This is a movie that plumbs the innocence of youngsters who think they're poised on the brink of something special. Hanks also casts himself in a support role, as the band's no-nonsense manager, a role he aces with his typical skill. The movie's story, the moral crises and the romantic resolutions are all pretty obvious.
Hanks takes no risks, either as a writer or as a director.
So it has the ring of authenticity, as do the song stylings of other performers depicted in the movie. Hanks himself wrote or co-authored nine of the songs included. Oh well, this is a rock 'n' roll movie, after all. And a good one at that.