ballet skills to evade him, culminating in a grand jeté, as pursuing Michael slips and is presumably killed on the rocks far below while the money is lost to Native Americans. The women form a lasting friendship, and go on to perform Hamlet together, with Lauren in the title role and Sandy as Ophelia. Cast Shelley Long as Lauren Ames Bette Midler as Sandy Brozinsky Peter Coyote as Michael Santers Robert Prosky as Stanislav Korzenowski George Carlin as Frank Madras John Schuck as Agent Atkins Anthony Heald as Agent Weldon Christopher McDonald as George Both Shelley Long and Bette Midler were promised top billing when they signed to do the film; however, neither was willing to give up top billing to the other. To compromise, Long received top billing in advertising west of the Mississippi River, and Midler received the honor in the east. This agreement extended through the original LaserDisc and VHS release of the title, with discs shipped to retailers in the west featuring Shelley Long and retailers on the east receiving discs featuring Bette Midler. On an episode of Oprah, Midler remarked that working with Long was "rough," echoing similar sentiments amongst Long's bosses on her hit TV series Cheers. Suzanne Somers has said that Michael Eisner offered her a three-movie deal with Disney which included Outrageous Fortune, but she turned it down. She would have played Bette Midler's part. Reception The film received mixed reviews from critics. It currently holds a 56% rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 25 reviews, indicating a lukewarm response. For her performance, Midler received a Golden Globe nomination. Box office Outrageous Fortune was financially successful, debuting at number 2 at the US box office with a gross of $6.4 million in its opening weekend, a record for Disney at the time. It went on to gross $52.9 million in the US and Canada. References External links Outrageous Fortune at The 80s Movie Rewind 1987 films 1980s English-language films 1980s buddy comedy films 1980s female buddy films 1980s comedy mystery films Films directed by Arthur Hiller Touchstone Pictures films American female buddy films Films set in New Mexico Films set in New York City Films shot in New Mexico American comedy road movies 1980s comedy road movies American action comedy films Interscope Communications films Films scored by Alan Silvestri Films with screenplays by Leslie Dixon 1987 comedy films 1980s American