That Thing You Do (1996)

Tom Hanks's debut as a writer and director is a lively, affectionate account of the shooting-star career of a forgotten (fictional) '60s pop-rock band called The Wonders--as in "one-hit wonders." Hanks plays the manager of the group, which includes drummer Guy "Sticks" Patterson (Tom Everett Scott) who works the floor at his parents' appliance store in Erie, Pennsylvania; Jimmy (Johnathon Schaech), the talented and temperamental lead singer and songwriter; Lenny (Steve Zahn), the goofy guitarist; and Ethan Embry as a geeky little fellow identified in the cast list only as "The Bass Player." The movie traces their meteoric rise and fall, from cutting their first record, to going on tour with a Phil Spector/Motown-type revue, to the internal tensions that lead to the band's disintegration, which comes when they fail to follow up their smash hit single, "That Thing You Do!" And that song, by the way, is so catchy it would definitely have been a hit in 1964--and deserves to be one today. This delightful movie would make a great double-bill with Allison Anders's wonderful Grace of My Heart. --Jim Emerson Amazon.com

That Thing You Do!!!

This is a great movie and the special features on this edition are nice :) November 24, 2008

The greatest movie plus 39 minutes equals Worst movie of all time!

No one ever believes it until they see it, but you have to trust me on this if you want to maintain your perception of one of the greatest films of all time. The Director's Cut version of That Thing You Do is one of the worst movies you will EVER see. Save yourself the trouble and the money, because it may very well destroy one of the best movies for you if you watch it. I know it seems completely implausible, but it's entirely true. The editing job they did on That Thing You Do, I am convinced, is the best that has ever been done on a film. They took a train wreck and turned it into a masterpiece. I know you won't believe me, no one ever does until it's too late, but heed my warning! Proceed at your own risk! or you will lose more than you ever thought possible. November 18, 2008

Stick with the originally released version

"Director's cuts" are seldom as good as the original theatrical releases. There were undoubtedly good reasons to leave some celluloid on the cutting room floor in the first place.
The additional scenes on this DVD not only do not add much to the original, they actually detract from it. The tight pacing of the shorter version is interrupted. SOme of the scenes introduce an element of sexuality into the film that takes away from one of the chief charms of the original. This was a movie that, on paper, should have been a flop because it was too tame. No sex, no drugs, no cursing. Yet it was embraced by mature movie-going audiences. Scenes involving Guy and Tina, The Bass Player and the Chantrelline, and --- above all -- Mr. White and "Lloyd", go a long way towards making this movie like all the others. And the movie is good precisely because it's not like all the others. Or at least, it wasn't until Hanks succumbed to the same ego trip as other directors, and decided he just had to share all his brilliant scenes with the audience.
November 5, 2008

I'm totally loving that thing this movie does...

I remember growing up adoring this little film. I was about eleven or so when the film was released and it was such a huge hit in my circle of friends. I probably saw the film nearly fifty times before my thirteenth birthday. Sadly, I haven't seen the movie since, but the minute my wife asked me `have you ever seen `That Thing You Do?' memories instantly came pouring back and I got really excited. When she told me that she had never seen it I immediately rented it and forced her to watch it with me.

Ten years later and `That Thing You Do' is still as good as I remember.

I will say this right off; the film is littered with cliché after cliché, but it's done in such a charismatic and likable way that each of the predictable plot points are easily forgiven. I am a tad partial, I mean this is a gem of a memory from my youth, so maybe I would be less forgiving had this been the first time I had seen the film, but regardless of my reasoning, my rating is genuine and my adoration of this film is unwavering.

It really is that wonderful!

The film tells the story of a band called the `One-ders' (eventually changing the spelling to the more understandable `Wonders') who rise to fame in the 60's. Jimmy is the arrogant lead singer; or the `talent' as some call him. Lenny, the guitarist, is the crazy one and their bass player (he never gets a name) has joined the army and will only have a short time left with the band. When Chad, their drummer, acts a fool and breaks his arm the band recruits Guy (the `smart' one) and with Guy's talent and savvy attitude the band is launched into superstardom. With a business smart manager, a major label, and their own personal fan (Faye, Jimmy's girlfriend), `The Wonders' hit the road as their hit single `That Thing You Do' skyrockets up the charts.

But what goes up must come down.

As the bands fame continues to grow their loyalties to one another start to fray. Jimmy allows himself to get too self-consumed; Lenny allows his own sporadic tendencies to tamper with his ability to perform; the bass player (that's so weird, I swear he had a name) allows his future goals to get in the way of his bands success, and left in the wake is Guy who just wants to play, for music is his life.

The acting is really golden here, and the entire cast work to elevate the material, making each and every scene memorable and entertaining. Tom Everett Scott (who totally looks like Tom Hanks in `Big') is great as Guy, evoking the young mans dire passion for his livelihood. Johnathon Schaech is a completely believable wreck; Steve Zahn (who I am never truly sold on) is utterly hysterical and completely adorable; Ethan Embry is soft and awkward to perfection and Giovanna Ribisi and Charlize Theron really make the most of their limited screen time. To me though, the films acting chops come from two sources; Liv Tyler and Tom Hanks. I am not a usual fan of Hanks. I find him vastly overrated, but here he possesses such a collected cool, a controlled and natural charisma that permeates his every move. Tyler is a doll, an utter doll here. She has such a natural beauty, inside and out, and she makes even the most clichéd and or corny material seem effortlessly realistic.

So, you may not fall as deep in love with this little gem as I have, but then again, hopefully you will. It is nothing short of endlessly entertaining. The film is about as catchy as the theme song, which never gets old, no matter how many times you head it. October 14, 2008

That thing you do

I love this movie!! I have been looking for it on DVD for a long time. The only thing that I was disappointed with was everyone once in a while subtitles will pop up on the bottom of the screen and won't match the movie and will be blurred. September 21, 2008

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