How a 1986 comedy-drama became the turning point for Tom Hanks' legendary career
In short: Before he was a dramatic powerhouse, Tom Hanks was known for lighter fare. Nothing in Common, directed by Garry Marshall, marked a pivotal shift in his trajectory. By balancing comedy with the raw, heartbreaking reality of family dysfunction, the film helped transform Hanks into the serious lead actor we recognize today.
Released in 1986, Nothing in Common features Tom Hanks as David Basner, a shallow, career-focused advertising executive in Chicago. His life is upended when his mother leaves his father, Max, after 36 years of marriage. As David is forced to care for his aging, bitter father—who is simultaneously fired after 35 years in the garment industry—he must confront his own immaturity. The film captures the friction between David’s playboy lifestyle and the sudden, heavy burden of parental dependency.
The film is particularly noted for the performance of Jackie Gleason, who played Max in his final film role before his death less than a year later. Critics praised the chemistry between Hanks and Gleason, though the film itself received mixed reviews upon its initial release. Roger Ebert described the movie as a split narrative, beginning as a wise-guy comedy before evolving into a poignant exploration of a man struggling to understand his lonely, difficult parents. Stanley Kauffmann, while admiring the lead performances, felt the narrative structure was incomplete, comparing the film to a jigsaw puzzle with missing pieces.
While not a massive financial success at the time, the film’s reputation grew alongside Hanks' rising fame. It serves as a bridge between his earlier, less developed comedic roles and the more substantial, dramatic work that would define his later career. The film’s impact was significant enough to inspire a short-lived NBC sitcom in 1987, which starred Todd Waring and Bill Macy. Despite being scheduled to follow the highly rated Cheers, the series failed to retain its audience and was ultimately cancelled, leaving the original film as the definitive version of the Basner family story.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Nothing in Common
- Also: Wikidata — Nothing In Common · CC0
- Also: Wikidata — Nothing in Common · CC0
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