Shelley Long and Bette Midler make a wonderful comedy team and the first half of the movie makes the most of this - snappy dialogue and quickfire direction make for a marvellously funny first hour. Unfortunately, the plot then takes over a convoluted spy story - and the thicker the plot, the fewer the laughs. Pity somebody didn't sort it out - this could have been one of the best comedies in donkey's years.
Add a Review
-
latics17 January 1999
-
bkoganbing11 March 2008Peter Coyote did not know what he was letting himself in for in Outrageous Fortune when he started kanoodling with both Bette Midler and Shelley Long, both fellow students in Robert Prosky's acting class.
You do got to wonder what to make of a guy who's attracted to such opposite types as Long and Midler. Shelley expands a bit on her famous Diane Chambers character from Cheers. And Bette Midler is simply Bette Midler and that's good enough for me.
These two naturally don't hit it off, but when Coyote turns up as the victim of a bomb blast, both Midler and Long show up to say they're next of kin. Upon examination of the lower extremity of the burned cadaver which is all that's left, the two of them come to the same conclusion it's definitely not Coyote.
Long and Midler just want to find this guy and get an explanation for his behavior and to find out who he really prefers. But there's a lot more to Coyote as the two of them on a merry chase that takes them to the New Mexico desert find out.
Besides those already mentioned look for good performances from John Schuck as the rather rigid thinking CIA man and George Carlin as a droll and philosophical Indian.
You can't say there aren't any more good women's roles being written when you see Long and Midler in Outrageous Fortune. -
Quinoa198427 June 2000The comedy that comes in Outrageous Fortune may come in small doses, but it is supplied in good lengths by stars Bette Midler and Shelly Long. They make good comic chemistry as two ladies who have been screwed by the same man. Funny along the way, but it doesn't exactly hit the dart on the head. But it is OK, because of co-star George Carlin, who is good as always, and is especially good here as a Indian hippie-tracker who helps Midler and Long along the way. Best comedy of 1987. B+
-
mcfly-3118 November 2000By the end of the 80's they were churning out countless male buddy pics, so why not a female one? This one features Midler when she used to make funny big budget movies and Long when she used to make movies period. Just like any buddy film, the two hate each other on first sight, Midler the foul-mouthed antagonist and Long as the goody two-shoes. Things are set in motion when the two discover they were "boffing" the same man (Coyote) and decide to find him when they realize his death was staged. They set out on an oddyssey across several states and end up fighting for their lives when he shows us he's not only a spy but somewhat psychotic! There's a great, if contrived, climax set atop skinny vertical rocks that are about 10 feet apart and 100 feet off the ground. But what you look for in these types of movies you find, well-written bickering that should make you giggle plenty of times. Though guys should look out, with this written by a woman, there's a large dose of on target man bashing. Pretty much Long and Midlers last best comedy offering.
-
Eclectic director Arthur Hiller gives us another movie from his "odd-couple-up-to-their-neck-in-adventure" oeuvre with Outrageous Fortune. The film has obvious similarities to Hiller's earlier hit Silver Streak, and is a clear forerunner to his See No Evil Hear No Evil. In fact, the concept of ordinary characters being caught up in international intrigue found considerable favour during the '70s and '80s – besides the three Arthur Hiller films already mentioned, there's also the likes of Hanky Panky, The Man With One Red Shoe, High Anxiety and Jumpin' Jack Flash (to name but a few).
Sandy Brozinsky (Bette Midler) and Lauren Ames (Shelley Long) are members of a New York acting class. They are as opposite as can be – Sandy loud, vulgar and brash; Lauren bookish, tender and sweet. Without knowing it they are both in love with the same man, Michael Sanders (Peter Coyote). When he is seemingly killed in a mysterious explosion, the two distraught lovers discover the truth about each other and later, when asked to identify his remains, they realise that the body in the morgue is not the Michael Sanders they've shared a bed with for the past few weeks. Thrown together by chance, Sandy and Lauren embark on a cross country odyssey to track down their mystery man. Soon they are up to their necks in international espionage as it becomes clear they are not the only ones searching for Michael Sanders – indeed, the CIA and the KGB want him just as much as they do!
