Tom Hanks writes, directs and co-stars in this refreshing, big-hearted comedy that captures the overnight triumph of an American rock band during the glory days of rock and roll.
Tom Hanks's debut as a writer and director is a lively, affectionate account of the shooting-star career of a forgotten (fictional) '60s pop-rock band called The Wonders--as in "one-hit wonders." Hanks plays the manager of the group, which includes drummer Guy "Sticks" Patterson (Tom Everett Scott) who works the floor at his parents' appliance store in Erie, Pennsylvania; Jimmy (Johnathon Schaech), the talented and temperamental lead singer and songwriter; Lenny (Steve Zahn), the goofy guitarist; and Ethan Embry as a geeky little fellow identified in the cast list only as "The Bass Player." The movie traces their meteoric rise and fall, from cutting their first record, to going on tour with a Phil Spector/Motown-type revue, to the internal tensions that lead to the band's disintegration, which comes when they fail to follow up their smash hit single, "That Thing You Do!" And that song, by the way, is so catchy it would definitely have been a hit in 1964--and deserves to be one today. This delightful movie would make a great double-bill with Allison Anders's wonderful Grace of My Heart. --Jim Emerson
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
"Lovin' that 'Thing You Do!'":
"That Thing You Do!" is a feel-good film written and directed by and featuring Tom Hanks. The movie is enjoyable, and the featured song, "That Thing You Do!" is the perfect "earworm"--it's bouncy and happy and stays with you long after the movie is over. This Special Edition of the film is terrific, with more than 40 minutes of "never-before-seen footage". I had seen the movie several times before purchasing this edition and was always curious about things that are revealed in the full-play version.more info
What a useless reworking of an already perfect movie...:
If you loved the original version of this movie, as I do, then save yourself 2.5 hours and go do something else (anything else!) rather than watch this new extended version. After having sat through it, my main comment on this was that the editor of the original versrion deserved an Oscar because he/she got it right the first time and properly cut out all the unnecessary fat that bloats this version. There is absolutely nothing of value that has been added to this version. In fact, after you've sat... more info
That Thing You Do!!!:
This is a great movie and the special features on this edition are nice :)
The greatest movie plus 39 minutes equals Worst movie of all time!:
No one ever believes it until they see it, but you have to trust me on this if you want to maintain your perception of one of the greatest films of all time. The Director's Cut version of That Thing You Do is one of the worst movies you will EVER see. Save yourself the trouble and the money, because it may very well destroy one of the best movies for you if you watch it. I know it seems completely implausible, but it's entirely true. The editing job they did on That Thing You Do, I am convinced, is the best... more info
