Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- warm
- poignant
- lazy sunday
- family movie night
What critics said
Critics found a warmly acted but uneven dramedy whose sharp opening comedy gives way to more affecting family drama without fully resolving its structural gaps.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
David must manage the separate needs of Lorraine and Max after their marriage breaks apart.
David's successful advertising career is repeatedly disrupted by his parents' separation and his father's decline.
Max is a recently laid off salesman who hides difficulties behind hard-headed behavior, while Lorraine embraces independence.
The critical reception specifically identifies the film's movement from wise-guy comedy to a heartbreaking account of family upheaval.
Films like Nothing in Common, and why
Big
shared blend of workplace comedy, family conflict, and emotionally direct parent child relationships
Broadcast News
shared 1980s romantic comedy sensibility, career pressures, and warm but bittersweet family themes
Terms of Endearment
shared comedic treatment of middle-class relationship breakdown and poignant intergenerational reconciliation
The Money Pit
shared Tom Hanks-led dramedy tone, adult responsibility, and a protagonist forced to reassess his priorities
Movie Details
- Director
- Garry Marshall
- Release Date
- 1986-07-29
- Runtime
- 118 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (139)
Cast
- Tom Hanks
- Jackie Gleason
- Eva Marie Saint
- Héctor Elizondo
- Barry Corbin
- Bess Armstrong
- Sela Ward
- Cindy Harrell
- John Kapelos
- Carol Messing
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Hulu, Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Nothing in Common about?
- A prosperous advertising executive is pulled into the painful aftermath of his parents’ separation, forcing him to choose emotional responsibility over effortless success.
- What is Nothing in Common like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Nothing in Common as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Nothing in Common violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Nothing in Common.
- What did critics think of Nothing in Common?
- Critics found a warmly acted but uneven dramedy whose sharp opening comedy gives way to more affecting family drama without fully resolving its structural gaps.
- Which films are like Nothing in Common?
- Films with a similar feel include Big, Broadcast News, Terms of Endearment, and The Money Pit.
- How long is Nothing in Common?
- Nothing in Common runs 118 minutes.
- Where can I watch Nothing in Common?
- In United States, Nothing in Common streams on Hulu, Howdy Amazon Channel.