The film is put together very slickly, with a fast-moving plot and plenty of snappy one-liners. At this point in her career, Midler was on a hot streak in a series of smash-hit comedies (Down And Out In Beverly Hills and Ruthless People being two of the biggest). Her character here is either flat-out hilarious or horribly annoying, depending on your taste in humour. Long plays it straighter and comes across very likably as the sweeter of the two hoodwinked lovers. Once the plot twists unravel themself, the film loses steam and in its final quarter becomes a disappointingly routine chase movie like any other. But up to that point, Outrageous Fortune is a lot of fun, a feminist variation of all those buddy-buddy flicks so typical of movies from the era. It has energy, vulgarity and attitude - much like its two female protagonists – and if you're looking for an entertainingly easy way to kill 100 minutes, you could do a lot worse. -
youngcollind30 May 2021In the 80s it just felt like this was how they made movies, but there's a very specific feel to the era that can't be recaptured, and a limited supply of gems like this, so it's always great to stumble on one you've been missing. All the trademarks are in place, from the clothes to the music to light hearted nature of the whole endeavour. Bette and Shelley play up the characters they'd been type cast with all decade and stumble through a series of zany situations. It's all simple fun and an endearing time capsule.
-
edwagreen26 January 2010Two completely different dames fall for the same guy. Bette Midler and Shelly Long make a wonderful dynamic duo.
The problem with the film is that once the total plot is revealed, the movie goes downhill in quality and becomes one with full chase scenes.
The quality here is that these totally different women could possibly bond together. Of course, given the situation that confronts them, bonding would be a way of survival.
Robert Prosky was quite funny as the acting teacher, who is really a KGB agent. Peter Coyote has his moments as the false elementary schoolteacher up to his neck in espionage as a double agent.
Fun, but then it becomes increasingly inane. -
jboothmillard16 January 2007I did watch this very late at night, 2am till 4am, but I thought it was pretty worth it, from director Arthur Hiller (see No Evil, Hear No Evil). Basically Lauren Ames (Shelley Long) and Sandy Brozinsky (Golden Globe nominated Bette Midler) meet each other in the same acting class, and eventually (after a while) find out that they both share the same lover. But when Michael Sanders (Peter Coyote) disappears and they refuse to believe he is dead, they go on a trip both to find him and find out why they are being chased by bad guys, who turn out to be the CIA. Also starring Robert Prosky as Stanislav Korzenowski, John Schuck as Agent Atkins and George Carlin as Frank Madras. There are many good chase sequences, but it is the comedic moments between Long and particularly Midler that keep you interested. Worth watching!
-
Elmware16 December 2004This is one of my favorite movies. It is a little cheesy, but that's what makes it really funny. Bettey Midler and Shelley Long are hilarious together.
One of the funniest scenes is where they are in the whorehouse looking for Their boyfriend. They put their ears to the door, and hear sexual noise coming from the first door. When they put their ears to the second door, they hear a goat. Finally, they recognize his "Oh God, Oh God, Oooooh Yeeeeeeah!" as he passes out.
There are many other hilarious scenes in this movie. If you're in the mood for a good laugh, you will not be disappointed in this movie. -
writers_reign3 January 2011What it lacks in originality it makes up for in chuzpah and pace. It also 'plants' key elements that will be needed in the last reel in the first reel (specifically Long being shown as accomplished in fencing and leaping). I can only agree with the poster who queried what kind of a guy would be drawn to both the personification of genteel breeding, stylish clothes, sophistication etc(as personified by Long) and the blowzy, uncouth, unpolished street-wise hooker (personified by Middler), in real life now way but this is a movie, right, so artistic license comes into play. By and large this 80s attempt at 30s Screwball keeps us interested and gives good diversion.
