Film

Outrageous Fortune

Two rival actresses—one refined, one brash—discover they're dating the same man, a spy, and impulsively chase him across America. Part buddy comedy, part caper, entirely dependent on the chemistry between Bette Midler and Shelley Long. It's silly, fast-moving, and committed to its own absurdity. For anyone who loves personalities clashing in close quarters.

TMDb rating3.0

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy mismatched-pair comedies where two prickly personalities bounce off each other, and the road-trip momentum matters more than tidy plotting.

Skip it if you tire of big, loud performances, since Midler's volume is the main engine and the jokes often lean on shouting rather than wit.

What it asks of you: About a hundred minutes, brisk and restless, with the energy running high and little quiet room between the set pieces from start to finish.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Nine to Five1980

Three women take revenge on a sexist boss through escalating schemes. Like Outrageous Fortune, it pairs comedy with genuine warmth and lets its ensemble cast riff on each other's energy without losing the plot's momentum.

But The 80s feminism can feel dated, and some workplace scenarios strain credulity even by comedy standards.

Nine to Five poster

Thelma & Louise1991

Two women on the run, bonding through chaos and danger. It has the same road-movie structure and the same emotional payoff—a friendship that matters more than the plot mechanics carrying it forward.

But Tonally it's far darker and ends very differently. If you want laughs throughout, this pivots hard toward tragedy.

Thelma & Louise poster

Midnight Run1988

A bounty hunter and his mark form an unlikely partnership while crossing the country. The buddy dynamic—opposite personalities forced together, bickering becomes affection—is the whole engine, just like here.

But It's more interested in being a heist movie than a character study. Less space for the actors to breathe and play.

Midnight Run poster

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Outrageous Fortune

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Desperately Seeking Susan1985

Both films center on two women of clashing temperaments caught up in a plot they didn't ask for, but the real story is discovering why they need each other. Both use comedy to make that arrival feel surprising rather than sentimental.

A bored New Jersey housewife chases a mysterious woman through New York, stumbling into crime and friendship. It's a caper with the same brisk, comedic energy, but filtered through Madonna's downtown cool and a more thoughtful script about female friendship and reinvention.

But The 80s New York setting and music will feel very specific and dated. Some viewers find Madonna's deadpan delivery off-putting rather than charming.

Desperately Seeking Susan poster
More like this (8)

Big Trouble in Little China1986

Kurt Russell stumbles into a supernatural adventure and refuses to take it seriously. The same anarchic energy, the same 'let's just commit to the bit and see where it goes' approach to comedy and action.

But It's visibly cheap in places, and the comedy doesn't land if you need logical consistency in your plot.

Big Trouble in Little China poster

Ghostbusters II1989

The ensemble returns, bickering and riffing, united against an absurd threat they don't quite believe in themselves. That tone—comedians playing it straight while ridiculous things happen—matches Outrageous Fortune's rhythm exactly.

But It's a sequel that feels less inspired than the original. Some bits lag, and the supernatural stuff sometimes distracts from what made the cast fun.

Ghostbusters II poster

Withnail & I1987

Two unemployed actors get tangled in a disastrous scheme that spirals beyond their control. Dark, quotable, and built almost entirely on two people bouncing off each other while everything goes wrong.

But It's British, dour, and the humor is bone-dry. If you want bright 80s energy and warmth, this is the opposite.

Withnail & I poster

Splash1984

A romantic comedy with screwball elements and a committed cast that keeps things moving. It has that 80s charm and the same willingness to be charming without winking at the audience.

But The fantasy element is played completely straight, which some find precious rather than funny. Also slower-paced than Outrageous Fortune.

Splash poster

Trading Places1983

Two men switched at the top and bottom of society must navigate chaos together. The structure—opposites forced into adventure—and the pleasure in watching smart people improvise under pressure are very much the same.

But Racial and sexual politics that haven't aged well sit uncomfortably next to the humor. Some scenes land differently now.

Trading Places poster

Mannequin1987

A sculptor and a department store mannequin form a friendship-slash-romance while evading villains. It's equally unashamed about its own silliness and equally dependent on likable leads carrying you through the absurdity.

But It's deeply weird in ways the movie doesn't acknowledge. The logic breaks if you think about it for a second.

Mannequin poster

Eating Raoul1982

Both films are about ordinary people way over their heads, committing increasingly stupid crimes, and finding an odd sort of camaraderie in the chaos. But where Outrageous Fortune celebrates its characters' humanity, Raoul treats them as punchlines.

A prudish married couple accidentally kill a burglar, then discover they can fund their dream restaurant by targeting swingers. It's a dark, deadpan satire with the same escalating-scheme structure, but operates in comedy-horror rather than bright comedy.

But It's genuinely grotesque—blood, corpses, explicit talk of sex—and the tone is cold and nasty. If you want warmth and heart, this will feel like watching people you don't like very much.

Eating Raoul poster

Pennies from Heaven1981

Both are 80s films that use comedy to move a plot forward while keeping real emotion in the frame. But Pennies operates in a completely different register—sincere rather than silly, tragic rather than triumphant—and asks what happens when fantasy isn't enough.

Steve Martin plays a sheet-music salesman during the Depression whose fantasies and real life collide in elaborate musical sequences. It's a grown-up film using comedy and music to explore loneliness and desire, with the same structural playfulness as Outrageous Fortune but aimed at something true.

But It's sad underneath, and the tonal shifts are jarring. If you come in expecting straightforward comedy, the melancholy will feel like betrayal.

Pennies from Heaven poster

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