That Thing You Do! (1996) User Reviews

Familiar tale told freshly, with appealing cast

[moonspinner55 · 7/10 · 18 March 2001]

We've sorta been down this road before: 1960s pop band makes it out of their dead-end hometown for Hollywood, but fame and fortune unravel the fun. Still, this picture has remarkable focus, careful period detail, and a lovely cast that rarely (if ever) strikes a false note. If some of the young actors sometimes seem like they're doing Tom Hanks impersonations, that's okay because director Hanks (himself a co-star) seems to know these characters inside and out--and he likes them. We in the audience are quick to respond, and even the conventional parts of the movie work because Hanks rides over clichés with verve and enthusiasm and wit. Not a raucous comedy a la "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" (which is what it looked like to me in the ads), this has its share of subtle moments. There is a mean-spirited dig at the Frankie & Annette "Beach Party" flicks, and the ready-made romance at the end is sugar-coated, but "That Thing You Do!" is immensely likable. It has a huge heart. *** from ****

Breezy period piece wrapped around a catchy song

[AlsExGal · 7/10 · 19 October 2010]

When I saw this movie advertised in the theaters back in 1996, I rolled my eyes in great disdain. For one thing the advertising banner - "In every life there comes a time when that dream you dream becomes that thing you do" hit me the wrong way. After all, 95% of us never wind up doing the dream we dream...there is no WHEN in our lives for this event. Plus, I just figured it was an attempt by Tom Hanks to go highbrow via a directorial debut after those back-to-back Academy Awards.

When I finally got around to seeing the film I really loved it. The first half is very upbeat as the band gets started out. They truly are the "One-ders", just like many other bands of the Beatles' transitional era. They wrote and performed one song that got them national attention, and then couldn't follow up with anything else. That's too bad, because the band does get one lucky break after another at the start. The guy in the camper that shoves a bowl of stew and a contract in front of them and tells them to "trust me" could have had them signing anything. They got lucky that he was legitimate and really did intend to get the record on the air and not steal it from them. That's what makes the disintegration of the band at the end so sad. One by one, they just walk away from their dream. To me, if the movie had any flaw, it was this - the band members just acted like the whole thing was one big amusement park ride rather than a once-in-a-lifetime life changing opportunity.

Finally, I also loved all of the authentic looking stage designs. The home appliance store really brought back memories. These type of family owned appliance stores were all over the place back in the 1960's before the big box stores gradually made them extinct. Plus, the appliances being sold looked just like what was available in 1964 right down to the brand names and the styles.

That Thing Done Well is a Thing of Beauty Indeed.

[dunmore_ego · 8/10 · 30 September 2003]

A snappy, exhilarating movie, with a slightly 'down' ending, but which nonetheless entertains, without educating (a staple of American cinema). That's not to say this isn't an excellent film - full credit goes to Hanks (as writer-director) for crafting a vehicle in which he stars, that he is not the star of, focusing on the rise and fall of a rock group ensconced in British Invasion-era America.

'Not educating' because this film deals very little in the reality of the business management behind The Wonders' success. Sure, no audience will sit through protagonists sludging through reams of contracts, but an audience can stomach details on the industry process of promoting an artist, because we see The Wonders single rising the Billboard charts, but no one ever mentions how it does this. Hanks puts in clues, but the dots are never joined - which might be construed as treating an audience as "intelligent" - whoa!, let's not go overboard...

The Wonders are drummer Guy (Tom Everett Scott, oozing pleasant-ville like a born-again on crank), bandleader Jimmy (an intensely-focused Johnathon Schaech), guitarist Lenny (Steve Zahn, also pleasant - but unbalanced in that non-threatening way we term "kooky"), and a nameless bassist (Ethan Embry, a wisp of effete lower end). Rounding out the troupe is Jimmy's unappreciated girlfriend, Fay (the gorgeous Liv Tyler).

After a few appearances and an indie single, The Wonders "make it" (see how EASY it is, starving musicians?). In turning them over to a major record label, The Wonders' first Garage Days manager, Phil, portrays a simplistic, "noble" approach ("My bird-doggin' is done - Play-Tone's gonna take care of ya"), failing to mention that for a major to express that much interest in a band, the label's rep, Mr. White (a high-foreheaded Hanks), must have bought The Wonders' contract from Phil with a monetary offer he couldn't refuse. When Guy expresses how easy it all seems, White smoothly purrs, "Well, papers will have to be signed and you'll have to get me the master tapes..." Suddenly Reality is served - you could almost see the horns growing out of White's forehead.

Hanks doesn't serve up too much of this meat, and by concentrating on the end-result of all the bureaucracy and hard work - the gigs - we are given a skewed view of this "job." Seems like it's all just "fun," but there are as many rockers who attest that they "hate their job," as there are desk-jockeys nine-to-fiving. When it's your primary income, it's your Job - simple. And any job done well will elicit fun. Any job where you cannot cope, becomes not fun.