-
moonspinner5519 October 2007Adversaries Bette Midler and Shelley Long take turns putting each other down while fighting over the same smooth-talking man (Peter Coyote, miscast but OK). Turns out their lover has staged his own demise and is now on the run from the CIA. After the initial set-up is in place, there's nowhere really this slapstick comedy can turn. Midler and Long each harp on the other's idiosyncrasies (for Long, it's her snippy gloating; for Midler, it's her bossy brashness). The third act in the desert smacks of plain desperation, and poor George Carlin is given the shaft in an ignorant supporting role. For the first twenty minutes or so, the movie has a sassy appeal; it prods at the viewer for laughs--like an R-rated sitcom--but does come through with some funny bits of business. Director Arthur Hiller and screenwriter Leslie Dixon eventually toss the whole thing overboard, and not even Bette's energy can save it. ** from ****
-
kenickie17 November 2001After that lame sitcom, I had given up on Bette Midler. Amazingly, this film still stands up to this day. When I recently watched it again I was surprised - just as funny as when I was eight, except now I get some more of the jokes. A buddy flick with chicks, and laugh out loud funny. If you haven't seen it, get it out some tuesday night, load up on junk food, enjoy. Pair with Ruthless People for the definitive Bette double bill.
-
This is a good funny comedy movie. The actresses are both very good in their roles.
It is just a simple comedy adventure type movie, the jokes are pretty funny. I haven't found it on DVD except for the edited for TV version which is too bad because I just know it won't be as funny with parts edited out.
I'm not sure how the edited for TV version of the movie is different but it is about 10+ minutes shorter so obviously they just cut out some stuff either for length or because of adult situations which I don't remember from the movie but maybe there were some. -
sfc28 August 2000While some of the performances in this movie were ok (especially George Carlin) the movie wasn't very funny overall. The worst part, as someone mentioned, is the ridiculous 2nd half of the movie where there is way to much "action". I'm not sure why so many comedies follow this formula. Put some "funny" stuff in the beginning but wind up with an "exciting" thriller at the end. The comedy isn't anything to get excited about, unless all your favorite comedies fit the above formula. I can't stand seeing a movie where I see the joke coming from a mile away, and this was the case in this movie. There weren't any jokes you have to think about, movie/book references, or non-sequiters. Just stuff like Shelly Long being unable to say "penis", some cross-dressing, and other boring "fish out of water" jokes. The movie only shines with the dialogue between Midler and Long early in the movie. I'm sure there are a lot of people who like this sort of movie, but if you're a fan of Monty Python, the Simpsons, the Coen Brothers or any other real comedy I'd stay far away. 4/10.
-
I saw this movie originally when it was first released at the theaters. I again saw it later when it made it to cable, eg. HBO, Cinemax. ect. I loved the movie but then saw the edited version when it came to network. They cut out a lot of the adult humour. Examples: When Bette says "Gee, you thought I was going to go in and pee on him." verses edited version "Gee, you thought I was going to go in and spit on him". Then the tobacco shop scene: Bette says: "How about a blow job" and then the edited version: "How about a party". Also several scenes cut from the edited version: Bette with Peter Coyote having sex in a chair, seen from behind the chair. The scene at the police station where Bette tells the cop needle dick, pencil dick, ect. when she is trying to make him get the picture. My point is that for some reason this edited version is the only one you can get on tape now. I bought one from Hastings music store and it was this edited version- 99-100 minutes version. Don't know why you can't get the original unedited version of this movie, my favourite comedy of all times.
-
kenandraf13 July 2001Average 80's formula comedy that delivers just enough for the viewer not to really regret watching this one.It all rides on Long and Miler who carries the film despite too outrageous and clumsily handled gun encounters which were critical for the credibility of the story.Too bad becouse the story had something going for it.Do not expect much but it does ok for Long and Midler fans and for fans of those comedies with action scenes towards the end.....
-
Bette Midler and Shelley Long star in "Outrageous Fortune," a 1987 comedy also starring Robert Prosky, Peter Coyote, John Schuck, George Carlin and the almost unrecognizable Anthony Heald.
Lauren (Long) and Sandy (Midler) are two women taking the same acting class with the brilliant, Stanislavsky-like Korzenowski (Prosky). What they don't know is that they are dating the same man, Michael (Coyote). When he's killed in a bombing, both women wind up at the morgue, and after taking a good look at the body's southern regions, realize it's not their boyfriend. Once they set out to find him, they find that the KGB and the CIA are after them, and they can't tell the good guys from the bad.
