That Thing You Do!

"That Thing You Do" redirects here. For the song, see That Thing You Do (song).
That Thing You Do!

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Tom Hanks
Produced by Jonathan Demme
Gary Goetzman
Edward Saxon
Written by Tom Hanks
Starring Tom Everett Scott
Liv Tyler
Johnathon Schaech
Steve Zahn
Ethan Embry
Tom Hanks
Music by Howard Shore
Cinematography Tak Fujimoto
Edited by Richard Chew
Production
company
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release dates
  • October 4, 1996 (1996-10-04)
Running time
 108 minutes
149 minutes (Extended cut)
Country United States
Language English
Budget $26 million
Box office $34,585,416[1]

That Thing You Do! is a 1996 American musical comedy drama film written by, directed by, and co-starring Tom Hanks. Set in the summer of 1964, the movie tells the story of the rise and fall of a one-hit wonder pop band. The film also resulted in a musical hit with the song "That Thing You Do".

Plot

In 1964, in Erie, Pennsylvania, aspiring jazz drummer Guy Patterson (Tom Everett Scott) is asked by Jimmy Mattingly (Johnathon Schaech) and Lenny Haise (Steve Zahn) to sit in with their band at an annual talent show, after their regular drummer breaks his arm. The band, which also includes a bass player (Ethan Embry), adopts the name "The Oneders" (pronounced "wonders", but often mispronounced "oh-NEE-ders"). At the talent show, Guy launches into a faster tempo than intended for Jimmy's ballad, "That Thing You Do", and the band wins the competition. The Oneders' performance at the talent show earns them a paying gig at a local restaurant, where they begin to sell recordings of "That Thing You Do" and are noticed by talent promoter Phil Horace (Chris Ellis), whom they hire as their manager.

Horace achieves radio airplay for the song and books the band at a rock & roll showcase concert in Pittsburgh, after which they are offered a contract by Play-Tone Records A&R representative Mr. White (Hanks). White changes the band's name to "The Wonders" as they join a Midwestern Play-Tone tour, taking along Jimmy's girlfriend, Faye (Liv Tyler) as their official "costume mistress". During the tour, "That Thing You Do" garners national radio airplay and becomes a bona-fide hit. As the band's popularity soars, Jimmy grows frustrated that the group isn't focused on making more music, while the remainder of the band enjoys their time in the spotlight. All the while, Guy and Faye grow closer as friends. When the song enters the top ten on the Billboard charts, the band is taken off the tour and sent to Los Angeles.

Faye falls ill on the trip and is nursed by Guy. Jimmy is seemingly disinterested in her well-being, being preoccupied with trying to convince White to let the band record more of his original songs. After a publicity tour, the band is set to appear on The Hollywood Television Showcase, a nationally-televised live variety show. They begin to show signs of discord. Jimmy continues to vent frustration at White over the band's direction. The bass player (who was leaving to join the United States Marine Corps in a few weeks) goes to Disneyland with a group of Marines and never returns; he is replaced in the broadcast by a session bassist. During the performance, as the band is being visually introduced to the viewing audience, the caption "Careful girls, he's engaged!" appears under Jimmy's name. Jimmy becomes upset with Faye in the dressing room afterward, and says that he has no intention of marrying her. Heartbroken and fed up with his arrogant personality and lack of devotion, Faye terminates their relationship.

The next day at a scheduled recording session, Lenny is missing, and Jimmy's grievances with White reach a boiling point and he quits the band. Guy is sorry to see the end of the band. White confronts him, and declares the band a one-hit wonder. After an impromptu jam session with his idol, jazz pianist Del Paxton (Bill Cobbs), Guy returns to the band's hotel, where he meets Faye and shares a long kiss with her. In an epilogue, it is revealed that Jimmy forms another band (The Heardsmen) and has a successful career as an artist and producer, Lenny becomes a casino manager, and the bass player earns a Purple Heart for injuries suffered at Khe Sanh. Guy and Faye start a family in Washington, where Guy teaches jazz composition at a music conservatory.

