Taking Care of Business (released in theaters on August 17, 1990) charges onto the screen as a fast-paced, high-concept 1990 mistaken-identity comedy that pairs opposite personalities for non-stop suburban chaos. Directed with lighthearted polish by Arthur Hiller and co-written by a young J.J. Abrams, the narrative follows Jimmy Dworski (James Belushi), a friendly car thief and die-hard Chicago Cubs fan serving the final days of his prison sentence.
After winning tickets to the World Series, Jimmy escapes from jail with the help of other inmates in spite of warden Frank Toolman (Hector Elizondo).
Meanwhile, Spencer Barnes (Charles Grodin), a uptight, neurotic advertising executive, lands in Los Angeles for a crucial career meeting but accidentally leaves behind his prized leather Filofax planner containing his credit cards, house keys, and entire life itinerary.
Jimmy discovers the lost organizer at an airport payphone and assumes Spencer’s identity to live in luxury at a Malibu mansion.
While Jimmy indulges in Spencer’s high-flying lifestyle – flirting with the boss’s daughter Jewel (Loryn Locklin) and charming corporate client Mr. Sakamoto (Mako) – the real Spencer descends into utter ruin.
Stripped of his identity, cash, and clothes, Spencer relies on his former girlfriend Debbie (Anne DeSalvo) and encounters a series of bizarre setbacks.
As the big World Series game approaches, Spencer tracks down Jimmy, leading to a hilarious, high-stakes confrontation where the two men must team up to save Spencer’s career, outsmart prison authorities, and get Jimmy to the stadium on time.
Stephen Elliott, John de Lancie and Veronica Hamel round out the supporting cast.
James Belushi in Taking Care of Business (Photo/Hollywood Pictures)
Reception for Taking Care of Business
Taking Care of Business grossed $3.6 million on its opening weekend, finishing seventh at the box office.
The film would gross $20 million in the midst of the summer of 1990’s blockbusters lineup.
Legacy
Taking Care of Business‘ legacy endures as a nostalgic, fan-favorite staple of 1990s comedy cinema, widely remembered for being the first screenplay written by future blockbuster director Abrams.
The feature highlights the brilliant comedic chemistry between Belushi’s street-smart, loose-cannon charisma and Grodin’s legendary deadpan, wound-up frustration.
Supported by a sharp ensemble of veteran character actors like Elizondo and Mako, the picture established a comforting blueprint for early-90s body-swap and identity-mixup comedies.
Taking Care of Business is remembered as a fun, lighthearted time capsule that delivers plenty of laughs and feel-good energy.