This is a fun movie, with Midler a scream as a burlesque queen and Long as the uptight, Diane Chambers-like aspiring serious actress. George Carlin plays an Indian who helps them, and he's very funny.
There is a lot of running in this film, up hills, leaping across cliffs, etc., as the women try to escape whomever is chasing them at the moment.
A very popular film from the '80s, which was Bette Midler's movie heyday. She is a wonderful comedienne and dramatic actress - it's a shame that Hollywood's ageism caused her film career to dry up. Well, also some poor choices such as turning down Sister Act. Long did not make it to true movie stardom, but she is good here. Directed by Arthur Hiller. -
nakrugt19 October 2020You can find everything you expect form an 80s comedy.
And as a plus, George Carlin as a guest star. -
view_and_review8 November 2019Two extremely desperate women chase a man across the country for "love." Shelley Long and Bette Midler are two women from different sides of the tracks. At the morgue they find out they are dating/sexing the same man. At that same morgue they also find out that their beau, Michael (Peter Coyote), is not really dead. That's when they embark on their incredibly desperate mission to find their lover and see which of the two of them he wants. Their adventure, as they would come to know, ended up being more than just a mission for a man.
Bette Midler is normally cool. Shelley Long is OK. The two of them together, at least in this role: pass. -
Vertigo-2710 August 1999Bette Midler and Shelley Long... make one of the best female pairs ever! They are an absolute scream! It would be wonderful if we were to see them in another film together. This movie is one of the best under-rated comedies I have ever seen!
Funny action/mystery plot is very winning that packs both power and energy. A must see for anyone that loves a good comedy... however... is on the adult side of things....
U will laugh your ass off! -
Take "the Divine Ms. M" and pair her with the frigid Diana from "Cheers" and you have the makings of one of the most opposite of pairings since Hope and Crosby's "Road" movies. In any other situation, Bette Midler and Shelley Long might not have been able to stand each other, but here, they are instant theater rivals who have one thing in common (Peter Coyote) and after discovering the truth about him, band together to find him with many surprises along the way.
"You saw Ninja Vixens?", Midler asks when she encounters a clerk who instantly recognizes her after she storms in to use their phone. Also present is Long, an uptight actress who longs to take a class from a prestigious Russian acting teacher, and once Midler learns about the class, she longs to take it too. Coyote is believed to have been killed in an explosion and Midler and Long both instantly recognize that a certain body part on the corpse doesn't match up with what they particularly appreciated about him. So it's off to adventure, as they team together, and their bond makes them become closer with lots of gags on the way.
Long and Midler are a seemingly odd team as they begin their adventure, and Long shows the rough and tough Midler that her acting training can make her just as tough, especially when they impersonate police officers. Later, they encounter Florence Stanley (as a cynical airline clerk) who rewards them for their ingenuity by providing them information almost immediately after bad-mouthing a customer who tried to bribe her into letting him take overweight luggage on board.
This takes them from the rough streets of New York City to Mexico where they learn a few more things about the man they loved and Long gets to prove once again she just ain't some namby-pamby drama queen. The film grabs your attention from the beginning and never lets go. Laughs come fast and furious and the stars prove that they have what it takes to keep your interest. Robert Protsky, John Schuck and Jerry Zaks also have amusing supporting roles, and you will cheer on Long as her seven years of ballet pay off for her in a climactic sequence. -
gcd7025 March 2008Terribly embarrassing and unfunny 'comedy' from Arthur Hiller about two women who pursue a mysterious man across the U.S., both determined to win him from the other.
Leslie Dixon's story is a disaster (containing a sub-plot involving the inept heroines saving the world's vegetation from certain destruction by a deadly virus), never holding its audience for a minute, and hardly ever raising a laugh. Director Hiller can't do a thing with this awful tale, and is completely reliant on stars Long and Midler to carry proceedings.
The two leads are really the only element that make "Outrageous Fortune" even remotely watchable. Likable Long and mad Midler do all they can with their hopelessly limited material, which is very little, and in so doing reduce the pain of sitting through this total waste of celluloid. The next best thing after the girls are the end credits.