The band guys are perceived as financially secure by movie's end, but a debut artist selling one single - even to Number One - cannot possibly recoup any of the money that the record label advanced to duplicate, promote and distribute the single nationally. As most veteran artists will attest, they had to wait for their fourth or fifth album (not single) to put them in the black fiscally. And The Wonders ultimately reneged on their contract, which meant that any advances assigned as living expenses on tour would suddenly dry up. It's an intimidating, debilitating legal situation that ensues - but the film sidestepped this issue. Rightly so.

The crowning glory of this movie is undoubtedly its synchronized soundtrack. Very few movies (including monumental, award-winning productions like Amadeus or Immortal Beloved) pay this much attention to ensuring that musician's manipulations on screen match the audio soundtrack, except maybe "This Is Spinal Tap." (Of course, movies about real musical artists don't enter this assessment: "Woodstock," "Gimme Shelter," "The Song Remains The Same," etc. - although the Zep movie has its mighty share of non-sync passages.) When the Eddie & The Cruisers movies surged into cinemas in the 80s, I was humiliated at the lack of savvy the filmmakers exhibited in their portrayal of the rock and roll milieu. A major musical flaw was the set-and-forget production value for all the songs, making them sound exactly the same, as if they were all recorded in one place at one time, with one overall mix - which is what was actually done, of course - but to bring some credibility to the movie, the producers should have assessed the circumstances for each scene and mixed the music accordingly – which is what Hanks and his audio personnel intuitively did for this movie.

Every single time The Wonders perform their hit, the eponymous "That Thing You Do," the sound is mixed to reflect the type of stadium, bar or studio they are in; every single on screen frame of the actors-playing-musicians is synched – Hanks specifically made his principals take instrument lessons before filming began – down to every single beat of drum-fill on screen being accounted for, down to the guitarists changing to correct chords in correct positions in sync with the audio! If Hanks was brave enough to cast Liv Tyler (a daughter of Rock Royalty), he must have had heady confidence in his team of editors and sound engineers, for to fail at putting across the "musicality" of this movie (with Steven's progeny willing to be involved in it) would not allow Hanks to show his face in public ever again.

Of course there are minute flaws, but none worth mentioning here. There are too many trinkets to keep one sated: Guy's fastidious father, Jimmy's fascination with punning the band's name (spelled initially as "One-Ders" and subsequently mispronounced "Oh-NEE-ders" continuously), the well-drawn band personalities (the "talented one," "smart one," "quiet one," "zany one"), cameos from Peter Scolari (Hanks' old Bosom Buddy), Rita Wilson, Alex Rocco (Moe Green in The Godfather), Kevin Pollak; the subtle romance between Guy and Fay, who are not actually an item until the last few frames of film...

...and you'll never be able to get that damn song out of your head!

A great little film with cult movie ambitions

[TigerMann · 1 April 2004]

"That Thing You Do!" is a perfect film about a group of guys in the mid-1960's inspired by Thelonius Monk-type jazz and Beatles-esque pop music. With one hit single, they are catapulted to clean-shaven, teen idol stardom. The band "The Wonders" could easily have been the 60's pop group "The Turtles" or "The Beau Brummels." The film's plot is fairly simple, yet it doesn't veer off into the typical VH1 Behind The Music avenue of excessive sex and drugs. Matter of fact, they aren't even mentioned. Written, directed and starring Tom Hanks, "That Thing You Do!" is honest and easily palitable for younger audiences. It rarely strays away from its theme: The climax and downward slope of musical fame. Viewers can also appreciate several 60's pop culture bones, thrown by Hanks himself to a nostalgic audience of youngsters such as myself. Plot occassionally gives way to hype and music, but that's okay. I was sort of looking for that. I really appreciated the "The Wonders" drummer relationship to "Dell Paxton," a jazz musician that's obviously a Thelonius Monk reference. Check them out jamming together during the third act of the film. Now THAT'S what I call truly remarkable music. The song "that thing you do" could easily have been a number one single in 1965. It's a simple, hook-laden piece of popcorn that's catchy on a near paranormal level. It was written by members of the modern pop/rock group "Fountains of Wayne." One can only wish for more music such as this today. There's enough innocence in it to guarentee parents' wide-eyed approval ... and just a bit of angst to attract the attention of hormone-raging teenagers the world over. Definetly an excellent movie for your shelf ... right next to your DVD copies of "A Hard Day's Night" and "The Beatles Anthology." Also ... check out "The Beau Brummels." Rhino Records has issued a great best-of package. One has to wonder if Tom Hanks had them in mind while writing the script. They had a few hits, though none will be as remembered as the poppy "Laugh, Laugh." A true gem from 1960's rock 'n roll.

Nice moral tale, full of youthful energy

[Epaminondas · 7/10 · 4 January 2005]

This film, while obviously not a major work of art, is more than a Beatles biopic or a time piece for the mid-60's. Its sheer energy, the ease with which we can relate with the characters (even for those of us who have ever played in a band), the beauty of Liv Tyler and the natural flow of music bring it to a highly enjoyable level.

