That Thing You Do!
 |
| That Thing You Do! | |
|---|---|
| File:The Wonders imp.jpg original movie poster | |
| Directed by | Tom Hanks |
| Written by | Tom Hanks |
| Starring | Tom Everett Scott Liv Tyler Tom Hanks Steve Zahn Johnathon Schaech Ethan Embry |
| Music by | Howard Shore |
| Distributed by | Fox |
Release dates | October 4, 1996 |
Running time | 108 minutes |
| Language | English |
That Thing You Do! (known in Spain as The Wonders and in Italy as Music Graffiti) is a 1996 film, written and directed by Tom Hanks. Set in the summer of 1964, the movie tells the story of a fictional one-hit wonder rock band from Erie, Pennsylvania, called The Wonders, following their whirlwind rise to the top of the pop charts, and just as quickly, their plunge back to obscurity. The theme of the movie chronicles the rise in popularity of a typical "one-hit wonder" band (many of which came into existence during the 60's and 70's), and could loosely be considered a parody of The Beatles.
Plot
The film follows the career of a fictional Erie, Pennsylvania, rock band formed in the wake of the British Invasion. Guy Patterson (Tom Everett Scott, in his debut feature film role), son of a local appliance store owner and good drummer who idolizes jazz musicians, is asked by Jimmy Mattingly (Johnathon Schaech) and Lenny Haise (Steve Zahn) to substitute for their unnamed beat group's regular drummer, Chad (Giovanni Ribisi), who broke his arm leap-frogging over a parking meter. Rounding out the group is the band's bass player (Ethan Embry), whose name is never revealed.
Later that night, the group competes at the annual Mercyhurst College talent show, in an attempt to win the $100 first prize. They are to play a ballad written by Jimmy and Lenny, "That Thing You Do", and at the suggestion of Jimmy's girlfriend Faye Dolan (Liv Tyler), from Guy's comment, they adopt the name "The Wonders". Initially they spell it "Oneders" (as a play on the Beatles), but it is often mispronounced as the "oh-NEE-ders." Meanwhile, Guy is involved in a shallow relationship with a girl named Tina Powers (Charlize Theron, in her second feature film role).
They win the admiration of the audience (and the $100 top prize), mainly because Guy sets the beat substantially faster than its original ballad tempo. The rest of band fights to keep up, while everybody gets up on the dance floor and dances to it. This is reflective of George Martin's suggestion that the Beatles increase the original tempo of "Please, Please Me" which was written primarily by John Lennon as a ballad reminiscent of Roy Orbison's tunes. They get their first paying gig, at a pizza parlor, and at the request of a fan, they enlist the help of Guy's Uncle Bob (Chris Isaak), who records songs and sermons for churches, to cut the song on vinyl.
The records sell well, and talent scout Phil Horace (Chris Ellis) buys one and then introduces himself to Guy. On Horace's promise that he will get them radio airplay and performance bookings in big cities like Pittsburgh and Steubenville, Ohio, The Oneders sign him as their manager, despite Jimmy's initial reluctance to assign rights to his music.
The song is played three times in one day on WJET (then the real-life Top 40 radio station in Erie), and Horace gets them a gig in Pittsburgh sponsored by a prominent mattress salesman, Victor Kosslovich, A.K.A. "Boss Vic Koss" (Kevin Pollak). Although the gig is a failure and they are booed off stage after a series of technical mishaps during their first set, a record company executive, Mr. White (Hanks) sees the show and is impressed by their record. He buys out Horace's contract, signs the band to his employer (the Play-Tone record label), and changes the spelling of the name from The Oneders to The Wonders to alleviate confusion. From then on, under White's guidance, The Wonders are progressively successful. Homages to various groups of the era appear, such as a A Hard Day's Night-style vignette in which the band clowns across a map of the United States and races a horse, and the performance style changes to resemble the Dave Clark Five (a group admired by producer Hanks). At the same time, as the band tours and Guy is away, Tina (not so impressed with Guy's newfound stardom) falls in love with her dentist, never to be seen again in the film.
