Nothing in Common

Garry Marshall directed this film which starts as a light comedy but moves into heavy-duty drama later on. David Basner (Tom Hanks in a good performance) works in an ad agency, where he enjoys bantering with his co-workers and meets a lot of women. He hasn't been especially close to his father ...more

Nothing in Common was an attempt by Tom Hanks to add some dramatic credentials to his status as a comic lead. The first half of the film, dealing with his character's life in the advertising business, has enough comedy in it that the audience accepts Hanks more easily when the film turns melodramatic in the second half. Jackie Gleason is good as the father, but his work is occasionally undone by the maudlin scenarios he is forced to play. Director Garry Marshall was shooting for a Terms of ...more