Most of all, what makes it interesting is the quite subtle way it handles the themes of hope and disillusion: Guy's hopes for a session in a studio, Lenny's hopes of stardom, Faye's hopes of everlasting love. But as characters shake away their illusions, they are not left bitter or empty: on the contrary, this film shows that to work through this (and it is clearly a piece of work) enables them to build stronger and truer desires.

Despite its agreeable lightness, this film can thus be seen as a moral fable going somewhat deeper than the classic 'from success to failure' story. The acting and reproduction of 60's sets are flawless throughout. And two moments of the film strike me as unforgettable, which is more than you can say for many movies:

When the Oneders's tune goes on the radio for the first time, Hanks films first of all the bass player trying to adjust to the right channel, then Faye losing it as she hears it in the street as well. They both meet and go berserk with joy, running and shouting in an exhilarating - thanks to the youthful grace of Liv Tyler - moment, ending up in Guy's store where everybody just dances madly with joy. Rarely has a moment of accomplishment and sheer happiness been captured with such apparent spontaneity on film.

Finally, Hanks delivers one of the most devastating lines I've heard, when he answers the egoistic lead singer after his breakup with Faye.

Jimmy: I should have dumped you in Pittsburgh! Which one of you butts said we were engaged?

Hanks: Same one who said you had class, Jimmy.

That's what you get, and deserve, from 'dumping' Liv Tyler - poor move if I ever saw one!

Wholesome

[triple8 · 7/10 · 24 April 2005]

SPOILERS THROUGHOUT:

That Thing You Do is a sweet and fun movie that's enjoyable to watch, particularly when one just wants to relax. While it doesn't have the edge of some other films I've seen dealing with bands and music, what it does have is rare to find and that's wholesomeness. There is a sweet wholesome quality through the whole movie and it's mood is contagious. Definitely a fun movie to watch.

I will say that the most interesting characters for me, were not the guys in the band, they were Tom Hanks himself and Liv Tyler who's darling here as Fay. I liked the fact that these characters were not over the top and were very believable. I wouldn't really refer to this as that much of a comedy, it doesn't have a lot of fall down in your seat funny lines. What it does have though is sweetness. You may not laugh constantly but you sure will smile a lot.

The main thing I was surprised about was the ending which was kind of abrupt and I really did feel should have been longer. I wasn't to into the updates at the end, the "where they are nows", to me things were just wrapped up awfully quickly and I didn't expect the movie to end that abruptly. Maybe it should have been longer.

This movie has a great reputation and I can see why, it makes a nice view and almost seems like it's from another time period. My vote on this one is 7 of 10 and a recommended viewing, particularly to any music lover.

Charming homage to the early 1960s

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 15 July 2006]

This film is a very slight film that probably won't change your life or have you announcing that it's the greatest thing you have ever saw. But, it is still worth seeing--particularly if you'd like to see a little slice of life film about the early 1960s and the burgeoning rock and roll industry. The movie is about a fictional singing group that called itself the "Oneders"--a poor choice in names as although they pronounce it "wonders", many of the confused fans call them the "O-needers"! Anyway, despite the poor choice of names, this young local boys perform a song called "THAT THING YOU DO" and it becomes a smash sensation--catapulting them to instant, and very brief, stardom. How this journey occurs and how they all ultimately deal with this is what makes the film worth seeing. The characters actually seemed pretty realistic and likable--not just caricatures like you see in some films. A good, fun film for the whole family with enough going for it to held your interest.

Meet The Oh-NEED-ers!

[jhclues · 9/10 · 22 April 2001]

Tom Hanks wrote and directed this paean to the glory days of rock n' roll, an era in which even the wildest music still reflected a certain innocence, long since gone if not forgotten, before the advent of Metal, Rap and Grunge. It's 1964, and `That Thing You Do!' is about to become a hit record for a small band out of Erie, Pa., who call themselves the `Oneders (pronounced Wonders),' but who are destined to begin their musical odyssey know as the `Oh-NEED-ers.' Drummer Guy Patterson (Tom Everett Scott) works in his father's appliance store, but when the band's drummer breaks his arm right before a gig, Guy is asked to sit in for him. And it winds up being a case of being in the right place at the right time for Guy, like when Ringo joined The Beatles, and the rest-- as they say-- is history.

It's a lively, upbeat tale in which luck, talent and chance all play a part. Hanks presents the upside of making it in the music business, including the adrenaline rush of hearing one's own song on the radio for the first time, as well as all the hoopla that surrounds those who happen to be in the spotlight at the moment. But he also shows the downside: The creative differences and in-fighting which plagues just about any band ever formed to some degree at one time or another, the personality conflicts and petty jealousies that are apt to surface at any time, and the reality of dealing with bloated egos, adoring fans and rude, insensitive record label executives who could care less about the talent that is putting the coins in their coffers, as long as they're selling records.

