That Thing You Do!
Release date: 1996-10-04
Votes: 862
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Music
A Pennsylvania band scores a hit in 1964 and rides the star-making machinery as long as it can, with lots of help from its manager.
Reviews
Filipe Manuel Neto
**Tom Hanks gave life and affection to this project, which easily reminds us of the golden years of rock-and-roll.** The film is a very nice story that revolves around the world of ephemeral "rock and roll" stars. In 1964, a group of youngsters from Pennsylvania suddenly emerge from obscurity when their garage band, the Wonders, achieve fame and success on the back of a single song, "That Thing You Do". Believing in a potential that might not exist, the scouts of the music world waste no time and the boys get a contract with a major label, which is waiting expectantly for equally good songs. However, sudden fame will test the strength of the group, the maturity and responsibility of that guys and their ability to resist the temptations that money and notoriety always make possible. Tom Hanks is more than a protagonist, he is the engine that pulls the film and makes it possible. He had achieved fame at the expense of good comedies like “Big” or “Money Pit”, but he had his consecration in films like “Sleepless in Seattle”, “Philadelphia”, “Forrest Gump” and “Apollo 13”. In addition, he already had two Oscars on his shelf, so he had the means to leverage a project he liked, and there is no doubt that he liked this one, and it was the lever that made it go forward. And contrary to what often happens in these situations, he didn't want the lead role: it's in a reasonably more modest role that we see him, a role where he doesn't fail to stand out. The main role is assured by the band's boys, played by Tom Everett Scott, Johnatton Schaech, Steve Zahn, Ethan Embry and Giovanni Ribisi. All quite young, still at the beginning of their respective careers, all capable of relatively slick and honest work, especially Scott, who is given a little more visibility. We also have to highlight the pleasant participation of Liv Tyler and Charlize Theron. The film is quite light, lively and cheerful, even in the most tense moments, and in which it takes paths that could make it denser, more dramatic and profound, which it always avoids. That was a conscious choice, I'm sure, and that's debatable. Where the film stands out is in its attention to historical details, in the care with which it seeks to recreate the era and environments through the choice of suitable props, good costumes and make-up, as well as a set of excellent sets. And being such a musical film, the soundtrack is unavoidable and vibrant, with songs that stay in the ear and where the main melody, created especially for the film emulating the aesthetics and taste of the time, deserves a very special highlight.
Movie Recommendation
I Am Your Father2015-10-05David Prowse is an eighty years old actor, who has lived behind Darth Vader's mask during three decades. A group of Star Wars fans find out why he has been apparently forgotten by Lucasfilm during thirty years, and decide to give him back the glory he never had. This is their last opportunity.More...
Butterflies Are Free1972-07-06Striving to be independent, the blind but determined Don Baker moves away from his overprotective mother. After settling into his new San Francisco digs, Don meets kooky neighbor Jill Tanner. Don's quick wit and good looks disarm the free-spirited Jill, and before long they're more than just friends. Will Mrs. Baker's incessant meddling destroy Don and Jill's budding relationship?More...
Long Weekend2009-08-14Peter and Carla, a couple whose marriage is faltering, decide to go on a camping weekend. When they become lost, the pair sets up camp on a remote beach that doesn't seem to be on any map. At first the trip is the romantic getaway they imagined – then slowly things begin to go wrong. After Peter disrespects the unspoiled habitat, it seems as if the surroundings are exacting revenge on the couple, as insects, animals, and then nature itself become the enemy.More...
Bee Season2005-09-03Wife and mother Miriam begins a downward emotional spiral as her husband avoids their collapsing marriage by immersing himself in his 11-year-old daughter's quest to become a spelling-bee champion.More...
Will2011-11-04Brennan is Liverpool's number one fan, able to recite facts ad infinitum about the club and at a public school in the south of England since his father Gareth is emotionally unable to care for him following the death of Will's mother. Gareth appears one day out of the blue with tickets for Liverpool's trip to the 2005 Champions League Final in Istanbul.More...
Keith Richards: Under the Influence2015-09-18A portrait of Keith Richards that takes us on a journey to discover the genesis of his sound as a songwriter, guitarist and performer.More...
My Wife Is an Actress2001-01-14A "normal" guy who is married to a hot actress gets worried that she is involved with her costar. This worry turns into jealousy and causes problems in their relationship. This is a story about trust and a comedy about the actions between men and women.More...
