Fun Relaxing Movie

Rating: 8/10 (3 October 2015)

That Thing You Do! is the first motion picture directed by Tom Hanks (who also stars in the movie) and tells the story of the band The Wonders, who during the 60's had a one-hit wonder single, That Thing You Do!
The story follows four friends from Erie, Pennsylvania who form a rock'n'roll band together called "The Oneders", who are later known as the "The Wonders". We follow along as they rise to success, promoting their new single all over the country and achieve national fame. As a director, Tom Hanks captures perfectly the style of the 60's and you're instantly transported back in that world. The clothes, the cars, the people, everything looks great to the last detail.
The main character, Guy Patterson, is the drummer of the band and it's eerie (no pun intended) how much he channels a young Tom Hanks. In fact, at first, Hanks didn't even want him in the movie because he felt he looked too much like him, but his wife convinced him otherwise. The rest of the supporting cast includes Liv Tyler, as the girlfriend of the band's lead singer, Steve Zahn as the guitar player and Tom Hanks as the band's manager, Mr. White.
This is a nice feel-good movie, perfect for a Sunday evening when you just feel like lying on the couch and enjoy a great movie. It doesn't stand out with too much, it's short and sweet. With this directorial debut, Hanks proves he's doing a great job as a director, shame he didn't more movies.