For the most part, Hanks keeps it lighthearted and cheerful, which-- along with the original songs (some of which he helped write)-- makes this an entertaining, fun and thoroughly enjoyable movie. He sugar-coats the dark side of it all to a certain extent, which makes the bad things that happen a bit easier to swallow, though it compromises the impact of the events somewhat as they unfold. Then again, he manages to maintain the credibility and integrity of his story, and after all, `this' is the film he wanted to make, and he presents it exactly as intended. Hanks captures a sense of time and place with this film, and also that same sense of reality conveyed by The Beatles' film, `A Hard Day's Night,' intentionally avoiding the more stoic reality of the more recent `Almost Famous.' All three films are fairly true to life, but with varying degrees of honesty. It's a matter of whether to `imply,' as Hanks has done, or to be explicit, as Cameron Crowe chose to do with his film.

With this film Hanks proves that he is equally as adept behind the camera as he is in front of it; he knows exactly where he wants to take his audience and when, and he does it quite successfully. He also extracts some nice performances from his actors, especially Scott, Johnathon Schaech (Jimmy, the lead singer), Steve Zahn (Lenny, on guitar) and Liv Tyler as Faye Dolan, Jimmy's girlfriend, who takes the brunt of the blunt edge of Jimmy's sudden notoriety. Hanks also turns in a notable performance himself, as Mr. White, the representative of one of the labels interested in the Oneders.

The supporting cast includes Ethan Embry (The Bass Player), Charlize Theron (Tina), Obba Babatunde (Lamarr), Giovanni Ribisi (Chad), Chris Ellis (Phil), Alex Rocco (Sol), Bill Cobbs (Del Paxton), Peter Scolari (Tony), Rita Wilson (Marguerite), Chris Isaak (Uncle Bob) and Kevin Pollak (Boss Koss). What `Happy Days' was to television, `That Thing You Do!' is to movies; a film that evokes that perceived sense of innocence of a time when life at least seemed simpler. For the more distance you put between the present and the `Good old days,' the better they get. In reality, they may not have been better, but Hanks preserves that illusion by giving us a picture of the way we'd at least like to think things were. And it's more than a pleasant diversion; this is a feel-good film you'll be able to enjoy time and again, because it takes you to a place you'd like to be-- a place you've been to before at one time or another, in one way or another, if only in your mind. And that Hanks can take you there so readily is not only a credit to his talent, but another fine example of the pure magic of the movies. I rate this one 9/10.

A simple fable from simpler times

[dfranzen70 · 6/10 · 23 February 2000]

Oh sure, we've all seen what this movie's about - the rise of a All-American musical group in the early sixties. And it's chock full of the kind of fellas you'd expect to see in a band, too: the shy one, the wild one, the cute one, the smart one. Obviously these kids are patterned after the Beatles, and Tom Hanks wisely wrote into this one the fact that the ascension of the band takes place shortly after the Beatles' own climb.

Overall, there's not a whole lot that's out of the ordinary for this movie. There have been countless movies about music groups or solo artists who achieved success (some against horrible odds), only to crash and burn after a short stay at the top. Some are based on fact, some are fabricated by the always-creative (!) minds of Hollywood. And this movie's not all that different. It's fairly predictable from start to finish, but what might set this apart from all the others is its undying charm. There's not an unappealing performance to be seen, including Hanks himself (and he directed, too, so if you don't like it, you know who to blame). Each of the young actors involved is very engaging, especially Tom Everett Scott as Guy, and Liv Tyler as Faye. There's not a false note in the entire movie, and these kids really light up the screen both with their musical performance and their unerring acting. It's a solid directorial debut for Hanks (if you don't include an episode of "From the Earth to the Moon" for HBO).

A Refreshing Throwback

[ccthemovieman-1 · 9/10 · 25 August 2006]

I remember when I first saw this in the '90s and thinking, "Wow, what a shock: a modern-day movie with no no villains, no nasty people and nary a cuss word." I kept waiting for that stuff, and it never appeared. It also has a nice sentimental ending.

The story is a simple one about a group of average guys who form a band and become one-hit wonders.

Tom Everett Scott, a young Tom Hanks-lookalike, is an appealing lead and Liv Tyler looks very, very pretty in the female lead role. The band in this almost-old-fashioned musical, is good to hear, too. They are a throwback to the old movie musical days of Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. Yes, you hear the same song (the movie title) over and over but's a great song which is very catchy. The rest of the music is decent, too.

Speaking of Hanks, he plays the promoter of the group. It's not a huge part but Hanks, as always, is entertaining. The whole film is, and, is refreshing to see.

Good Job Tom

[view_and_review · 7/10 · 25 September 2020]

This is a music band movie so invariably I was looking for discovery, ascendancy, peak, drama (drugs, egos, creative differences, a girl), collapse, introspection. That is the formula right? Fortunately, "That Thing You Do" didn't quite follow that formula.

Tom Hanks writing debut and feature length film directorial debut wasn't bad at all. TTYD is a movie about an early 60's garage band from Eerie, Pennsylvania that made it big. We did get the discovery, ascendancy, peak, drama and collapse, but it didn't have the gravity that so many other music band movies have. The entire movie, even at its most somber moments, was delightfully light. This is a movie you can watch and enjoy without waiting for that real down moment that sucks its viewers into a dark hole. Good job Tom.

