Nothing In Common Movie Review (1986)
A family dramedy about a successful Chicago advertising executive forced to confront his parents’ troubled marriage and his difficult relationship with his father, Nothing in Common carries genuine emotional weight in the family story, but the dated sexual politics, lengthy setup, and general unevenness make it feel very much a product of its time.
When I was a kid, I watched a lot of movies that were probably not so appropriate. I don’t remember many of them in detail, but Meatballs was in frequent rotation when I was about 10, and my brother was 7. I remember watching this movie too, but I don’t recall many details, so when it showed up on streaming, I had to see what it was actually about.
Nothing In Common is about David Basner, a Chicago ad exec who lives a high-energy, womanizing life. He has little communication with his parents and spends his days thinking about himself and his career, and his nights bedding the first woman he comes across. When his cantankerous father tells him that David’s mother has left him, David is suddenly thrust into his parents’ marriage in ways he never expected.
This movie has not aged well. To be clear, it’s not a bad movie and has some really good qualities, but what was acceptable in 1986 isn’t charming now.
The first half of the movie focuses heavily on David’s glossy lifestyle. Most of the women he interacts with are framed as less intelligent and less successful, so when he encounters Sela Ward’s character, who is a sexy but hardened business executive, she sticks out as something different.
The movie also starts with David on an airplane, and – this is an incredibly small thing – but there is an announcement to “please extinguish all cigarettes.” That should tell you how long ago this movie was made – which is crazy, because Real Genius was made in 1985 and it doesn’t feel as old as this.
Once you finally get to the meat of the story in the second half, the movie gets much more interesting. David’s father is a know-it-all who doesn’t take care of himself because he’s never had to. His wife is trying to move on, and I imagine that this was one of the movies that felt unique, as an adult child worked to get to know his parents as individual humans.
The longer the movie went on, the more emotional I got, and I ended up crying, which surprised me. But you see the dysfunction between a bitter man and his removed son, and it’s clear why they are nearly estranged at the beginning of the movie. It also makes you wonder, in the same way I did during Falling, how much a child is supposed to give for a parent that continues to mistreat you.
Tom Hanks and Jackie Gleason do good work in this movie, and many of the positives come from their dynamic. It’s also fun that this was made back when songs were specifically written for movies, so the opening credits take place during a song called “Nothing In Common.” It’s pretty good! It’s also my favorite thing about the first half of the movie, next to the great location shots in Chicago, so keep that in mind when you go to watch this film. It’s not what I remembered it being as a kid.
Runtime: 119 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: R
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? Yes, if you’re curious
Did I Cry? Yes, I did
My Rating: 2.75/5 Stars
Available: To rent on Prime Video or may be available for free on other streaming platforms
