Go Tom Hanks!

Rating: 9/10 (25 February 2006)

"That Thing You Do" is an excellent film on its own and Tom Hanks does yet another marvelous job as an actor in the role of a record-label rep, however, even more marvelous was the discovery that it was also a Tom Hanks production project (the first, I think). Furthermore, Hanks' production label--"Play Tone"--is also the name of the would-be record label in the movie. Discovering these parallels gave me a whole new appreciation for this movie. The film centers on a group of 5 teens (4 male musicians and the lead singer's girlfriend, Fay, who hangs with the band and helps out at gigs) who form a band in the late 50's and head to the top with their first major hit, "That Thing You Do". The band ecstatically leaves behind small-town Erie, Pennsylvania after offers come in and Fay accompanies them on tour under the guise of being their costume mistress. Their wide-eyed experiences outside of Erie, their naive view of the music industry and their approach to fame makes this journey funny and interesting. At the center of the story is "Skitch" Patterson, the band's drummer, who is substituted in at the last minute for a gig when the band's regular drummer is injured. His nervousness changes the pace of the band's music, and ultimately, their lives. The film follows Patterson's perspective of the band's experiences and it's interpersonal relationships--like that of Jimmy and Fay. Jimmy is the talented lead-singer whose songwriting gives the band it's boost to success, and Fay is his sweet and soft-spoken girlfriend who is incredibly devoted to his talent and instrumental to the band. The two have been inseparable, but as fame grows, so does Jimmy's ego, much to Fay's dismay. Skitch has his own heartbreaks and successes, which he sees behind his trademark sunglasses, earning him the nickname "Shades". Similar in storyline to "The Committments", this movie uses good humor, music, and acting to carry you through a solid, fun and, at times, tragic, script. With Tom Hanks acting AND directing, you can't go wrong with this film. It's clean enough for kids, romantic enough for dates, objective enough for diverse groups, interesting enough to own (watch over and over), and easy to follow. I enjoy it immensely.