It’s a moment I have thought of many times over the past 30 years. Sometimes, it’s been a moment I’ve aspired to, and sometimes it’s a moment I’ve felt myself. When the band hears their song on the radio for the first time, it’s one of the most ebullient moments I’ve ever seen on film.
There is a euphoria that is recognizable for anyone who has ever felt the joy of a creative accomplishment – and isn’t that all of us, in one way or another? That’s what makes That Thing You Do! my feelgood movie. In 1996, Tom Hanks was on top of Hollywood.
He had back-to-back best actor Oscar wins, and two of 1995’s highest-grossing films with Toy Story and Apollo 13. I presume he could have done anything he wanted. I will be forever grateful that he chose to write, direct and co-star in this modest, gentle ode to 1960s pop music.
It’s a movie of such warmth that any scene viewed at any time will instantly make me happier. The fictional pop band at the center of the film is named the Wonders. Taking inspiration from the Beatles, they initially spell their name as the Oneders, but are forced to change when they repeatedly get introduced as the “oh-need-ers”.
The band soar to fame when Guy Patterson (Tom Everett Scott) sits in as drummer and spontaneously ups the tempo of their song, That Thing You Do!. The song quickly garners the attention of local restaurateurs, promoters and, soon enough, a record producer named Mr White (Hanks). The song drives the plot and is also the film’s superpower.
Written by the late Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne, That Thing You Do! plays constantly throughout the movie and you’re always happy to hear it. The film itself resembles the fast beat and breezy melody of its title track as it zips through its 108-minute running time. Their record climbs the charts and opportunities present themselves at a dizzying speed that suggests their success will never let up.
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