That Thing You Do! movie review- One hit Wonders

 Tom Hank's American Beatles tribute band, a homage to 60s rock and roll  

Director: Tom Hanks

Writer: Tom Hanks

Cinematographer: Tak Fujimoto

Cast: Liv Tyler, Tom Everett Scott, Johnathon Schaech, Tom Hanks, Steve Zahn, Ethan Embry

Year: 1996

Set in 1964, Guy Patterson (an enchanting Tom Everett Scott) works at his father's appliance store until an accident sidelines a local bands drummer. Guy fills in his spot, a talented and mysterious drummer with a secret passion for jazz and percussion blooms. He turns the band's boring tune into a successful radio tune. He and the other band members in the One-ders, get a manager, change the spelling of the band's ironic name, cut a single, and suddenly find themselves touring state fairs and shooting into stardom. Playing on tv shows and acting in movies, jumping from place to place. They seem to have it all, but it seems there's tension between the band members; who wants what out of this experience? Will they go from being the Wonders to just another one-hit wonder? 

That Thing You Do! is the first film written and directed by Tom Hanks. Indeed it is a nostalgic romance movie, with Tom Hanks trying everything in his power to emulate the Beatles with a heavy Americana twist, but it leaves nothing to really remember. That Thing you Do! is a film filled with Hollywood tropes and cliches as the underdog gets the girl in the end as a final kiss seals a "happy ever after". Is it too good to be true? Must we give up our dreams of being pop stars to settle down and have a nuclear family?  It has Tom Hanks written all over it: clean-cut, wholesome and all-American. And that's not a bad thing; this is America in the 60s, an America that Hanks grew up in and fondly remembers. It's upbeat, sharp, completely predictable at some points, young and innocent, and maybe that's what makes this film so charming. It's just so effortless, and it's hard to make something like that! After all, we are following the story of a teenage boy band trying to break into the music industry. Teleporting you back to the 60s, where things seemed simpler, where new-sounding rock music was all the rage and boy bands were on the rise. Really this is just a Beatles and Beach Boys mashup and homage, and with it comes a passion for music in each scene. I always get a feeling when I watch this that Guy is supposed to be Tom Hanks; I mean, the guy literally looks just like him! Tom Hanks casting his wife to hit on a younger version of himself is just so hilarious. That Thing you Do! is just 2hr and 29 minutes of pure and wholesome entertainment, and what's so wrong with that? I cheer for some characters and boo for others; really, who's the villain here? Jimmy, Mr White, or the music industry itself? The scene in which they hear themselves on the radio for the first time always fills me with joy! When the song first plays on the radio and Liv Tyler starts running down the streets screaming, and she meets up with Ethan Embry and the rest of the band, and they all just start dancing in the appliance store, turning up all the radios...yeah that moment always makes me so fucking happy. 

That Thing You Do! always leaves a smile on my face. It's a film that feels like a warm hug or a soft blanket to cuddle up to. I always seem to come back and watch this film; it's light-hearted and fun and helps to take your mind off of the real hardships of life as you watch others somewhat struggle. Liv Tyler is always wonderful, and even though her role is demoted to the 'love interest' she plays it well; she is really the only character with real emotions, as the others just feel a little stiff and lifeless. Tom Everett Scott was also marvellous as Guy, our protagonist and somewhat out-there hero, who has a distinctive love for jazz. He's just a normal boy from a small town with a normal life, and all he really wants, in the end, is an experience and the girl, and who can blame him? I'd want Liv Tyler too! Although with such a star-studded cast, you would have thought Hanks would have used them to their extent, showing off their talents but instead, they're caged up in one-dimensional character arcs. It's innocent and naive as they look at the world through rose-coloured glasses, and finally, they are hit with the reality of stardom, contracts hit them, war and missing bandmates, the inability to actually perform the songs you want and getting drunk on fame. That Thing you Do! is a sugar rush, a film doused in bright colours, sweet pop music, and a fast-paced plot similar to that of stardom itself. It would have been so funny if the song they wrote for this and played in every scene fucking sucked. Luckily, it doesn't; what a bop!

That Thing you Do! is enjoyable! It's no heart-wrenching gritty depiction of the actualities of stardom, but who needs that when you can watch Liv Tyler dance, Johnathon Schaech sing, Ethan Embry be a little army boy, and Steve Zahn be the only member of the band stable enough to try and hold all of them together. Charlize Theron makes an appearance as well! And Bryan Cranston randomly pops up for a moment. Sometimes I just crave this film; it is a beacon of light that always seems to make me smile and laugh. That Thing you Do! is definitely a comfort film for me, and although it's not Tom Hanks's finest work, it's something I know I will watch over and over again and never get bored of.  I'll dance to the soundtrack and drown in the bright visuals because I know it will always give me a little boost of happiness when I need it. That Thing you Do! is an underrated 90s film that deserves all the hype it can get! They really do need a jumpscare warning at the end when Lamarr turns to look straight at the camera because it scared the shit out of me. Tom Hanks' directorial debut was a solid look at friendship and rising the wave of fame for as long as possible. What a one-derful film...

Rating: 3.5/5

Favourite quotes: 

"A hit record is like a stew. All the ingredients have to come together just right. Otherwise, it's just soup."

"We came here to meet girls and dance, and we can't meet girls until we dance!"

"I don't want any of this lover's lament crap. I want something preppy, something happy, something up-tempo. I want something snappy."

"When was the last time you were decently kissed? I mean, really, honestly good and kissed?"