Director of Photography David M. Walsh amazingly does nothing with the potential packed closing scenes, while editor Tom Rolf could never do enough. Also starred Peter Coyote, Robert Prosky and George Carlin.
Saturday, June 29, 1996 - Video -
theowinthrop11 March 2008This film is a pretty good example of turning the "buddy" movie into a film about two women who discover a common friendship. Shelley Long is a woman who has spent years studying for a stage acting career. As pointed out in another review on this thread, her character her is like "Diane Chambers" in CHEERS, except that Long is not lording her superior education over everyone. She does make one exception. She is trying to get into a course led by one of the great actors of this generation (Robert Prosky, in a clever role - he uses several accents), who is a Russian stage star - a "Stanislavsky" type. Prosky is quite selective about who comes in. He chooses Long because of her impressive resume. But he also allows in Bette Midler, who is ... well a hooker.
Bette wants to better herself, and she'd like to be an actress. But she doesn't have the background or the money (Long has to borrow it from her parents). She gets in (it is more than hinted she sold some of her wares to Prosky). He looks amused as he decides to include her in the course.
He is an intensive acting genius, and we see him demonstrate how to be realistic in many details (such as dying on stage). He is also insisting that they all take good notes, but leave their notebooks with him to be returned the following week. A hard taskmaster, he probably does know much about acting.
In the meantime both Long and Midler meet Peter Coyote, and he is dating both without knowing of each other's connection. This is good, as Long and Midler dislike each other (Long looking down on this pretentious hooker, Midler hating this overbearing overachiever). Then, one day, Long is accompanying Coyote out for dinner. He enters a shop, and it suddenly explodes. Long (in deep mourning) goes to the morgue. Shortly Midler shows up, and after a brief screaming fit between them, they discover that the corpse simply can't be Coyote - it's lacking a certain piece of evidence that it is.
Midler and Long decide to join forces to find out what happened to Coyote. They can't find any assistance from the police (who have an open and shut accidental death). But soon they are being pursued by Federal agents led by John Schuck. They manage to shake him off, and slowly follow the few clues they find to realize they have to cross the country to follow their lover...and to force him to choose between them.
Eventually they do find Coyote, only to find another less pleasant side to him. And they find that half the world seems to be pursuing them as well.
The film has great moments in it, such as Long using Prosky's training to fool some people, and Long and Midler playing Eastern Europeans trying to board a plane (the right plane) at an airport. Then there is George Carlin, who plays an American Indian with the attitudes of...well George Carlin, God bless him. The film is also interesting as Long and Midler, once their cooperation grows and they find what Coyote is like, discover that they really like each other more than they thought. Look at several scenes after the middle of the film where the ladies start helping each other with grooming tips. I suggest that this film, with THELMA AND LOUIS, finally cemented the idea that a "buddy" film did not need two men to be the "buddies". And both films showed that such lady "buddy" films could be great entertainment. -
This overlooked 80s action/adventure comedy is highly overlooked and hardly anyone has ever heard of it. It isn't the best thing ever, you'll find better movies out there, especially from the 80s. But overall, I liked this movie alright. I really loved Bette Midler and Shelley Long as the leads. I wouldn't have liked it as much if they weren't the ones starring. They both just have this great energy about them that makes the movie work most of the time. There are some scenes that are dull and even Midler and Long can't save it, but luckily those come far and few in between. The comedy works because Midler and Long are always just so funny in all of their movies, they both are just natural comedians. The acting works, the humor is there the majority of the time, and the action is so so, the action wasn't really the focus of the movie for me. The focus for me was seeing these two women go on this funny adventure. One of the lines in the film towards the end that had me falling over laughing was when Bette says "I'll never date a man again, getting laid just isn't worth it!" Overall, it's an average film that isn't worth unending praise but it's fairly enjoyable and like I've stated, that's due to the lead actresses performances. 7/10 for Outreagous Fortune.
-
Rick-1351 January 1999I loved this movie. Bette Midler and Shelly Long were the best female team-up's since Laverne & Shirley. I have seen this movie over and over again and I laugh like a fool every single time.