Bette Midler turns 67 on Saturday, and it's pretty hard to pick where in her magnificent and one-of-a-kind career she enjoyed her finest moment. Naturally some would choose her performance of "Wind Beneath My Wings" on The Tonight Show in '92 while others would select her work in For The Boys or Beaches. Don't forget that she's only an Academy Award short of an EGOT. (Psst: If The Rose had come out a year earlier in '78, she might've overtaken Jane Fonda for the trophy. I love Jane, but Coming Home is not even one of her signature performances.)
I'm going to pander to what I assume is the agreed-upon public opinion that Big Business is a hilariously ridiculous gem from beginning to end. My favorite single Bette moment is the amount of reaction shots, quips, and vaudevillian flair she packs into this "reunion" segment with Lily Tomlin. God, can you believe there was a time when screwball, mistaken identity comedies starring two loudmouth character actresses were considered bankable? I weep for the past.
If you haven't seen Big Business, don't watch the following clip. But if you have, can we agree that this movie is basically a feature-length version of the Sister, Sister pilot? Sorry to those I just offended. Just watch this.
Recently, I thought Bette was adorable when inducting her late pal Laura Nyro into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame. It helps that I'm a hyperventilating superfan of Laura Nyro's. What's your favorite Bette moment? C'mon. Whip out the Outrageous Fortune quotes. Contain yourself on the Hocus Pocus ones.
