This Day in Theaters: Oct. 4, 1996

That Thing You Do! (1996)

Apparently this movie came and went when it was released in 1996 barely out grossing its $26 million budget. In fact I had not even heard about this movie til I saw it on TV sometime around 2006 and I thought it was an HBO made for TV movie. But I found myself somewhat into the rise of the Wonders from a local rock band in Erie, PA to the hottest act in the country. The film takes place in the 60s when the music industry was dominated by singles and the music industry was morphing into what we know it as today. You come a long for the ride as this group of kids as learn how awesome it is to have a hit single, but at the same time, how hard it is keep on top of the charts, keep relationships, keep the band together, and keep their sanity. All this while under the tutelage of a record exec played by Tom Hanks who may or may not have the bands best intentions as his top priority. 

Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly:

"That Thing You Do! is neitheroverly sentimental nor overly cynical. It looks at the inventionof our pop-rock mythology, and the bands that fed it until theywere consumed by it, just as you'd expect Tom Hanks to: with open eyes (and a raised eyebrow)."

Also positive was  Richard Harrington of the Washington Post:

"Though Hanks doesn't serve up much context, he's solid with details, and the Wonders' performances ring truer than most. (The actors, none of whom actually plays, reportedly rehearsed a full month before shooting to look authentic). The outfits, the settings and the music all reflect the times, and Hanks is to be commended for not surrounding the faux-hit at the heart of the film with genuine baby boomer classics."

They actually released the movie's title song as a retro single

With almost universal praise it was tough to find a negative review from a respected film critic. I think many of these glowing reviews were caught up in the nostalgia of the film seeing as all of them grew up during the time frame the movie takes place in. While I did enjoy the movie it always felt like it was lacking something. The story was interesting and fresh and the characters were all enjoyable but the it seemed to drag on for a lot loner than its two hour run time (I would suggest skipping the extended cut since it really drags on). You get a decent grasp of what it was like in the music business back then as well as some good laughs a long the way but for some reason this one didn't do it for me. I'd say about 50% of everybody I talk movies with haven't seen this one and it probably has to do with the fact that it is a good movie just for the sheer fact that it isn't a bad one; if that makes sense. So would I recommend it? Yeah, why the hell not? But don't bother searching this one out unless you're a huge fan of OK-ness.

IMDb Score: 6.7

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%