That Thing You Do! (1996)

A local Pennsylvania band scores a one hit wonder in 1964 and rides the star-making machinery as long as they can, with lots of help from its manager.

Director:

Tom Hanks

Writer:

Tom Hanks

Stars:

Tom Hanks, Liv Tyler, Charlize Theron

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Everett Scott	...	Guy Patterson
Liv Tyler	...	Faye Dolan
Johnathon Schaech	...	Jimmy
Steve Zahn	...	Lenny
Ethan Embry	...	The Bass Player
Tom Hanks	...	Mr. White
Charlize Theron	...	Tina
Obba Babatundé	...	Lamarr
Giovanni Ribisi	...	Chad
Chris Ellis	...	Horace
Alex Rocco	...	Sol Siler
Bill Cobbs	...	Del Paxton
Peter Scolari	...	Troy Chesterfield
Rita Wilson	...	Margueritte
Chris Isaak	...	Uncle Bob

Storyline

Recounts a fable of a pop rock band formed a year after the Beatles took America by storm in early 1964. Jazz aficionado Guy Patterson, unhappily toiling in the family appliance store, is recruited into the band the Oneders (later renamed the Wonders) after regular drummer Chad breaks his arm. After Guy injects a four/four rock beat into lead singer Jimmy's ballad, the song's undeniable pop power flings the Wonders into a brief whirlwind of success, telling the tale of many American bands who attempted to grab the brass ring of rock and roll in the wake of the British Invasion.

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Plot Keywords:

band | pennsylvania | drummer | appliance store | written and directed by cast member | 

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Taglines:

In every life there comes a time when that dream you dream becomes that thing you do.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 October 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

That Thing You Do!

Filming Locations:

Orpheum Theater - 842 South Broadway, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$26,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,208,595, 6 October 1996, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$25,809,813, 24 January 1997

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$34,585,416, 26 January 1997

Company Credits

Production Co:

Clavius Base, Clinica Estetico, Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min 149 min (Director's cut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The television commercial that is shown on the Hollywood Showcase before The Wonders appear is for the new Ford Mustang at the 1964 World's Fair. It was broadcast on all three major networks simultaneously on April 19, 1964.

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Goofs

The cymbals in the drumkit bear the name "Sabian," a brand that did not exist in the 1960s.

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Quotes

Faye: You mean actually make a record? A record record, record?

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Crazy Credits

Stories of what the band did after their breakup and a picture of the band after all the credits.

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Alternate Versions

In the 2007 two disc version there is an extended version not shown in theaters. Before "The Wonders" appear on national television, Guy arrives back at the hotel in a drunken state and finds an excited Mr. White with the good news about being on television the next day. Waiting for Mr. White is his male friend "Lloyd" played by Howie Long.

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Connections

Referenced in The Drew Carey Show: That Thing You Don't (1997)

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Soundtracks

Scented Winds
(uncredited)
Music by Ole Georg (as Robert Ascot)

User Reviews

Light but charming film

Overall, I have to say I enjoyed Hanks' feature directing debut(this is not, by the way, the first time he sat in the director's chair; he directed a segment of a Showtime film noir series; I think it was called CITY OF ANGELS). He did a convincing job not only recreating the time, but also the music, which sounded like period music without being a pale shadow of it. He also made a wise choice for his lead; Tom Everett Scott may not have moved on to bigger things yet, but as this film shows, he's destined for them. Steve Zahn is funny as always, Hanks does well playing a company man, and Liv Tyler is quite luminous(though I could have done without the "thousand kisses" speech; that was melodramatic). On the down side, I'm not a big fan of Johnathan Schaech, but his character was too much of a caricature. And sometimes it was just too light. Still, this was overall an enjoyable movie.