Nothing in Common

Nothing in Common is a 1986 comedy-drama film, directed by Garry Marshall and starring Tom Hanks and comedian Jackie Gleason, in his last film performance. The film, released in 1986, was not a tremendous success at first, but it became more popular as Tom Hanks' fame grew.

Plot summary

The film is about happy-go-lucky ad-exec David Basner, who recently got a promotion at his Chicago ad agency. He is care-free until his parents split up after 36 years of marriage. Now, he must care for his aging bitter father Max, and be his emotionally-sensitive mother Lorrane's best friend. To add insult to injury, Max has just been fired from his 35-year-long career as a children's clothing salesman. All while this is going on, David is working on a commercial for Colonial Airlines, owned by Andrew Woolridge. David falls in love with his daughter, no-nonsense Cheryl Ann Wayne (played by Sela Ward), and they develop a relationship. But David's parents begin to rely more and more on him, calling him on the phone constantly. Lorrane starts going out with another man, but becomes frightened when he tries to kiss her. David's mother then tells David that Max cheated on her and humiliated her. Enraged, David goes over to Max's apartment, and the two lose their tempers with each other and get into a big argument. The argument ends as David says, "Tomorrow I'm shooting a commercial about a family who loves each other. I'm fakin' it." and angrily slamming the door. The next day, David, thinking about the deteriorating relationship between him and his dad, loses his temper at the ad agency during the shooting. The director calms him down and he leaves. To make up for their argument, David offers to take Max to a nightclub. There, David accidentally discovers Max's diabetes secret that he had been keeping from everybody. Max must go to the hospital for surgery. At the hospital, he and Lorrane share their thoughts about each other, which ends with Max sobbing over his mistakes during his marriage. Meanwhile at the agency, Andrew Woolridge wants David to go to New York with him to promote his commercial. David refuses, saying he wants to stay with his sick father. Enraged, Woolridge complains that Basner doesn't need to stay with his father. In turn, David tells him off. Woolridge fires him. The next day, David accompanies his dad for his surgery. The film ends with David carting his father off in a wheelchair.

Related Topics:
Chicago - Commercial - Sela Ward - Diabetes - Wheelchair

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