Hanks plays ad executive David Basner. He's the typical movie character ad exec. He smarmy, confident and knows everyone. It's clearly a comedy in the Hanks mode through the first half of the film.

Everything changes when we are introduced to his father Max (Jackie Gleason-in his last role). Max is the typical grumpy old man and Hanks, in true yuppie fashion, has grown distant from his parents through his success. He comes to care for his father when his mother leaves and it's at this point the movie dramatically shifts its tone.

From here on it progresses in typical fashion as Hanks and his father begin to realize what they mean to each other, They realize that they are more than their perceived personalities and can do more than they are expected. But to the films credit, Gleason isn't softened with the ending of the film. He remains the miser that his son knew, despite the other attitudes that changed in the film.

The movie does paint a strikingly true and almost unromantic look at father / son relationships that may not be for everyone. The great cast and an excellent supporting performance from Hector Elizando make it worthwhile, but if you're looking for a family comedy try the much less sophisticated Folks! with Tom Selleck. If it's family drama you want, then you couldn't go wrong with the classic, Terms of Endearment.

The Video: It looks strikingly good for a movie that's several years old and many would not consider worth restoring. There are noticeable print flaws in the film, but not everyone can have a Phantom Menace style restoration. The colors are rich and the is no noticeable edge problems or other problems in this transfer.

The Audio: The Dolby Digital sound is crisp, but not active in any way. The vocals are well mastered and easily heard. Low vocals or vocals that don't match a films other sound levels are a jarring problem.

The Extras: There are none to speak of because I don't consider subtitles and interactive scene access to be extras.

Overall: It's an interesting film from early in Hanks' career and last in Gleason's. It's an odd mix of comedy and drama that is essentially two stories that bump into each other in the middle. Still, it's worth a rent and a purchase if you're a Hanks fanatic.