Unless you were there.

[moosenmoo35244 · 8/10 · 21 January 2008]

THAT THING YOU DO

Unless you were there. Unless you were of that age, that time and particularly if you were a male and trying to force your grimy little fingers into a "C" chord on a Harmony acoustic guitar that was semi in tune…well, you will not understand the depth that this movie has. This movie and "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" capture something that was so real, so tangible but has slipped so completely away from any succeeding generations grasp that to try and film it's time and moment seems impossible. And yet, Tom Hanks did it. I don't know how he managed to grasp the era and the people so well as I thought he was a little too young for that time period. He nails this every boy's fantasy with wit, wisdom and just a touch of sadness. The cast turns in, a spot on encapsulation of people that will be very familiar to any struggling band member from the period. Tom Hanks himself turns in a solid performance as a man apart of, yet removed from the music itself. Men of his age at that time all actually read the Playboy philosophy espoused by Hugh Hefner and secretly wanted to be as cool as one of the Rat Pack. He did a super job of directing this effort and keeping the frenetic pace. All of this brings us to the music, which for the most part is expertly crafted (and I was surprised to see Hanks wrote some of the music also) to remind us of the era. I enjoyed all the songs for what they are. It is "homage" which is not exactly copying but using the elements to pay tribute to the influences that shaped the music of that era. People who grew up in the 80's or 90's have no conception of what the music was like then. They can hear it, and yes even appreciate it, but they don't understand that it was rarely on TV, it was not the background music for every commercial you heard or saw and radio stations that played it were decidedly looked down upon. It was not woven into the fabric of life like it is now. It was new, it was dangerous and you had to search it out. You had to want it. That's why I so enjoyed this movie. Even with some of it's false steps and it's occasional heavy handedness that would over power the subtleties of real life I found this movie a guilty pleasure that is completely satisfying and an absolute joy to watch.

"I led you here Sir, for I am Spartacus!"

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 23 July 2018]

One very weird thing about the movie before I go on to anything else. What's the deal with the bass player who replaced Chad (Giovanni Ribisi) with the broken arm? He doesn't have a name! It never came up in the picture and he's listed in the movie's end credits as T.B. Player, translated here on IMDb as 'The Bass Player". I wonder what went into that script writing decision. There was even a scene when the band was getting ready to go into the recording studio and Guy Patterson (Tom Everett Scott) was asking for Jimmy (Johnathon Schaech) and Lenny (Steve Zahn), but not Mr. X. That just baffled me. By the way, it was Ethan Embry in the role with that dubious honor.

Well this looks like a nifty tribute to all those one hit wonder bands throughout the decades who made it with one big Top 40 hit and were virtually never heard from again. So much so that the band's name in the picture is a spin off of the one-hit wonder concept; they called themselves 'the One-Ders', the gimmick being that everyone else read their name as the 'O-neders'. It would have been simple enough to place a hyphen in their name to eliminate the confusion but apparently they needed to keep a running gag in the flick. That got a little overworked in the story until Tom Hanks came on board to change the spelling and make things right.

I'd have to second another reviewer's remarks by stating that it was pretty fresh to see a picture without a lot of swearing and gratuitous sex to appeal to a youthful audience. The actors were a clean cut lot modeled to some extent on The Beatles, which back in 1964 seemed to be the way a lot of the British Invasion bands presented themselves. It was interesting to note that when "That Thing You Do' made it to Number #71 on the Billboard Top 100, the song immediately above it was 'Tell Me' by the Rolling Stones. So the guys were in pretty good company for a fictitious band.

My favorite characters in the picture oddly enough weren't any of the 'One-Ders'. I liked Liv Tyler in her role as the put upon girlfriend of Jimmy Mattingly; her blistering breakup with Jimmy really changed the tone of the story there for a minute. The guy I really liked was hotel owner and doorman Lamarr, effectively portrayed by Obba Babatundé. Unless I'm mistaken, I don't think I've ever seen him before and thought he played a wonderful character. I'll have to keep my eyes open for another appearance of his.

Over all, not a bad little story that charts the meteoric rise and fall of one of the era's fictional bands. But don't fret, there were plenty of real ones you can pay tribute to - how about The Surfaris (Wipe Out), The Standells (Dirty Water), and The Capitols (Cool Jerk) to name a few. Any one of those is enough to perk your ears up when they come on the radio.

What a Joy nay, an Absolute Pleasure...

[Xstal · 4/10 · 26 September 2020]

... to get to the end of this chore after what felt like hours and hours on earworm replay. One of the most valueless and boring pieces of entertainlessment I've had the displeasure to come across. Formulaic performances with a repetitive song that will drive you to distraction. One guy actually lets Charlize Theron fall from his grasp, that just about sums it up - clueless.

