IMDb RATING
6.4/10
9.5K
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
Storyline
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.
Featured review
Jim Belushi is fun in one of his most engaging roles: Jimmy Dworski, a car thief and die-hard Chicago Cubs fan who escapes from prison in order to attend a pivotal World Series game. Along the way, he happens upon the forgotten Filofax organizer belonging to uptight, ambitious Malibu executive Spencer Barnes (Charles Grodin). The whole weekend ahead of him, Jimmy first figures to return the organizer (a combination wallet and daily planner) to Spencer and collect the reward advertised inside. Instead, he ends up pretending to *be* Spencer for the weekend, leading to the expected wacky mishaps as unwary people expecting a different sort of behaviour from this Spencer character get something else entirely.
Although quite predictable, formulaic, and overlong (the script is by Jill Mazursky (daughter of Paul M.) and J.J. Abrams (his earliest screenwriting credit)), "Taking Care of Business" is indeed a cute comedy that travels far on Belushis' easygoing charm and the perfectly cast Grodin. Spencer will have a long road towards meeting this temporary nemesis, enduring some hardships, while Jimmy will enjoy this brief opportunity to live in the lap of utter luxury. (That Malibu mansion is a wonder to behold.) Entertaining side characters also help a lot: Anne De Salvo as a persistent, annoying, but endearing old school chum of Spencers', Mako as a tough Japanese businessman, Stephen Elliott as Spencers' ailing boss, Hector Elizondo as the weaselly prison warden, Veronica Hamel as Spencers' fed-up wife, the enticing Loryn Locklin as the boss' daughter, Ken Foree as a convict, and 'Star Trek' universe actors Gates McFadden and John de Lancie, as employees in Makos' company.
The picture is silly, and reasonably amusing, and may not exactly be very believable, but it serves as a good diversion for people who aren't demanding something of substance. One does feel good for the unlikely lead duo when all is said and done.
Naturally, the title invites the expected use of the classic Bachman-Turner-Overdrive hit tune.
Seven out of 10.
Although quite predictable, formulaic, and overlong (the script is by Jill Mazursky (daughter of Paul M.) and J.J. Abrams (his earliest screenwriting credit)), "Taking Care of Business" is indeed a cute comedy that travels far on Belushis' easygoing charm and the perfectly cast Grodin. Spencer will have a long road towards meeting this temporary nemesis, enduring some hardships, while Jimmy will enjoy this brief opportunity to live in the lap of utter luxury. (That Malibu mansion is a wonder to behold.) Entertaining side characters also help a lot: Anne De Salvo as a persistent, annoying, but endearing old school chum of Spencers', Mako as a tough Japanese businessman, Stephen Elliott as Spencers' ailing boss, Hector Elizondo as the weaselly prison warden, Veronica Hamel as Spencers' fed-up wife, the enticing Loryn Locklin as the boss' daughter, Ken Foree as a convict, and 'Star Trek' universe actors Gates McFadden and John de Lancie, as employees in Makos' company.
The picture is silly, and reasonably amusing, and may not exactly be very believable, but it serves as a good diversion for people who aren't demanding something of substance. One does feel good for the unlikely lead duo when all is said and done.
Naturally, the title invites the expected use of the classic Bachman-Turner-Overdrive hit tune.
Seven out of 10.
- Hey_Sweden
- Jan 4, 2019
- Permalink
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Details
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
- Runtime1 hour 48 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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Top Gap
By what name was Taking Care of Business (1990) officially released in India in English?
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