A Charming, Loving Piece of Americana
Tom Hanks' debut as a writer and director is a tribute to a bygone era of both the American music industry, and the country itself. Set in the summer of 1964, That Thing You Do! tells the tale of a young rock band that writes and records an earworm of a pop tune that catapults them to stardom. The band is The Wonders (formerly The One-ders, trying to be as clever as The Beatles), fronted by songwriter and lead vocalist Jimmy (Jonathan Schaech), and featuring the talents of guitarist Lenny (Steve Zahn), an unnamed bass player (Ethan Embry) and jazz drummer Guy (Tom Everett Scott). They're accompanied on their journey to the top by Jimmy's doting girlfriend Faye (Liv Tyelr), and are eventually handled by Play-Tone Records manager Mr. White (Hanks).
I wasn't around when The Beatles first made a splash in the United States, but Hanks' knowledge of, and exuberant enthusiasm for, that moment in time is evident. The Wonders play a showcase in Pittsburgh, a kind of American Idol on a more modest, charming scale that is no less a ticket to the big time. They make a cameo in a Frankie & Annette-style beach movie. They even get the chance to play a big television showcase that features astronaut Gus Grissom (Bryan Cranston). But most of all, it's the music, from the Oscar-nominated title tune, to The Wonders' B-sides and the catalogue of the other Play-Tone artists with whom they tour, all of the music sounds like some lost hit or novelty that went undiscovered until now. "That Thing You Do!" in particular is used over and over again, but it never grows tiring, and when the credits roll you'll find yourself searching iTunes for the soundtrack.
Beyond the film's ability to crystalize this very particular moment in time, it also works on its own merits as a piece of cinema. The cast is perfect, from charming leading man Everett Scott (who is a dopplegänger for a young Hanks) to the hilarious Zahn, who delivers many of the film's funniest lines and contributes to the bubbly energy that pervades the proceedings. Hanks himself is an expected scene stealer as the slick Mr. White–"Have I told you boys you look fabulous in [insert color here]?" he's fond of saying before a performance–though he never overshadows the young talent at the focus of his story. The film is also expertly edited, and keeps things moving at a good clip throughout, making the whirlwind sensation that comes with being a one hit-wonder phenomenon all the more tangible to the audience. (A nice extended cut of the film exists on DVD, but is only recommended for fans).
That Thing You Do! has an infectious energy that cannot be denied. I was first captured by its sunny magnetism eight years ago when I was home sick from school, and stumbled on this "Tom Hanks boy band movie" (which was the little that I knew of the film) on TV. It immediately became a favorite, and to this day I find myself listening to The Wonders' big hit song on loop. The film has an edge of reality to it, with a sobering but appropriate ending that shows the fate of the band, but that's part the charm. That Thing You Do! depicts a moment that could never have lasted, but preserves it as the joyous time that it was. 9/10