Nostalgic look back at the 1960s, when I was a beginning college student.

[TxMike · 17 December 2012]

I had seen this movie a number of years ago but didn't remember much about it, so I saw it again today on DVD from my public library. I was a college Freshman in 1963/64, when the Beatles were first gaining popularity on this side of the pond, and this movie fairly accurately recreates that period, the way people dressed, and how teenagers reacted when seeing their pop idols live in concert.

The story grabs hold of a theme I am very fond of pondering, both in real life and in fiction stories. That theme is the relative randomness of our lives, the things that happen, and then how we react to those random events. If we look at random events in our own lives, we can see how certain unexpected things shaped who we are today.

In this movie a group of high school friends like to make music, one of them writes songs and is the featured singer. He has written "That Thing You Do" and they are about to perform it in a local small-potatoes contest. But the drummer, horsing around by showing the bass player how to jump over parking meters, falls and breaks his arm right before the contest.

Now that is the "random event", and it leads them to ask another guy in town, who is a good drummer, to sit in for that one gig, so that they will still have a chance to win the competition. Then comes the rest of the influence of that "random event", the drummer own his own (this is important) decides to beat out a much faster tempo. It is this faster tempo that makes "That Thing You Do" a hit with the audience, attracts the attention of an agent, gets them a record, gets them a contract, puts them on tour, and has their hit rise towards the top of the charts.

If their original drummer had not broken his arm, they would have just remained an ordinary band.

Well as the story progresses they experience all the growing pains of sudden fame, and conflicting priorities among the members of the group. Tom Hanks directed, has a part as a record label agent, and he even wrote many of the songs.

Tom Everett Scott who was in his mid-20s is very good as the replacement drummer, Guy Patterson. Liv Tyler, still a teenager was Faye Dolan who ended up traveling with the band. Her boyfriend was Johnathon Schaech as Jimmy who wrote the song and sang lead vocals. Steve Zahn was the crazy member Lenny, and Ethan Embry, also a teenager, was T. B. Player the unreliable bass player.

Another teenager just starting her career was Charlize Theron as Tina in a fairly small part, as a flaky girlfriend who dumps Guy after an appointment with a handsome dentist. Plus young Giovanni Ribisi as Chad , the original drummer who breaks his arm.

All in all a fairly pleasant movie.

personification of Tom Hanks

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 8 June 2016]

It's 1964 Erie, Pennsylvania. Drummer Guy Patterson (Tom Everett Scott) chases flirtatious Tina Powers (Charlize Theron) and unhappily works at the family appliance store. Faye Dolan (Liv Tyler) is the girlfriend of Jimmy Mattingly (Johnathon Schaech) who leads a band with Lenny Haise (Steve Zahn), T. B. Player (Ethan Embry), and Chad (Giovanni Ribisi). They get Guy to join after Chad breaks his arm and come up with the name "Oneders" (supposedly pronounced Wonders). Guy's fast beats force the band to change their song "That Thing You Do" during a competition. The guys sign with manager Phil Horace living out of his camper. They go to Pittsburgh. Mr. White (Tom Hanks) signs them to Play-Tone Records and promptly changes the spelling of their name to The Wonders.

This is very much the personification of the Tom Hanks and his sunshine personality. It is fun, mostly happy, deliberately light even when the movie touches on darker issues, and has a catchy tune. It's good that the song is catchy because the movie plays it a lot. The visual is immaculately perky 60s. This is a happy Disney version of an one-hit-wonder rock group. The actors are beautiful. This is not to say this is a blindly perky film. It doesn't dig too deeply in the darker corners.

How to Build a Pop Sensation in Sixty Days or Less

[drqshadow-reviews · 7/10 · 15 September 2014]

A ride through the music-making machine with a wholesome, mid-sixties one-hit-wonder. For years I thought I'd hate it, based on trailers and tone alone, but was pleasantly surprised. The film's got some issues, no doubt - especially the horribly tacked-on, telegraphed romantic ending - but it's got a lot of soul and I actually started to like the little tribe of stereotypes as we spent more time together. The theme song is appropriately catchy, too, without being grating like a lot of the era's pop records. Which is important, because it plays no less than once every ten minutes. There's good stuff here, with a nice leading performance from (who?) Tom Everett Scott as the band's hip, friendly drummer, but it's also clearly a learning project for writer / director / supporting actor Tom Hanks. Could've been much better with a bit of a trim and a wilder fire burning behind the lens.

Worth a watch

[gfrost7617 · 7/10 · 30 November 2021]

Obviously there's a lot of comments that are justified. Having said that, we all have a song that we remember fondly from our youth. This movie explores that concept and what it must have been like before, during, and after.

A Hoot; comes very, very close to being a great movie

[rzajac · 9/10 · 24 July 2004]

I didn't see That Thing You Do (TTYD) when it came out, and it's too bad. This movie will--strange to think--rank up there with "Stop Making Sense" as a classic concert film. Interesting that 1) they're not really comparable, since SMS is real concert footage and TTYD is a mockumentary, and 2) Jonathon Demme is in TTYD!

