That Thing You Do! (1996) is about as much fun as you can have at the movies. The story encompasses the struggles of being in a rock-and-roll band, the highs and lows of fame, the realities of touring and the music industry, and even the bittersweet aftermath of the band's breakup. All is handled with a lighthearted yet confident touch by writer/director Tom Hanks, adding up to a movie bursting with the joy of music.
There are other great movies about these subjects, much grittier movies, many based on true stories. They have their value, but they're not nearly as fun as what is being presented here. And although the story being told is about a fictional band, Hanks hits a lot of realistic notes along the way.
The story begins in 1964. The Beatles (almost the only real-life musicians named in the movie) have recently appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, rock music is taking the world by storm, and the music industry is exploding. Meanwhile, Guy Patterson (Tom Everett Scott), an aspiring drummer, is working in his father's appliance store in Erie, Pennsylvania. When the drummer for a local band breaks his arm and can't play for an upcoming talent show, Guy gets recruited at the last minute and the rest is fake history.
The band, originally called the "One-ders" (which nobody pronounces correctly), is led by singer/songwriter Jimmy (Johnathon Schaech), with Lenny (Steve Zahn, very funny) on lead guitar, Ethan Embry as the bass player (check his name in the credits), and Liv Tyler as Faye, Jimmy's girlfriend. They convene in Jimmy's garage to practice his latest song. The song "That Thing You Do!" was written in real life by Adam Schlesinger, and it would be easy to call it a classic. We hear the song maybe only eight times during the movie (it seems like more), yet it never really gets old.
The talent show features an amusing parade of styles that were popular at the time. (Credit should go to Hanks and his music team. Not one song sounds out of place, which is amazing considering that none of the songs in the movie are authentic to the time.) When the boys play their song, Guy's nerves get the best of him, and he plays the song much faster than planned. Jimmy is frustrated by this, but the crowd goes wild and the boys win the competition. As a result, they're invited to perform as the house band in a local pizza joint. In an effort to appease their small but growing fanbase, they record "That Thing You Do!" and sell copies around town.
A man named Phil Horace (Chris Ellis) hears the boys play, buys their record, and offers to become their manager. He promises to get "That Thing You Do!" played on the radio, and to get the band booked into big-time rock-and-roll shows. Phil keeps his promise, which pays off in one of the movie's best scenes when the kids hear their song on the radio. It's almost impossible not to be caught up in the excitement. Tom Hanks and his team have succeeded in capturing the exhilaration of a specific time and place, making it feel as if it's happening right now, and we, the audience, get swept along. (To watch the scene now forces us to acknowledge the bitter reality that this kind of thing probably couldn't happen nowadays. Thanks to the internet—among other things—the landscape of music, radio, and records has completely changed.)
Not only does Phil get the boys' song played on the radio, he also books them a performance in Pittsburgh and draws the attention of Mr. White (Tom Hanks). White becomes the manager of "The Wonders" and the boys sign a contract with Play-Tone Records. Soon they are whisked away on a whirlwind tour of state fairs, performing with some of their favorite artists.
By now Mr. White has succeeded in giving The Wonders greater exposure through radio play and live performances (as we see their song climb the Billboard charts), and he has also managed their image, dressing them in matching suits and giving Guy a pair of sunglasses. After some time spent touring, the boys are flown to California to appear in a movie, meet the head of Play-Tone Records, and perform on the Hollywood Television Showcase.
In those days, performing on television probably felt like the peak of fame. Even the boys' family and friends, who were initially skeptical (if not downright unsupportive), are thrilled beyond measure to see The Wonders on the tube. We've also reached the point in the story when the pressures of fame will test the mettle of the band members, and we'll see who really has what it takes to be a lifelong musician, and who's willing to leave it behind.
We've seen Jimmy's frustration grow throughout the movie, as his desire to write and record more songs has been pushed aside in the name of touring and marketing. Everything comes to a head on the television showcase when an onscreen caption mistakenly says, "Careful, girls—he’s engaged!" In response to Jimmy's egotistical fury, Faye breaks up with him. (Tom Hanks's line in this scene is one of my favorites.)
When the band is scheduled for time in an actual recording studio, everything finally falls apart. The bass player, having already been replaced for the showcase, has gone missing (he enlisted in the Marines, anyway), Lenny has disappeared to Las Vegas to get married, and Jimmy decides he doesn't want to do things Mr. White's way and quits.
The scenes that follow are
some of the best in the movie. Mr. White, an experienced professional,
takes it all in stride and even comments on the common story of one hit
wonders. Guy is left alone in the studio, where he bumps into his hero, Del Paxton (Bill Cobbs). Not only do they play together, but Paxton gives Guy some sound advice, the kind that can set a person on the right path for the rest of his life.
By the end, putting aside all the band breakup meshugas, Guy and Faye finally connect. We've seen the spark between them throughout the movie and observed Mr. White observing the same. We knew it was only a matter of time before Faye would see Jimmy for what he was and realize that she and Guy are perfect for each other. It gives the final scene a sweet—but not overdone—romantic lift.
I haven't even mentioned all the cameos, all the quotable lines of dialogue, and all of the references to The Beatles (the more you know about them, the more you will notice). If you watch the behind-the-scenes features, you'll hear Tom Hanks outlining a great many "backstory" details, and you'll realize just how thoroughly he has created the world of this story. Few movies feel this good or remember a time with such fondness. If you want to be entertained by a lighthearted story that's a lot of fun and doesn't require heavy lifting but has plenty of humor and loads of good music, this is the movie for you.