Cast

Playtone artists
Cameos

Production and music

The movie features original music by Tom Hanks, Adam Schlesinger, Rick Elias, Scott Rogness, Mike Piccirillo, Gary Goetzman and Howard Shore. In the movie, The Wonders rise to brief stardom on the strength of "That Thing You Do", a song written as a wistful ballad but which becomes an uptempo rocker during the band's first performance at a talent show. Written and composed for the film by Adam Schlesinger, bassist for Fountains of Wayne and Ivy, and singer songwriter Mike Viola, and released on the film's soundtrack, the song became a genuine hit for The Wonders in 1996 (the song peaked at #41 on the Billboard Hot 100, #22 on the Adult Contemporary charts, #18 on the Adult Top 40, and #24 on the Top 40 Mainstream charts). The track was nominated for a 1996 Golden Globe Award as well as a 1996 Academy Award for Best Original Song. Mike Viola of The Candy Butchers provided the distinctive lead vocals for the Wonders.

In the film, the title song is referenced with "All My Only Dreams" as the B-side. The actual 45 RPM single, released to record stores in North America, features "Dance With Me Tonight" as its B-side. The song has since been recorded by The Knack and Bubblegum Lemonade. The Wonders are also seen playing the song, "Little Wild One." This was written by the band Gigolo Aunts as a "faux-Beatles"-style tune at the request of their record label to be submitted for consideration for inclusion in the film.[2]

The song that plays during the film's opening credits, "Lovin' You Lots and Lots," is credited to the fictitious Norm Wooster Singers, but was actually written by Hanks. This song is a good-natured parody of Ray Conniff, Mitch Miller, and other practitioners of the "beautiful music" or proto-Muzak formats that were a staple of adult radio during the early '60s such as on KPOL (AM)1540 in Los Angeles.[3][4] Hanks also composed Guy's jazzy signature drum solo, "I Am Spartacus."

The ballad "My World Is Over" by Diane Dane seems inspired by the compositions of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, and the vocal performance is strongly reminiscent of Jackie DeShannon.

The tour and TV appearance are done in the authentic style of rock bands of the mid-1960s, including Go-Go girls, elaborate sharing of microphones, and formal clothing in various matching colors.

The character of fictional Pittsburgh disc jockey "Boss Vic Koss" whose actual last name was "Kosslovich" may be inspired by real-life Pittsburgh radio personality "Mad Mike Metro," who worked at WZUM in the 60's. His actual last name was "Metrovich."

The song "Voyage Around the Moon" by the fictional band Saturn 5 closely resembles "Pipeline" by The Chantays. The scene where The Wonders are miming the instrumental tune "Shrimp Shack" during the filming of a beach party film titled Weekend at Party Pier is an overt reference to the scene in Pajama Party wherein The Nooney Rickett 4 play the instrumental song Beach Ball.[5]

The (fictional) Wonders

There were at least two real bands named the Wonders who made the record charts at various radio stations in the early 60s. One had a ballad titled "With These Hands" (b/w "Please Don't Cry"; Bamboo 523) that was played by KCRG in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in the fall of 1962.[6]

The other Wonders had a regional hit record called "Say There" (b/w "Marilyn"; Colpix 699), released by Colpix Records in August 1963.[7] Little is known about these Wonders, except that they were probably from Ohio or Pennsylvania; "Say There" hit the Top 20 at WCOL in Columbus, Ohio, and made the Top 30 at KQV in Pittsburgh.[8] (There is a scene in the film in which a disc jockey at WCOL is seen playing "That Thing You Do!")[9]

Soundtrack

The soundtrack album (released under the Play-Tone name in conjunction with Epic Records) was also a hit, peaking at #21 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The CD artwork is a replica of the fictional Play-Tone label used in the movie, and the liner notes are done in a mockumentary style, as if the Wonders had been a real group and the events of the film had actually happened. Hanks later used the success of That Thing You Do! as a spring-board to launch the actual Playtone Records label, through which the soundtracks of all his subsequent films, and other films like Bring It On and television programs like The Sopranos were released as albums.

