Nothing in Common (1986)

Tom Hanks wanted to prove his dramatic talent in the mid-1980s, and Nothing in Common gave him a ripe opportunity. Playing an emotionally immature Chicago advertising executive, Hanks offers a prototype of his later, better role in Big--the joking man-child with seemingly limitless reserves of energetic humor, perfectly suited to director Garry Marshall's trademark blend of featherweight comedy and sentiment. The movie wanders aimlessly before settling into its dramatic groove, involving Hanks caring for his aging, diabetic father (Jackie Gleason, well cast in his final screen role) after his mother (Eva Marie Saint) files for divorce and strikes out on her own. Like Marshall's Pretty Woman, the movie hits several grace notes and finds unexpected depth in its characters and their need for loving connections. Meanwhile, there's cheesy nostalgia in the '80s trappings, including songs by Carly Simon and Christopher Cross, and Once and Again TV star Sela Ward in an early supporting role. --Jeff Shannon Amazon.com

Nothing in Common

If you like Tom Hanks and Jackie Gleason, you'll love this DVD version of this movie. I saw it on the Pay per View channel and decided to get the DVD. Glad that I did. March 14, 2008

Nothing In Common

Tom Hanks in one of his best roles before superstardom.Jackie Gleason's final appearance on film.Eva Marie Saint,Sela Ward,Hector Elizondo supporting actors-wonderful!Emotional pitstop, what a great new phrase.If you have not seen this movie buy it, rent it, wait for it to come on cable,whatever but sit still for an hour and ahalf and enjoy this film. October 1, 2007

Not as funny as promoted, but an effective comedy-drama.

With my family on a The Honeymooners kick (including the The Lost Episodes) from Gleason's earlier variety show), they wanted to see some later work by him.

Of course, with my family also being Tom Hanks fans, this film was an easy choice for a lazy Sunday afternoon. When I first saw this film it seemed funnier to me, but perhaps that is because the serious stuff really didn't hit home at that point in my youth, but having had my father die a rather lonely and broken man in a nursing home earlier this year, I found this story more poignant than in my youth. The story now rings more true and instead of noticing the comedy in a drama, as I did in my younger days, I am now finding the drama in the comedy. Amazing how life experience can alter a perspective.

Tom Hanks plays, for the upteenth time, an immature adult who can't keep serious relationships, thinks life is one big joke, and, in his own words, moved away from home and just "waited for his parents to die." In spite of his callous nature, both his attitude and behavior is rather realistic and, even likable at times. He just wants to coast through and enjoy life without a lot of emotional baggage and having grown up in a home with a distant and somewhat absent father and a doting, but emotionally frigid mother, one can understand his desire to enjoy and experience a life he never had growing up in the first place; hence, Tom creates a believable character who at times is both lovable and annoying as all hell.

Hanks' character gets an emotional and literal wake-up call when his father, wonderfully played by Gleason in, ironically, his last role, tells him in both a sad and sensationally funny dialogue of how his, Tom's, mother has left . . . with everything. At this point, many reviewers here reveal far too much of the story that little surprises that would have been nice to discover while watching the film are now lost if you've read the other reviews, including the Spotlight ones. I won't go that road other than to say that things regarding the parents in this film are nothing like they appear as the title refers not only to Tom and Gleason, but also Gleason and Eva Marie Saint who plays his wife in a terrifically understated performance.

What was intended as a comedy about family relationships between people who have little in common other than last name, eventually becomes a serious story that is only laced with humor and poignant humor at that. Gleason's last role is as memorable as his Ralph Kramden, an equally bull-headed, loud, pipe-dreamer, who, while having some awful character traits, is still sympathetic. Although this character is far less lovable than Kramden's whose motives where always covered with good intentions, this character is more bitter and hurt and that is why many of us can identify with him in one way or another. He is very reminicent of Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman in that he feels like a failure, but boasts of being a success to cover his hurt. Life has somehow passed him by and his family life is nothing like he had hoped or imagined it would be. Life, in short, has been one great letdown for him.

The supporting roles are wonderfully filled by the ever reliable Hector Elizando (Pretty Woman) as Tom's hair deficient but understanding boss, the cute as a button Bess Armstrong (whose career never took off, but should have easily) as Tom's old flame who is always there for hm, and the terrific Eva Marie Saint. Relative newcomer at the time, Sela Ward of The Day After Tomorrow and The Fugitive is about as hot as you can get without literally being on fire. I have always thought she was one of our great looking "mature" actresses (she is older than most think), but to see her here in 1986 . . . WOW doesn't even cover it. Of course, this woman has acting chops to go with the great looks and nearly steals the film out from under Hanks every time they are on screen together.

Well, there you have it. A film heavily promoted as a comedy, with two great comedians (of which Hanks was mostly known as at the time), is far more a moving drama only laced with humor on family relationships and the impact our homelives have on us as adults and at what costs we measure success. September 17, 2007

One of Hanks better movies....

Before he went all soporific on everybody. Before he made the ill-advised "Philadelphia" and then the cleverer "Forrest Gump", Hanks was actually a fairly broad comic actor. Some of his movies hit the mark, like "Splash" and "The Money Pit", and others bombed badly, like "The Man With One Red Shoe" and "Bachelor Party". He was great at playing overly-confident, affable yuppies that were almost always put-upon in the extreme or finding themselves in odd situations, like he did in this one.

In this movie, Hanks plays David Basner, a hotshot adman in Chicago, with comical co-workers and upper-middle-aged parents that are breaking up. While he tries romancing the daughter of a major client, (Sela Ward, hubba-hubba!) he also has to deal with his poor father (Jackie Gleason) losing his wife of 40 years and his job, all within the same month! The "tough love" tenderness Basner uses with his dad is offset by the kid gloves he uses with his mother, played by Eva Marie Saint. There are some ingenious comic scenes in this film, such as the ad company presentation to the Texan airline owner client, father of the Sela Ward character, (the woman with the guitar voicing the old lady on the plane is priceless,) and some other ad proposals are done well too. However, it is the later scenes with Max, his father, that will probably get to you the most. This was Jackie Gleason's last movie, and it is LIGHT YEARS better than most of the stuff he starred in late in his career, specifically the "Smokey & The Bandit" movies and "The Sting II". Hanks would go on to make "Joe Versus The Volcano", which was really Meg Ryan's movie more than his, his last broad comedy, and then made "A League of Their Own", which changed his career as well as saved it. There was no looking back after "Philadelphia", which was actually his first totally dramatic role.

Frankly, I kinda miss the affable yuppy Hanks and would love to see him in another "Money Pit".

Whaddya say, Tom....huh? February 10, 2007

Cats in the Cradle Revised

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 well- how 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 Alonzo- each lending a real ensemble cast feeling to the piece and although Tom Hanks shines- so 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.




August 15, 2006

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