Nothing in Common (1986)

This is one of my most treasured films of all time and I can't understand why it receives so little attention. This is the story of an immature but successful bachelor whose world is disrupted when he gets an unexpected call from his estranged father, telling him his mother left him. Tom Hanks gives one of his BEST performances (comedically AND dramatically) as the carefree fellow who is forced to get to know his parents all over again while supporting them emotionally.

While many label this a comedy--and it IS pretty funny-I find it one of the most heartfelt and touching films ever thanks to a brilliant director, soppy but appropriate music, and an extraordinary cast. There've been so many films made concerning father-son relationships but if you're looking for the most genuinely realistic one, this is it. The final line of dialogue spoken by father to son ("You're the last person on earth I would've ever expected to come through for me") never fails to choke me up.

This is one of Tom Hanks' (and director Garry Marshall's) best films, yet it has received little publicity.

Among Hanks' fans I know who have seen this film, all hold it in very high regard. It's classic Tom Hanks funny and serious at the same time. As it's promoters said, "It's a comedy and a drama, just like life." You will surely love it.

Jackie Gleason, Eva Marie Saint, Hector Elizondo, and the rest of the cast do wonderful jobs.

I only wish it was on DVD, but hopefully in time it will be.

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I've watched this movie dozens of times, and was overjoyed to find it on DVD at last. This was (I believe) The Great One Jackie Gleason's final screen performance, and it showed the way of the future for Tom Hanks. Sela Ward also appears as a love interest, along with Hector Elizondo as his boss, and Eva Marie Saint as Hanks' mom.

The only thing that gets on my nerves just a little is the soundtrack. I think it's Christopher Cross, surely one of the most annoying alleged musicians ever to hit the big time.

The transfer to disk is good. The cast is excellent. The plot makes sense, and the script is near perfect. The story is about the relationship between Tom Hanks' character, David Basner, and his father, Max Basner. Its a wonder that anyone comes out right as an adult, and Hanks had no idea how screwed up his childhood had been until the night his father told him his mother had split. And soon thereafter his secretary gave him a message that his mother had called, and added "I had no idea you had parents."

Wonderful. Buy it, enjoy it.

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This is the first movie where Tom Hanks really began to show his depth. It was a film that required him to open with the comedic chops he's honed so well but then, because of the deepening of the film's story from comedy to drama, requested so much more of him. He ultimately delivers in spades.

This is really a story about a son moving very fast in the fast lane of advertising. He's a pro and he loves what he does. He's also a personality that lives on charm and in the moment. But when his parents separate after years of marriage, his life changes rapidly from no personal responsibilities to a multitude of them. It's also begs a question that rarely gets told wellhow do sons and daughters deal with parents as life turns the tables and we suddenly start having to deal with listening to and taking care of them? The changing of roles and responsibilities. As the film unfolds, it presents those concerns with proper weight, depth, sadness, growth and understanding.

Gary Marshall directed the film prior to his mega hit with Pretty Woman but I really think this is the better film of the two. He draws the best from Jackie Gleason, Eva Marie Saint and Beth Armstrong and Hector Alonzoeach lending a real ensemble cast feeling to the piece and although Tom Hanks shinesso do they.

Jackie Gleason deserves special mention because he really plays a rather hard, sad man at the end of the road as a clothing salesman, and he digs deep, never lending anything false to how this man thinks, feels and operates. The exchanges between him and Hanks about how he was raised lend a real truth to the role.

If you're looking for a film that has some humor and some depth of feeling in the same breath, this is an interesting evening's viewing.

An underrated film that deserves a second look and a larger audience.

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I found Nothing in Common to have all the attributes of a wonderful film. From its soundtrack to its cast. The subject, a selfish advertising executive, thinks only of himself, but finally learns that family is important, and old friends are the best.

It is my most favourite Tom Hanks movie.

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