Today’s quick review: Taking Care of Business. Jimmy Dworski (Jim Belushi), a popular inmate and a die-hard Cubs fan, breaks out of prison to see his team play in the World Series. Through a twist of fate, he finds a notebook belonging to Spencer Barnes (Charles Grodin), an overworked ad executive, and uses it to take his identity for a weekend of luxurious fun. While Jimmy lives it up, Spencer tries in vain to get the notebook and his life back.
Taking Care of Business is a comedy about an escaped prisoner who steps into the shoes of a successful businessman. Jim Belushi stars as Jimmy Dworski, a charismatic convict whose easy-going personality makes a mess of Spencer’s careful plans. Charles Grodin plays opposite him as Spencer, a high-strung businessman who has let his job take him away from his wife Elizabeth (Veronica Hamel). What follows is a basic but enjoyable comedy about trading places.
The best feature of the movie is its main character. Jimmy is a man of simple tastes. His friendly attitude and wholesome goals make him easy to root for, even if he falls short of the best fun-loving scoundrels the comedy genre has to offer. Taking Care of Business never finds anything spectacular to do with Jimmy, but his attempts to wring as much enjoyment as possible out of Spencer’s life are enough to make it a pleasant comedy.
The broad strokes of the story are predictable: Spencer is forced to re-examine his priorities, and Jimmy has to think on his feet to keep his actions from catching up with him. Even so, the execution is clean, leading to a fairly satisfying payoff. The same goes for the movie’s sense of humor. None of the individual jokes are all that strong, but their consistency, coupled with Jimmy Dworski’s character, manage to carry the film.
Taking Care of Business won’t impress viewers who are looking for an innovative, sharply written comedy, but it will entertain anyone looking for some light humor with a decent story attached to it. Taking Care of Business sticks to the basics, but it executes them well, making it a modest but enjoyable pick. Steer clear if you’re looking for something with bigger laughs or a more memorable story.
For another comedy about a drastic change in station, try Trading Places, Luck-Key, or The Family Man. For a more iconic comedy with a similar premise, try Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. For a more dramatic movie about a prisoner’s rebellion against an unjust warden, try The Last Castle or The Shawshank Redemption.
6.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for simple but satisfying comedy.