classicsoncall One very weird thing about the movie before I go on to anything else. What's the deal with the bass player who replaced Chad (Giovanni Ribisi) with the broken arm? He doesn't have a name! It never came up in the picture and he's listed in the movie's end credits as T.B. Player, translated here on IMDb as 'The Bass Player". I wonder what went into that script writing decision. There was even a scene when the band was getting ready to go into the recording studio and Guy Patterson (Tom Everett Scott) was asking for Jimmy (Johnathon Schaech) and Lenny (Steve Zahn), but not Mr. X. That just baffled me. By the way, it was Ethan Embry in the role with that dubious honor. Well this looks like a nifty tribute to all those one hit wonder bands throughout the decades who made it with one big Top 40 hit and were virtually never heard from again. So much so that the band's name in the picture is a spin off of the one-hit wonder concept; they called themselves 'the One-Ders', the gimmick being that everyone else read their name as the 'O-neders'. It would have been simple enough to place a hyphen in their name to eliminate the confusion but apparently they needed to keep a running gag in the flick. That got a little overworked in the story until Tom Hanks came on board to change the spelling and make things right.I'd have to second another reviewer's remarks by stating that it was pretty fresh to see a picture without a lot of swearing and gratuitous sex to appeal to a youthful audience. The actors were a clean cut lot modeled to some extent on The Beatles, which back in 1964 seemed to be the way a lot of the British Invasion bands presented themselves. It was interesting to note that when "That Thing You Do' made it to Number #71 on the Billboard Top 100, the song immediately above it was 'Tell Me' by the Rolling Stones. So the guys were in pretty good company for a fictitious band. My favorite characters in the picture oddly enough weren't any of the 'One-Ders'. I liked Liv Tyler in her role as the put upon girlfriend of Jimmy Mattingly; her blistering breakup with Jimmy really changed the tone of the story there for a minute. The guy I really liked was hotel owner and doorman Lamarr, effectively portrayed by Obba Babatundé. Unless I'm mistaken, I don't think I've ever seen him before and thought he played a wonderful character. I'll have to keep my eyes open for another appearance of his.Over all, not a bad little story that charts the meteoric rise and fall of one of the era's fictional bands. But don't fret, there were plenty of real ones you can pay tribute to - how about The Surfaris (Wipe Out), The Standells (Dirty Water), and The Capitols (Cool Jerk) to name a few. Any one of those is enough to perk your ears up when they come on the radio.

taylorhammons Hear me out. I know so many people will tell me it's crazy to list this cheesy movie as one of my favorites. And in a way I agree. With so many phenomenal movies out there, why pick one like this? The answer: because it's fun. I love serious movies. Some of my favorites are very serious. But the main goal of a movie is to be entertaining, and if I just want to watch something that's going to let me have fun and escape the world for two hours, I rarely have to look further than this often overlooked masterpiece. We've all come to expect greatness from Tom Hanks, and in his directorial debut, he certainly delivers, both onscreen and behind the curtain. I firmly believe that Steve Zahn is a comedic goldmine, worthy of far more accolades than he gets, and this is his best work. The songs are catchy and reminiscent of the 60s charm they are intended to represent. It's just a great movie to have fun and sing along to. I maintain that some movies don't need to be any more than that.

felix-wyderka With this movie Tom Hanks proves he can not only act amazingly well but also write and direct a movie. "That thing you do!" is a great movie that has feeling and doesn't drag on. The fact that there are not to many known actors in this movie actually makes it more enjoyable because the viewer can concentrate more in the actual plot and everything that's going on rather than a specific acting performance. The soundtrack is one of the best cinematic elements in the movie and it really is one of the most enjoyable soundtracks I have heard so far. The acting is by all actors is just great and the chemistry is just right. Also the audience experiences again how many feelings and emotions Tom Hanks can portray with his face alone. All in all "That thing you do!" is a very enjoyable movie that just flies by and that every music fan should see. Also I would've given it an 8.5 but that is unfortunately not possible.

Mr Black REally liked this movie because it told a STORY and had CHARACTERS! No one gets shot, beat up, murdered, and it requires no special effects. It's a well thought out script with a beginning, a middle and end like they are supposed to have. Great characters all around. Different people, different stories behind them. Tom Hanks as usual was great. I think one of the best things about Tom Hanks is his willingness to be part of an ensemble cast - and he is so good at that. The guys in the band were all great. Specially liked Steve Zahn who was hilarious. Lots of fun at concerts and on stage performance with the band. Also thought Liv Tyler was magnificent. Great performance by her and as always, quite beautiful. I'd like to see more movies like this that rely on character, script, and story, rather than the digital effects department.