Lacking a bit of depth but breezy and enjoyable with a nice sense of period

Rating: Null/10 (23 April 2005)

In small town America, a group of friends gain a new drummer in the shape of Guy Patterson and a new band name in the "One-ders". Getting the crowd going at their school competition with their catchy number "That Thing You Do", the One-ders get offered a gig at a local bar. The local buzz takes a few minutes to get going but soon their song is the talk of the town's youth and they decide to print the record up themselves. When a small time manager picks them up they get a few more gigs but things really start to move when they get signed by Play-tone and manager Mr White. However with increasing fame comes the adrenalin rush of success but then tensions, creative differences, distractions and all the stresses of their 15 minutes.
Acting as writer and director, Tom Hanks draws on the idea of fame and the setting of the mid-sixties to create a film that is fun even if it never consistently has the depth that it needed to make it more of a memorable affair. The plot is the rise and eventual fall of the band  this is not a spoiler as the point of the film is that they will be a one-hit wonder; it is enjoyable on this level because it has much that is recognisable and easily referenced to the experience of real groups down the years. It doesn't make these references in a heavy way but mostly with good humour and pace; only really towards the end does the script stumble a bit as it seems to realise that it needs substance to make a good ending and then tries too hard with too little. Outside of this though, it mostly moves very slickly and made for an enjoyable watch even if it isn't that memorable. It was amusing without ever being hilarious; well set in the period without ever having a lot of style to it and interesting without ever really getting beyond the basic pigeonholed characters (goofy one, creative one, girlfriend of the band etc).
The cast helps by matching the breezy feel for the film but they do tend to struggle when anything more is asked of them. Scott is a point in case; he is asked to carry the film, which he does do when it is all slick but the attempts at substance see him seemingly unsure of what to do. Tyler is in the same sort of boat but is still a good presence. Zahn is funny without being annoying; Schaech has a clear character and plays it well and Hanks makes sure he has a good support role for himself. The support cast has lots of faces in there with minor roles for Cobbs, Ribisi, Theron and others.
Overall this is an OK film that is enjoyably breezy and "nice". It references well enough to be recognisable but it doesn't have a great deal going on just below the surface that it could have done with to really make it memorable. Like the Wonders themselves, it is fun and slick when it is on but when it is over you'll find yourself quickly moving on to the next film with not too many memories.