Is this a timeless movie? Close. Darn close. What's great? Actually--almost enlightening--Hanks' writing is really quite wonderful. The dialog is almost a rare example of direct, effective, "connecting" film writing. The casting, directing, and acting is great. The editing is very effective. The sets, costumes, general "look" is a delight. The music is very, very effective. So much subtle craftsmanship goes into stuff at the right levels of detail, that you might accuse the film of failing to be like a genuine "rock 'n' roll experience" because it's almost too crafty. But I think they pull it off.

What's wrong with the movie? Not much. The ending flags a little. The pre-credits posting of thumbnail future bios of the characters is a cheap device; but again I think it doesn't eclipse the power of the mythic payload (the moral) which ultimately has to do with the power of love. And I don't say that in a wishy-washy sense. What is love? According to this movie, it's that multi-dimensional experience which includes not just finding "that special someone," but also finding your path. It reminds me of an exchange I had with a work buddy who hoped to write "that big hit tune" and retire early. I loaned him a record by Fred Frith, which put him off entirely. "This guy won't ever get anywhere," he said. But I patiently explained that he (my friend) and I get up in the morning and go to our corporate jobs. This guy (Frith) gets up and goes to the studio. Who's the success? That's a big life lesson, and I think this movie nuances that very effectively. It can even translate to any of life's pursuits, not just music.

I found myself being continuously delighted by this film. At the risk of sounding like a green ass, I want to plug this film's attention to a time-honored aesthetic virtue: Hard work. This film is a labor of love, with equal attention to the inspiration AND perspiration.

I can't believe how much I like this movie! I feel like a bobbysoxer saying it! I resonated with this movie on many points. Let me give you one example. I was in a little band once and was something of the "muse" of that band. Something I always marveled at was how "the creative process" people talk about is actually a very simple and practical reality when you're actually being creative. One of the sweet, simple high points of working up a number is the act of picking the tempo. If you've ever done this, you know what I'm talking about. Picking the tempo is a profoundly rewarding act, and of course that's just one small aspect of the process. So the scene near the beginning of the flick where the drummer overrules Jimmy and establishes an uptempo beat to what was supposed to be a ballad is a profoundly resonant moment for me. And the direction and editing bring together an almost perfect picture of the very real and profound joy that this brings to people.

There were many, many moments in this movie that affected me in much the same way. If you haven't seen it and you love "concert films," check it out.

(NOTE: I wrote a little "trip guide" to TTYD!, which can be found at: http://www.ronazajac.com/That_Thing_You_Do_Comments.pdf . Hope you find it useful. -raz)

1964 once more

[HelloTexas11 · 7/10 · 4 February 2008]

Tom Hanks' writing and directorial debut, 'That Thing You Do!', will probably not go down in history as a classic along the lines of 'Forrest Gump' or 'Saving Private Ryan,' but I find it one of those movies I love to revisit every six months or so. It has an easy-going charm about it, low-key and yet wonderfully evocative of the period it presents, that magical year of 1964, after the Beatles had arrived and changed music forever, and every teenage kid wanted to start his own rock band. 'That Thing You Do!' was a modest success at the box-office, and the critics were generally kind to Hanks' first try at directing. Just below the surface, though, one could tell people were surprised and in some cases disappointed that his initial effort wasn't somehow more substantial, or biting, or something. I take it these people were someplace else in 1964. In the film, Jimmy (Jonathan Schaech) is the one who starts the band, the one with big dreams and a fair amount of talent. The other three band members are pretty much along for the ride, wherever it leads them, and if it doesn't lead anywhere, that's okay... they weren't doing anything anyway. Lenny (Steve Zahn) is the goofy lead guitarist; there's the unnamed bass player (Ethan Embry) who's even goofier (listed in the credits as T.B. Player; clever how they go through the whole movie without calling him by name); and the drummer Guy (Tom Everett Scott), who is a last-minute replacement for their regular drummer after he falls off a parking meter and breaks his arm. Guy is in his own way just as much a music buff as Jimmy, but his love is jazz. He doesn't much care for the pop/rock the group (newly dubbed the Oneders, hopefully pronounced Wonders) but he enjoys their taste of success and playing for the enthusiastic crowds that grow larger as the film progresses. Guy's not the leader or control freak that Jimmy is; he emerges though as the heart of the band and is, ironically, the last one left standing at the end of it all. Also along for the ride is Faye (Liv Tyler), Jimmy's girlfriend and the Oneders' number one fan. In an early role, Charlize Theron plays Tina, Guy's girlfriend (if only briefly). If only her part was as memorable as her looks. The band makes a record of Jimmy's song 'That Thing You Do!', and after it gets some radio play in their hometown, they are noticed by Mr. White (Tom Hanks), an exec at Playtone Records who becomes their manager. One of his first decisions is to change the name of the band to the Wonders. People kept calling them "the Oh-need-ers" and it was getting confusing. From there, the film takes us on a predictable but very enjoyable ride as the song climbs the charts and the Wonders grow in popularity, playing to larger and larger crowds, finally culminating in them appearing on a big network variety show. The song, by the way, is a great little tune, very Beatle-ish, and almost criminally catchy. I don't know how many times it's played in the film, in part or in whole (I would guess about a dozen) and it changes subtly over the course of the movie, bits added for extended versions... in any event, it will be buzzing around in your head for at least a week or so after seeing the film. In what has in reality been the case more times than most people realize, the Wonders break up just as 'That Thing You Do!' peaks at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. Jimmy quits in a fit of pique, his artistic vanity wounded when White tells him he only gets to write two songs per album. Lenny marries a blonde secretary in Las Vegas. The bass player joins the Marines. That leaves Guy to face Mr. White alone, who tells him the Wonders are in breach of contract, but it's no big deal. Happens all the time, White says... to one-hit wonders.

