That Thing You Do!

Rating: 6/10 (22 September 2005)

I always thought that the twice Academy Award winning actor was good on screen, and then I saw this and I saw that he could be good behind the camera as well. Tom Hanks wrote, starred in and directed this film, I never knew he had it in him. It basically tells the story of a band trying to rise in fame and popularity, especially to be number one. This unknown college band have created their own song called "That Thing You Do!" and one day they meet Mr. White (Hanks) who works in the music industry, he believes that the band have talent and he wants them to make this song a record and make it number one. Obviously there are moments of despair when the band members complain about stuff to Mr. White, but it ends pretty well. Starring Tom Everett Scott as Guy Patterson, The Lord of the Rings' Liv Tyler as Faye Dolan, Johnathon Schaech as Jimmy Mattingly, Steve Zahn as Lenny Haise, Ethan Embry as T. B. Player, Monster's Charlize Theron as Tina, Obba Babatundé as Lamarr, Lost in Translation's Giovanni Ribisi as Chad and Chris Ellis as Phil Horace. The song "That Thing You Do" was nominated the Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Song. Good!