Search - Nothing in Common on DVD

Brittni H. (venus) from BATON ROUGE, LA
Reviewed on 1/15/2010...

This movie was the last in Jackie Gleason's career, and his performance is quite touching. He is perfect as a hard-to-love-but-harder-to-hate father left completely on his own when his wife can no longer stand being his coatrack and dishwasher. You see vastly different responses to her sudden departure from the father's perspective and the mother's perspective. The mid-eighties are in high gear here, too. Enjoy the hair, clothes, and music trickling into today's fashion, and laugh or reminisce from whence of they came. Hanks is lighthearted and helpful as the son, yet doesn't hesitate to bullstomp in for a dramatic argument with either parent. Of course, plot points are predictable, but still enjoyable-the toupee catalogue (you'll see what I mean), the corporate scene full of cut-throat business men, the talented employee seeking epiphanies to give his life meaning... Really, it would not be an 80's movie without these things.
It's well worth the rent and a very enjoyable last performance from Gleason. He reminded everyone why they loved his surly demeanor, and though his character is meant to frustrate, it was impossible for me not to want to make or see him smile. He inspired that need for me, and that is what a good story is all about--the characters within.

2 of 3 member(s) found this review helpful.

Hanks and Gleason are a winning team

07/02/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Once in a while you find a movie that mirrors your own actual relationship with someone. For me, Nothing In Common sums up my relationship with my father. Even though I do have a lot in common with my dad, I could definitely relate to the fights that father(Gleason) and son(Hanks) had in the movie.I think that we were raised on thinking that Father Knows Best, but what happens when the father starts to lose it. Nothing In Common answers that question. This movie would make a great Father's Day gift.Hanks starts out the movie as a grown-up child without a care in the world other than pleasing his every whim. He evolves into this mature adult who realizes that he owes more to his parents than just the occasional visit once every six months or a gift for Mother's and Father's Day.Gleason starts out as an angry man who reluctantly asks his son for help. He becomes an enlightened father who is truly proud of his son.I don't believe I'm giving to much away. I think that if you are a fan of Hanks, Gleason, and Garry Marshall. Enjoying this movie will not be difficult.This movie is one of my favorites. I have lost count as to how many times that I've seen it."

A MUST SEE!!!

Kirsten Chance | VA United States | 09/16/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Donna Mildred Martin

Holy Olio | Grand Rapids, MI USA | 03/07/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"
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.
"