NOTHING IN COMMON (1986) Detour on the fast track

NOTHING IN COMMON, a light comedy that slips into drama territory about halfway through, is about what an ambitious young professional has to give – and give up – to balance career and family obligations. In a role tailored for him, Tom Hanks is creative director David Basner, whose talent and charm have put him on the fast track at his ad agency. But when his parents (Jackie Gleason, Eva Marie Saint) split, and then his dad gets ill, David is forced to decide whether to continue serve both his demanding client (and client's daughter) or his lonely, emotionally stunted dad. I watched this movie again in 2008 and found it not to have aged much. One of my favorite films (partially, perhaps, because I was an ad agency creative director.) It was Gleason's final film, and he's good in it.