord (2018) Lou (2022) The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (2022, short film) The Blue Angels (2024) Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes (2024) Flowervale Street (2025)
Television series created	Felicity (1998–2002) Alias (2001–2006) Lost (2004–2010) Fringe (2008–2013) Undercovers (2010) Duster (2024)
Related	Unrealized projects Bad Robot S. Gracie Abrams (daughter) Gerald W. Abrams (father) Carol Ann Abrams (mother)

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