Today’s “must” movie is “That Thing You Do!” with Tom Hanks. Here’s a wonderful “little” film that is family friendly in that there’s nothing much offensive about it and you’ll find that you enjoy as much today as you did when it was released in 1996.
“That Thing You Do!” is the story of a garage band that becomes a one-hit wonder (in fact, “The Wonders”) and you follow them along the way to the top. Of course, it’s a rocky road and the breezy film turns very dramatic in the dynamic of the youngsters from the same hometown that go along for the ride to fame.
Hanks is the music company executive that elevates the group into the pop music stratosphere through “That Thing You Do!” and guides them along their way, but becomes more of an observer of their ultimate growing up and melting down than he ever tried to be a fixer of life’s problems for the group.
You get to see the group with a dowdy, slow-time beat become a fan favorite when it gets a new drummer who immediately recognizes that the song “That Thing You Do!” has potential, but not in the way it was originally written. He puts the upbeat juice into the song with his drums and off they go!
After that, things speed up with the group going from a show in the big city to joining Hanks’ company’s rock ’n’ roll bus tour across the country. From there, they become a Top 10 hit and find themselves in Hollywood to be in a movie and be on a big TV show. They crash and burn, but the pieces are picked up nicely and the ending is a wonderful montage of what happened to the characters.
You get excellent work in “That Thing You Do!” from a youthful cast including Tom Everett Scott as the drummer; Johnathon Schaech as the frontman and musical brains of the group; the almost always fun Steve Zahn as the impetuous guitarist; and Liv Tyler as Schaech’s girlfriend-cum-fiance. You’ll even find Charlize Theron with a bit part as Scott’s first girlfriend in the film.
So, we’re on our way to the Christmas and New Year holidays, so find “That Thing You Do!” … you’ll enjoy it without reservation … I guarantee it!
(CLICK here … to read my review of “That Thing You Do!”)
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