Alongside other Play-Tone artists, the band tours state fairs across the country, and the single is released by Play-Tone, entering the Billboard Top 40. As the tour progresses, the band goes from being the opening act to the feature attraction, even earning band-specific stage decorations. Throngs of teenage girls mob the band at one tour stop. While on tour, Jimmy engages in an affair with aging siren Diane Dane (Chaille Percival). By the time the song hits the Top 10, the band is ordered to leave the tour in Wisconsin and head for Hollywood to meet Sol Siler (Alex Rocco), the head of Play-Tone, for a promotional photo shoot. On the journey, White announces that the band will be appearing in a major motion picture. At Jimmy's urging, he also agrees to a recording session for the Wonders to make a complete album. Meanwhile, in Erie, original drummer Chad has taken Guy's place as salesman at Patterson's Appliance and seems to have also filled the family void that Guy left behind.
They appear as "Cap'n Geech and the Shrimp Shack Shooters" in a film that turns out to be a low quality beach movie. Jimmy becomes disillusioned and grows apart from the band and from Faye. While in L.A., the bass player abandons the band at the height of its popularity to visit Disneyland with a group of United States Marines, whose ranks he had previously committed to join. He is immediately replaced by experienced studio bassist Scott "Wolfman" Pell (Larry Antonino). During a live performance on The Hollywood Television Showcase, the words "Careful girls, he's engaged!" are captioned on the screen beneath Jimmy's image (an homage to "Sorry girls, he's married!" to John Lennon on the Ed Sullivan Show, an event which is referred to in the film). After the show, Jimmy is upset and tells Faye that they are not engaged and he doesn't plan on proposing. Hurt by Jimmy's callousness and insensitivity, Faye ends their relationship.
At the recording session, the band learn that they are to record songs from the company's catalog. White promises Jimmy one cut per side of the album, but makes it clear that any material less than the caliber of "That Thing You Do" will not be acceptable. Jimmy quits. Lenny, on the other hand, never showed up for the session (he went to Las Vegas to marry a Play-Tone secretary/Playboy Bunny). Pell is thanked for his short time with the band and leaves. With the absence of everyone but Guy, there are no more Wonders. White declares the group in breach of contract and The Wonders' meteoric rise is over. Guy remains in the recording studio alone, as it was his first time inside one, and his impromptu drumming catches the ear of his idol, jazz pianist Del Paxton (Bill Cobbs). The two record a jam session where Guy plays his drum routine "I Am Spartacus" while Del improvises an accompanying piano medley.
In the wake of the dissolution, Faye and Guy declare their love for one another. In an epilogue, Guy and Faye remain in Los Angeles, marry the following year and raise four children before moving to Bainbridge Island, Washington, where they found a music conservatory in which Guy teaches Jazz Composition. Jimmy rejoins Play-Tone and goes on to record three gold albums with a new band, called the Heardsmen (which was Jimmy's original choice to name The Wonders). Lenny goes on to manage a casino in Laughlin, Nevada, but his marriage to the Play-Tone secretary fails. The Bass Player was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds sustained at Khe Sanh while serving in the Marines, and later became a building contractor in Orlando, Florida.
Cast
- Tom Everett Scott as Guy "Shades" Patterson, drums
- Johnathon Schaech as James "Jimmy" Mattingly II, guitar and lead vocals
- Steve Zahn as Leonard "Lenny" Haise, guitar and backing vocals
- Ethan Embry as "T. B. Player," a.k.a. The Bass Player (character's name is never mentioned)
- Tom Hanks as Mr. White, the band's manager
- Liv Tyler as Faye Dolan, Jimmy's girlfriend and the band's "costume mistress"
- Charlize Theron as Tina Powers, Guy's girlfriend
- Bill Cobbs as Del Paxton, Guy's favorite jazz musician and mentor
- Giovanni Ribisi as Chad, the band's original drummer
- Obba Babatunde as Lamarr, the Ambassador Hotel bellman
Music
The movie features original music by Hanks, Adam Schlesinger, Rick Elias, Scott Rogness, Mike Piccirillo, Gary Goetzman and Howard Shore. 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 by Adam Schlesinger, bassist for Fountains of Wayne and Ivy, 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 the 1996 Golden Globe Award as well as the 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 soundtrack album (released under the Play-Tone name in conjunction with Epic Records) was also a hit, peaking at #21 on the Billboard Top 200. 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.
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 proto-muzak.[1]
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.
Reception
The film was well received by critics and currently holds a 91% fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, increasing to 93% when narrowed down to the selected top critics. However it was only moderately successful at the box office, grossing $25,857,416 domestically.
Cameos
- Director Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs), one of the producers of That Thing You Do, who directed Tom Hanks to his first Oscar for Philadelphia, has a cameo as the director of Weekend At Party Pier.