Track Listing

No. TitleMusicArtist Length
1. "Lovin' You Lots and Lots"  Tom HanksThe Norm Wooster Singers 1:54
2. "That Thing You Do!"  Adam SchlesingerThe Wonders 2:47
3. "Little Wild One"  David Gibbs, Steve Hurley, Phil Hurley, Fred ElringhamThe Wonders 2:30
4. "Dance With Me Tonight"  Scott Rogness, Rick EliasThe Wonders 2:05
5. "All My Only Dreams"  Rogness, EliasThe Wonders 2:54
6. "I Need You (That Thing You Do)" (The movie credits list this song as being from 'The Heardsmen'.)Rogness, Elias, Linda EliasThe Wonders 2:53
7. "She Knows It"  Rogness, EliasThe Heardsmen 3:01
8. "Mr. Downtown"  Hanks, Gary Goetzman, Mike PiccirilloFreddy Fredrickson 2:32
9. "Hold My Hand, Hold My Heart"  Hanks, Goetzman, PiccirilloThe Chantrellines 3:11
10. "Voyage Around The Moon"  Hanks, Goetzman, PiccirilloThe Saturn 5 3:04
11. "My World Is Over"  PiccirilloDiane Dane 3:01
12. "Drive Faster"  Rogness, EliasThe Vicksburgs 2:48
13. "Shrimp Shack"  PiccirilloCap'n Geech & The Shrimp Shack Shooters 2:22
14. "Time To Blow"  Steve Tyrell, Robert MannDel Paxton 4:20
15. "That Thing You Do! (Live at the Hollywood Television Showcase)"  SchlesingerThe Wonders 2:54
Total length:
 42:09

Reception

The film was well received by critics and currently holds a 93% fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes. The movie debuted at No. 3.[10] It was moderately successful at the box office, grossing $25,857,416 domestically and $8,728,000 abroad for a worldwide gross of $34,585,416.[1]

Home media

Initial release

That Thing You Do! was first released in mid-1997 on VHS. In 1998, the film became available in the DIVX format (as with all 20th Century Fox films), rather than DVD.

First DVD

After DIVX failed, the film was released onto DVD on June 5, 2001. It included the featurette "The Making of That Thing You Do!," and two music videos.

Extended Edition DVD

On May 8, 2007, Tom Hanks' Extended Edition was released on DVD. The film's theatrical cut and an extended cut with 39 additional minutes of deleted scenes are included.

Many of the deleted scenes are devoted to character development. A tastefully steamy look at Guy's "make-out" session with Tina at his apartment is included. The extended version also goes more in-depth with Guy's developing relationship with Faye (via mild flirting) and his deteriorating relationship with Tina, as well as Tina's budding relationship with her dentist, Dr. Collins. It also suggests that the character portrayed by Tom Hanks (Mr. White) is not only gay but in a relationship with a man played by former NFL defensive lineman Howie Long.

More camera time is also devoted to the romance between the bass player and one of the singers of the Chantrellines. In the theatrical cut, this romance was depicted mainly as an unrequited crush on the part of the bass player; in the extended cut it is clearly shown that his efforts were successful.

At the end of the Extended Edition, rather than becoming a studio drummer on the recommendation of Del Paxton, Guy becomes a disc jockey for the jazz station KJZZ and records a documentary series of interviews with legendary jazz musicians.

2007 DVD repackage re-release

That Thing You Do! was packaged with Bachelor Party and The Man with One Red Shoe in the Tom Hanks Triple Feature DVD anthology set. The actual DVD appears to be the original 2001 disc, with the featurette and music videos.

Blu-ray release

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment released the film on Blu-ray on April 2, 2013. The Blu-ray includes the Theatrical and Extended cuts as well as all of the bonus features found on the 2-Disc DVD.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "That Thing You Do! (1996)". Box Office Mojo. 1996-11-15. Retrieved 2011-01-31.
  2. ↑ Drees, Rich (2007-08-18). "That Tune You Do: Writing The Music For THAT THING YOU DO". FilmBuffOnline. Retrieved 2016-02-05.
  3. ↑ "That Thing You Do: Various Artists: Music". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2011-01-31.
  4. ↑ "KPOL Archive #1". Earthsignals.com. Retrieved 2011-01-31.
  5. ↑ Compilation: The Nooney Rickett 4 in Pajama Party on YouTube
  6. ↑ tim warden. "KCRG 1600 Cedar Rapids Survey 09/22/62".
  7. ↑ "45cat - The Wonders [Colpix] - Say There / Marilyn - Colpix - USA - CP 699". 45cat.
  8. ↑ tim warden. "ARSA - The Wonders — Say There". C1 control character in |title= at position 20 (help)
  9. ↑ Both records by the real Wonders can be found on YouTube.
  10. ↑ Puig, Claudia (1996-10-08). "Weekend Box Office". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2011-01-01.

External links

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