Beauty vs Beast: Sister City, Sister Bumpkin
Monday, September 1, 2014 at 5:38PM JA from MNPP here with today's very special Labor Day edition of our "Beauty vs Beast" series. Whether you're employed crunching numbers and dodging bitchy CEOs in the big city offices of Moramax or you've opted for the more laidback homey halls of the Hollowmade factory down in Jupiter Hollow, West Virginia, I hope we can all take a breather from doing the work we love today to unite over one indisputable fact - Lily Tomlin, who is turning 75 today, is a national treasure.
Clearly we've chosen 1988's twin comedy Big Business as this week's theme - as I was eleven and deep in a Bette Midler phase when this film came out I hope you'll forgive me for admitting this movie means a lot to me. (I have previously done an extensive appreciation over at my own site.) Rewatching it for the possibly one millionth time this weekend it's impossible for me to tell if it's actually any good or if it's just so deep-seated inside of me I can't see the forest for the Plaza Hotel.
But man does it make me laugh, and I go back and forth each time between who's funnier: Lily Tomlin as City Rose (slapstick with muffins and dogs in elevators) and Country Rose (Rattlesnake bracelets and water-tight frog asses) or Bette Midler as Country Sadie (Lee Press On Nails and UFOs) and City Sadie (Blood Clots and Tiaras). So I'm making y'all pick!
Before anybody says anything yes I was torn between doing the poll this way and asking you to choose Country Sisters vs City Sisters instead, but a showdown between the two actresses ultimately won that dispute in my mind. If you'd like to offer up your cases whichever way in the comments though, feel free! You have seven days.
PREVIOUSLY Last week we were wishing Sean Connery a happy birthday by dipping our Goldfinger into the James Bond pool, and sure enough it's that wascally secret agent who floated to the top with a whopping 77% of the vote. Said Henry:
"Seriously? Put Bond against Bond or Villain against Villain and you might have a fight, but there is no way a Bond can lose against anyone but an equal and Bond has no equals."
Reader Comments (9)
This is so tough! I love them both in both of their roles. I voted Lily one because it's her birthday and two for Fred Ward's jeans, he looks great in this film. Ask me tomorrow and I could easily switch to Bette.
OMG!
I love that film so much!
Soooooooooooooo delightful!
I bought a Bette Midler collection to have this film (well, I'm sure I'd bought it anyway)
Hard to choose. They're both great.
But I went with Rose. GO ROSE!
And Happy Birthday Lily! <3
Love her and I don't want to meet people who doesn't.
as much as I love Lily, this film belongs to Bette's Sadie... especially via her awesome Dynasty fixation and possibly the best film use of her trademark eye flashing. TEAM SADIE!
You can't ask me that on a Monday. I mean, you just can't.
I voted Team Rose because I too appreciate Fred Ward's jeans.
I love this movie! One of my favourite 80s comedies.
Both actresses are in top form here, but it's Bette as Country Sadie who rules this movie, in my opinion.
Never saw this film until a few months ago; love it to pieces.
Rose was both kind-hearted and a do-gooder. She loves does and ain't taking no for an answer. She's not having the iddy biddy pancakes. She also seemed to know what men (Fred Ward, that other hot guy) like by luring them with her "bracelet" snake thing. TEAM ROSE!