A Cathartic Release

[ShadesDdrummer · 10/10 · 1 January 2004]

If you have ever been in a band and dreamed of getting out of the garage and onto a stage,then this movie is definitely for you! No matter when you had this dream,you'll experience all the pleasures and joys of being a musician,,,and of course all the downfalls.Yes,it is from a time that won't return,when the music business wasn't such a meat parade and had to do with eager talent.That was then and this is now. Still the characters represent the different types you'll come across,the egos, the clowns and the luck of being at the right place at the right time.At this point in time,it is also interesting to see how the cast members have gone on to other projects,the most recent being Liv Tyler in LOTR,Giovanni Ribisi in COLD MOUNTAIN,Thom Everett Scot in ER and I think that Hanks fellow has been around doing this and that.

Still humming that title track.

[Sergeant_Tibbs · 6/10 · 28 February 2014]

In the mid-1990s, Tom Hanks was on the top of the world. He had just won two Oscars in a row and starred in the innovative phenomenon Toy Story. Frankly, he could do just about anything he wanted. So he went ahead and made his directorial feature film debut, a love letter to an adored era, the explosion of pop music in the 1960s. That Thing You Do is a pretty routine but charming flick like an alternate Beatles fame tale. However, the story takes a pretty straight trajectory. It rises, rises, rises, keeps rises without much interruption, then there's the fall, then soft landing then credits. It suffers from lack of meaningful conflict, instead just showing the cracks til the inevitable explosion within the band. It's okay for mild entertainment, just a little bland. Wish he chose a better lead than someone who just looks like him. Steve Zahn is the only zany highlight who livens the picture up. But it all hinges onto its title song, which is very catchy, if quite 90s. The disappointing thing about the film is it doesn't explore the joy of discovery in this early pop music. Instead, kids just nod when things feel right. It needed much more energy and confidence, but it's a generally inoffensive film.

6/10

A very good movie to say the least.

[brianlaughran · 10/10 · 5 September 2009]

First things first, i have to hand it to Tom Hanks. The man can direct and act. "That Thing You Do" is a movie with no antagonist, no good guys and yet it's a great movie. It follows the story of the Wonders, a band Eerie, Pennsylvania who make it big with their hit single, "That Thing You Do!" They are then picked up by a major record company and are headed off on tour. The rest of the film follows the relationships that blossom and wilt within the band as they climb the ladder of success.

This is a sweet and innocent movie with no other intentions than to tell a story. Which in my opinion is the way a movie should be done. "That Thing You Do" gets an A.

Catchy Tune Propels The Film

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 2 June 2015]

A Pennsylvania band scores a hit in 1964 and rides the star-making machinery as long as it can, with lots of help from its manager (Tom Hanks).

There is nothing really new here. A cast of fresh-faced kids (and a young Liv Tyler), rising up in stardom, and stumbling along the way. We all know what happens if we let fame get to our heads and we leave our friends behind.

What makes this film stand out is the catchy tune. Even though they play it a dozen times throughout the film, it never really gets old. Had the song been not as good, the film would drag and certainly would not having the staying power it does. (Not unlike "Eddie and the Cruisers", which is very much anchored by its "Dark Side" song.)

Peppy Song, Sad Movie

[edgy · 5/10 · 8 November 1998]

Painful to watch at times; the goofiness of some of the band members is nearly unbearable. The creative leader of the band suddenly becomes a selfish twit near the end of the film. He inexplicably dumps the girl (Liv Tyler) he had always adored. She quickly falls for another band member and they live happily ever after. Of course, the band members have already parted permanently, not just as collaborators, but also as friends. The idea is they were never friends at all, but just fell together for the purpose of forming a band. Very sad. The movie is totally unwatchable when Hanks or Tyler are not on screen. The other characters are not fleshed out, perhaps deliberately, and are just boring. The title song, very ingratiating at first, gradually becomes annoying after many playings. This is intentional because the musicians themselves tire of playing it constantly and want to move onto something else. This film could have used some comedy. The dramatic moments felt heavy-handed and, despite the considerable charisma of Hanks and Tyler, the light comedy potential was never exploited.