![]() For the more distance you put between the present and the `Good old days,' the better they get. 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. 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). White, the representative of one of the labels interested in the Oneders. ![]() Hanks also turns in a notable performance himself, as Mr. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. ![]() 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. 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. It's a lively, upbeat tale in which luck, talent and chance all play a part. 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 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. 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.
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