Back to the Beach1987-08-07Cowabunga! The surfing '60s ride into the new wave as Frankie and Annette star in this hip update of their old-time, good-time beach movies. With special appearances by Bob Denver, Tony Dow, Pee-Wee Herman, Jerry Mathers and other familiar faces. Frankie and Annette grow up and have kids in the midwest. They return to LA to visit their daughter who is shacked up with her boyfriend and tries to hide the fact. They begin to have marriage problems when Frankie runs into Connie, who has erected a shrine to him in her night club. Their punk son has joined up with the local surf toughs, and things all come to a head when the toughs challenge the good guys to a surfing duelMore...
In Her Line of Fire2006-04-21When the Vice President's plane goes down near a remote Pacific island, he is kidnapped by rebel forces and held for ransom. It is up to his female Secret Service agent and a press secretary to infiltrate the camp and save him.More...
Do Not Reply2019-09-29Chelsea, a high school introvert, is abducted through a social media app and is forced to look like other girls Brad holds captive. Chelsea desperately attempts to persuade them to escape before they all become victims in his virtual reality filmed murders.More...
SubUrbia1997-02-07A group of suburban teenagers try to support each other through the difficult task of becoming adults.More...
The Milk of Sorrow2009-02-13Fausta is suffering from a rare disease called the Milk of Sorrow, which is transmitted through the breast milk of pregnant women who were abused or raped during or soon after pregnancy. While living in constant fear and confusion due to this disease, she must face the sudden death of her mother. She chooses to take drastic measures to not follow in her mother's footsteps.More...
Pride and Prejudice1940-07-26Mrs. Bennet wishes to wed her five unmarried daughters and is overjoyed when a wealthy bachelor begins living nearby, but misunderstandings make happiness difficult.More...
The Fourth Protocol1987-03-20Led by Kim Philby, Plan Aurora is a plan that breaches the top-secret Fourth Protocol and turns the fears that shaped it into a living nightmare. A crack Soviet agent, placed under cover in a quiet English country town, begins to assemble a nuclear bomb, whilst an MI5 agent attempts to prevent its detonation.More...
The Dark Side of the Heart1992-05-21Oliveiro is a young poet living in Buenos Aires where sometimes he has to sell his ideas to an advertising agency to make a living or exchange his poems for a steak. In Montevideo, he meets a prostitute, Ana, with whom he falls in love. Back in Buenos Aires, he accepts a contract with a publicity agency to get the money for three days of love with her. Will he get what he's searching for when his ideal of love's pleasure is literally going in levitation while making love?More...
So My Grandma's a Lesbian!2020-09-11Eva, a young and promising Spanish lawyer based in Edinburgh, sees her wedding plans with the heir to an important and ultra-conservative Scottish family in jeopardy when she learns that her grandmother, Sofía, has decided to marry…More...
The Devil's Doorway2018-07-13In the autumn of 1960, Father Thomas Riley and Father John Thornton were sent by the Vatican to investigate a miraculous event in an Irish home for 'fallen women', only to uncover something much more horrific.More...
Woodlawn2015-10-15Love and unity in a school torn by racism and hate in the 1970s. A gifted high school football player must learn to embrace his talent and his faith as he battles racial tensions on and off the field.More...
A League of Their Own1992-07-01As America's stock of athletic young men is depleted during World War II, a professional all-female baseball league springs up in the Midwest, funded by publicity-hungry candy maker Walter Harvey. Competitive sisters Dottie Hinson and Kit Keller spar with each other, scout Ernie Capadino and grumpy has-been coach Jimmy Dugan on their way to fame.More...
I'll Go Where You Go2019-10-02Vali and Mina are two sisters who are polar opposites, pushed apart by life’s hardships and trials. One is a singer, a dreamer and emotional. The other is a therapist, distant and rational. Their loving father has finally found the perfect opportunity to bring them together, if only for a weekend, in order to hopefully patch things up between them: Vali has an audition in Paris and it’s mina who has to accompany her despite her contempt for her sister’s passion.More...
