Nothing in Common | | Cast : | Tom Hanks, Jackie Gleason, Eva Marie Saint | | Director : | Garry Marshall | | Studio : | Columbia Tristar Hom | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen | | Released Date : | July 30, 1986 | | DVD Released Date : | August 31, 2004 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), French (Dubbed), French (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), Portuguese (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language), Thai (Subtitled), Chinese (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled) | | Audience Rating : | PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | March 16, 2005 | | Summary | Nothing exceptional | Content
 | Tom Hanks is the young yuppie in Chicago who is a big hot-shot ad man, and Jackie Gleason (in his last screen role) is his father who has just lost his meager job and is facing divorce. Gleason comes across as most unlovable, and the conflict between Hanks and him produces quite a bit of noise. The selfish Hanks has to make some sacrifices for his father, as expected--there's the message. The movie tries to do too much, though, and not much of it in any depth. It's all surface. |
| Rating | | | Date | December 01, 2004 | | Summary | More serious than you might expect for a film this funny | Content
| "Nothing in Common" is Tom Hanks' first dramatic role (though there are plenty of comedic moments) and Jackie Gleason's last movie role. Both do a fine job as a father and son who really have no use and less understanding of each other. Of course, there is a crisis (actually a series of crises) that forces them to choose further alienation or reconciliation. You will have to watch the movie to find out - and I encourage you to do so.
Tom Hanks plays David Basner, a young and talented up-and-coming ad executive. He is in all ways the flower of the YUPPIE ethos including the pre-AIDS casual attitude towards sex and relationships. Gleason plays Max Basner who is a way past his prime manufacturers rep for a children's clothes manufacturer. Max is by all accounts a difficult and angry man who used to be quite a charmer and ladies man.
Eva Marie Saint plays Lorraine Basner. Lorraine was trapped into a marriage some would call loveless, but it is much more complicated than that. Again, you will have to watch the movie to learn all the subtleties, but during the film she decides to break free and "find herself" by walking out of her home and marriage to file for divorce and get the first job of her life. Both Max and Lorraine begin relying on David in ways that reverse the parent - child relationship and put a real strain and the solo life and upward career path David is enjoying.
To complete the sea of troubles, David is in the middle of trying to land a huge airline deal for his firm that would likely make him a partner and has also developed a mutual attachment with Cheryl Ann Wayne (played by the amazing Sela Ward) who is important on the airline account for multiple reasons. Plus, there is the old friend who really needs to be more, Donna Martin, played wonderfully by Bess Armstrong.
Some have criticized the movie as having two minds. The stuff at the office is fun, raucous, aggressive, and often very funny. The Basner family saga is often very painful. I actually found the clash of these two stories more or less realistic. Many young professionals experience a much different life at work than at home and that leads to a lot of stress, broken marriages, and lots of counseling hours.
While I am not thrilled with all the choices the characters make along the way, I do think the movie ends in a good place - though some might find it maudlin. In my view, the character that comes off best is Charlie Gargas, David's Boss, played by the always effective Hector Elizondo.
Other reasons to view the film again are the very young and pre- Homer Simpson Dan Castellaneta, the now strange 80's fashions, and the wonderful exchanges between David Basner and the deadpan secretary, and Conrad Janis on trombone with his jazz band (however briefly).
I think the best reason to see the film is the performance delivered by Jackie Gleason. It is a tour de force of how to provide humanity to such an unsympathetic character. There is much subtlety and skill in his portrayal of Max Basner and it is very memorable. |
| Rating | | | Date | March 07, 2003 | | Summary | Donna Mildred Martin
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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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| Rating | | | Date | September 16, 2002 | | Summary | A MUST SEE!!! | Content
| 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. |
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