- Comedian Barry Sobel, who co-wrote Tom Hanks' stand-up material for and was featured in the film Punchline, has a cameo as "Goofball" in the beach movie Weekend at Party Pier
- Tracy Reiner, who played "Betty Spaghetti" Horn in A League of Their Own and Mary Haise in "Apollo 13," in both of which Hanks co-starred, appears as "Anita", the co-star of Weekend at Party Pier.
- Musician Chris Isaak appears as "Uncle Bob", and would later appear as astronaut Edward Higgins White in Tom Hanks' From the Earth to the Moon (miniseries).
- Actress Rita Wilson (Tom Hanks' wife) has a cameo as "Marguerite" the waitress at The Blue Spot jazz club
- Tom Hanks' son, Colin, appears as an usher at the CBS City of Broadcasting. He can be seen escorting Faye (Liv Tyler) from her car to her seat in the studio audience. His role is slightly expanded in the extended edition DVD.
- Actor Peter Scolari, Tom Hanks' co-star on the 80s sitcom Bosom Buddies, plays "Troy Chesterfield", host of The Hollywood Television Showcase
- Football player/commentator Howie Long appears as Mr. White's driver, Lloyd, in the extended cut of the movie, released on DVD in 2007. His part was entirely cut from the theatrical release.
- Bryan Cranston, who would later star in the sitcom Malcolm In the Middle and AMC's hit Breaking Bad, appears as astronaut Gus Grissom during The Hollywood Television Showcase scenes. Interestingly, he also appeared as Buzz Aldrin in From the Earth to the Moon.
- Clint Howard, the brother of Ron Howard, appears as a KJZZ Disk Jockey. Howard played EECOM "Paul Lucas" in From the Earth to the Moon, and as Sy Liebergot in Apollo 13. Both characters were EECOM for the Apollo program, with Paul Lucas being a fictional character.
- Kevin Pollak appears as Victor 'Boss Vic Koss' Kosslovich. He also played Apollo Program Manager Joe Shea in From the Earth to the Moon.
References to space program
Tom Hanks' interest in the Apollo-era American space program resulted in several references in the film. Bryan Cranston appears as astronaut Virgil "Gus" Grissom on The Hollywood Television Showcase. Among the bands on the marquee at the Orpheum Theatre in Pittsburgh are "Marilyn Lovell and the Geminis" (a reference to both Project Gemini and the real-life name of astronaut Jim Lovell's wife -- Hanks portrayed Lovell in Apollo 13) and "The Saturn 5" (a pun -- the Saturn V rocket launched Apollo moon missions). Jimmy's last name is Mattingly, referencing sidelined Apollo XIII astronaut Ken Mattingly. Lenny's last name is Haise, referencing Apollo XIII astronaut Fred Haise. No reference is given to Jack Swigert, who was the fourth member (Mattingly's substitute) of the Apollo XIII crew.
Original home video release
That Thing You Do! was first released in mid-1997 on VHS. In 1998, the film became exclusively available (digitally) on the DIVX format (as with all 20th Century Fox films). DIVX would quickly fail, and the film was finally released onto conventional DVD on June 5, 2001. At the time, it included the featurette "The Making of That Thing You Do!," and 2 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.
Most of the deleted scenes further explore Guy's budding relationship with Faye and his deteriorating relationship with Tina (while also showing more of Tina's budding relationship with her dentist). Extra scenes also include more of the band's humble beginnings in an Erie garage and their awestruck response to first entering the large Orpheum Theatre in Pittsburgh. In addition, the bass player is seen engaging in an interracial fling with a member of The Chantrellines, and further character development is given to Mr. White, possibly implicating him in a homosexual relationship with his previously-unseen chauffeur, Lloyd (Howie Long).
An additional disc of extras in the "Extended Edition" include a “Making That Thing You Do” featurette, "The Story Of The Wonders” featurette, a That Thing You Do! Reunion, "The Wonders – Big in Japan” featurette, and “The Making of That Thing You Do!” HBO first look. Also included are TV spots and theatrical trailers.
Easter Egg in 'Extended Edition': On Disk One's main menu using the directional keys on your remote you can highlight the SPEED DIAL for the LP to play the theme at all three speeds
Alternate endings
In the extended edition, the ending is slightly changed. Guy stays in L.A. as he does in the original cut, but works at radio station KJZZ (where the band was earlier interviewed) as a late-night deejay and jazz interviewer.
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.