Similar Movies
The Harder They Come
1972-09-01Ivanhoe Martin arrives in Kingston, Jamaica, looking for work and, after some initial struggles, lands a recording contract as a reggae singer. He records his first song, "The Harder They Come," but after a bitter dispute with a manipulative producer named Hilton, soon finds himself resorting to petty crime in order to pay the bills. He deals marijuana, kills some abusive cops and earns local folk hero status. Meanwhile, his record is topping the charts.Shine a Light
2008-04-04Martin Scorsese and the Rolling Stones unite in "Shine A Light," a look at The Rolling Stones." Scorsese filmed the Stones over a two-day period at the intimate Beacon Theater in New York City in fall 2006. Cinematographers capture the raw energy of the legendary band.The Australian Pink F...
2017-03-23The concert was filmed progressively over the 'Best of the Best' tour in the spring of 2016 in Germany but the bulk of the material was filmed in the last week of the tour, playing in many great venues including the famous Festhalle in Frankfurt, a venue that Pink Floyd themselves performed 'Animals'. A cinematic approach was taken to produce a film of a concert which we hope will give much enjoyment to the viewer and listener.American Pie Presents...
2005-10-31Everyone has 'moved on', except for Sherman and Jim Levenstein's still understanding father. Little Matt Stiffler wants to join his older brother Steve's business and, after everything Matt has heard from Jim's band-geek wife, he plans to go back to band camp and make a video of his own.Zeit der Fische
2007-10-26There is no descriptionChiko
2008-02-09This is the story of Isa, who grows up in a Hamburg suburb. It might be one of the world's richest cities but every beast has its belly and here, in the very underbelly, Chiko lives in a world where violence, staking and keeping a claim, and drug taking are the norm. Where down is not an option, Chiko is determined to rise to the top, whatever and whomever it costs.The Magdalene Sisters...
2002-08-30Three young Irish women struggle to maintain their spirits while they endure dehumanizing abuse as inmates of a Magdalene Sisters Asylum.Charles Ives: A Good ...
1977-04-21A thoroughly researched biopic of Charles Ives, America's greatest and most innovative composer (and insurance executive), who combined strikingly futuristic experimentalism with gentle nostalgia. Includes narration taken directly from Ives's own writings, and reminiscence from those who knew him.The Page Turner
2006-08-09Mélanie Prouvost, a ten-year-old butcher's daughter, is a gifted pianist. That is why she and her parents decide that she sit for the Conservatory entrance exam. Although Mélanie is very likely to be admitted, she unfortunately gets distracted by the president of the jury's offhand attitude and she fails. Ten years later, Mélanie becomes her page turner, waiting patiently for her revenge.Animal House
1978-07-28At a 1962 College, Dean Vernon Wormer is determined to expel the entire Delta Tau Chi Fraternity, but those troublemakers have other plans for him.K-19: The Widowmaker
2002-07-19When Russia's first nuclear submarine malfunctions on its maiden voyage, the crew must race to save the ship and prevent a nuclear disaster.Once Upon a Time in A...
1984-05-23A former Prohibition-era Jewish gangster returns to the Lower East Side of Manhattan over thirty years later, where he once again must confront the ghosts and regrets of his old life.Monsieur Ibrahim
2003-09-17Paris, 1960s. Momo, a resolute and independent Jewish teenager who lives with his father, a sullen and depressed man, in a working-class neighborhood, develops a close friendship with Monsieur Ibrahim, an elderly Muslim who owns a small grocery store.Capote
2005-09-30A biopic of writer Truman Capote and his assignment for The New Yorker to write the non-fiction book "In Cold Blood".Mustang
2016-12-16Weekend-dad Kim-Andre is trying hard to be the perfect father for his daughter Mina, but must deal with his mother when she steals the trump card of his - a newly renovated Ford Mustang.Forrest Gump
1994-06-23A man with a low IQ has accomplished great things in his life and been present during significant historic events—in each case, far exceeding what anyone imagined he could do. But despite all he has achieved, his one true love eludes him.The Whole Gritty City...
2013-10-12Young members of 3 New Orleans school marching bands grow up in America's most musical city, and one of its most dangerous. Their band directors get them ready to perform in the Mardi Gras parades, and teach them to succeed and to survive.JFK
1991-12-20Follows the investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy led by New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison.Moulin Rouge!
2001-05-18A celebration of love and creative inspiration takes place in the infamous, gaudy and glamorous Parisian nightclub, at the cusp of the 20th century. A young poet, who is plunged into the heady world of Moulin Rouge, begins a passionate affair with the club's most notorious and beautiful star.American Graffiti
1973-08-11A couple of high school graduates spend one final night cruising the strip with their buddies before they go off to college.