Here we are, more than three-quarters of the way through 2026, and I have seen next -to-nothing about what should be considered a major motion-picture milestone: The 30th anniversary of “That Thing You Do!”
Right off the bat, the 1996 comedy-with-music about the rise and fall of a fictional pop-rock band from Erie, Pa. in the Beatles-drenched summer of 1964 should be noteworthy in film circles; it remains the only movie written and directed by Tom Hanks (who made “TTYD” at the peak of his Oscar-glomming acting career). But there’s far more to the movie than that. As a matter of fact, there’s much, much more that justifies the celebration of the film’s 30th anniversary. Below are the reasons why you should watch it if you’ve never seen it, and rewatch it if you have:
The plot
Hanks told NPR’s Terry Gross that the flick’s inspiration was the story of Pete Best, the drummer who was replaced by Ringo Starr shortly before the Fab Four’s unprecedented rise to global domination.
In the movie, drummer Guy Patterson (the Hanks avatar) replaces the original timekeeper in what is literally a garage band. The quartet is called the Oneders (pronounced “Wonders”), but in a running joke, the name is usually mispronounced as “Oh-NEED-erz.” A plot device initiated by Guy leads to the band (ultimately dubbed “The Wonders”) gaining national success thanks to a top-10 single (the movie’s title track) before the tale heads to its inevitable conclusion.
The storyline is unique and clever, entirely plausible and holds the viewer’s interest from start to finish.
The script
“That Thing You Do!” is a comedy, and it is genuinely funny (it’s also quite touching in spots without being maudlin or schmaltzy). Hanks’ characters are theatrical, but never not-believable, with character actor extraordinaire Steve Zahn (as lead guitarist Lenny) and Kevin Polack in a small-but-indelible role as a particularly obnoxious Pittsburgh disc jockey responsible for many of the chuckles, giggles and belly laughs.
And while the script pokes fun at pop-culture conventions of the time period (motor-mouthed AM disc jockeys, old-school TV variety-show hosts; “beach party” movies) the humor is always gentle (and on-target), and affectionate, never mean or condescending. “TTYD” is, essentially, Hanks’ love letter to America during a specific time in his childhood.
The cast
Hanks and his casting director, Howard Feuer, were downright supernatural with their picks for this ensemble piece. In 1996, Zahn, Tom Everett Scott (who played Guy Patterson), Liv Tyler, Jonathan Schaech, Giovanni Ribisi and future Oscar-winner Charlize Theron were young and virtually unknown to the public. But their individual talents were clearly evident in the film, and their youthful energy uplifts the entire production.
And if all those stars-to-be aren’t enough, Hanks is in all of his Hanksian glory in the key supporting role as the slick, cynical record-company exec responsible for shepherding The Wonders on their journey to stardom.
The filmmaking
For a first-time director, Hanks’ effort was quite impressive. He clearly had a feel for pacing, and all of the film’s beats are right on the mark thanks to the crisp editing by Richard Chew. Overall, Hanks’ clear-eyed, unobtrusive direction makes “TTYD” both highly engaging and super-easy to follow.
Hanks earns bonus points for his fealty to real life in America in the mid-1960s in terms of how people dressed, spoke and consumed mass pop culture, as well as the cars they drove (even the exalted “Goodfellas” places a 1965 Chevy in a scene with an onscreen note that says it’s set in 1963). I’ve watched the movie more times than I can count and have found but a single anachronism:
In an early scene, a reference is made to a big-box appliance store being open on Sunday. However, in 1964, Pennsylvania still enforced its archaic “blue laws” which prohibited virtually all types of commerce on the “Lord’s Day.” But Hanks gets a pass; after all, how would an elementary school student in Northern California at that time be aware of a statute on the Keystone State’s books?
The music
This may very well be the greatest strength of all given this is a movie about the creation and dissemination of music. The movie’s songs comprise one of the great original soundtracks of all time. Unlike some musical films (I’m looking at you, “Eddie & The Cruisers”), every note– performed by The Wonders and other fictional artists covering a variety of pop sub-genres including folk, “girl group” and TV-show theme song–is 100-percent faithful to the era. And the Oscar-and-Golden-Globe-nominated title track, composed by the late Adam Schlesinger (who also co-wrote Fountains of Wayne’s ’90s anthem “Stacy’s Mom”) is two minutes, 47 seconds of guitar-based pop-rock perfection.
Ultimately, “perfection” is as good a word as any to sum up “That Thing You Do!” Make no mistake, this is not a “Lawrence of Arabia”/”Citizen Kane”-level work of cinematic genius. But it still qualifies as a “perfect movie” because there are simply no flaws, craters or false steps behind, or in front of, the camera.
Which is why a big deal should be made of its 30th anniversary and why this family-friendly minor masterpiece should be seen by everyone.
“That Thing You Do!” can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Disney+, Google Play Movie and YouTube.
