Good, fun escapist fare

Rating: 7/10 (28 July 2006)

I'll have to admit some bias going in, as I was growing up in Erie, PA during the '60s. Having said this, my first impression is that the movie completely nails it - not only from the overall perspective of what the music & media scene was like back then, but also from the fact that it very accurately captures the total spirit of Erie during the period. This is no Oscar contender, but is a very enjoyable take of young dreams, good friends & what can happen when unexpected success comes into play. A good choice for a weekend afternoon escape.
The story on how the movie came to be is from Tom Hanks & his family taking a cross-country roadtrip in the early 90s. They happened to get off the interstate at Erie one day around lunchtime & Tom fell in love with the city (which is for the most part still the same as it was back then)