Critical reaction to the film as a whole was generally lukewarm. Rotten Tomatoes reports that 44% of critics gave the film a positive rating, based on 18 reviews, with an average score of 4.95/10. Sheila Benson from the "Los Angeles Times" called "Big Business" a "bright whirligig of a movie" and added: "As you watch its buoyant hilarity, the intricacies flow smoothly as honey off a spoon [...] Like a sensational party the night before, "Big Business" may not bear the closest scrutiny in the cold light of day, but it gives an irresistible glow at the time. And when it gets on a roll, it's a movie with more wit to its lines and a more pungent array of them than much of the mishmash that has passed as Bette Midler's "Greatest Movie Hits"." "Philadelphia Daily News" writer Ben Yagoda felt that the film was "big fun. Lily Tomlin and Bette Midler are a double dose of hilarity. Call out the National Guard — "Big Business" is a laugh riot".