that thing you do !
( r ) tom hanks 's screenwriting and directorial debut ,
that thing you do !
, has all the qualities you would associate with the most beloved screen actor of the moment : fun , lively , and oh - so - nice .
it is the latter quality , however , that becomes a hindrance , for this ' 60s nostalgia trifle is so nice and sweet that it teeters on becoming bland milquetoast .
that thing focuses on the wonders , a teen rock band from erie , pennsylvania that is suddenly thrust into the national spotlight in 1964 when they score a major dance hit called , of course , " that thing you do !
"
the group 's members are , naturally a diverse group : there 's brooding lead singer and songwriter jimmy ( johnathon schaech ) ; girl - crazy lenny ( steve zahn ) , the lead guitarist ; a goofy , geeky type known only as the bass player ( ethan embry ) ; and the film 's center , guy ( tom everett scott ) , the drummer who has aspirations in jazz .
along for the wonders ' ride to success is jimmy 's perpetually neglected galpal , faye ( liv tyler ) .
hanks proves to be a capable writer - director , deftly recreating the innocent spirit of 1964 , which hanks calls " the last innocent year .
"
the spirit is not only reflected in the period clothes and settings but also in the music , which , like the other recent period music film , grace of my heart , was expressly written for the film ; hanks himself had a hand in writing four of the tunes -- but not the infectious title cut by adam schlesinger , which is guaranteed to stay in your head long after the end credits have rolled ( it 's still playing in my mind as i write this ) .
it should come as no surprise that hanks the director works well with the actors , eliciting charming , likable work from the entire cast , most notably hanks lookalike scott and tyler , who is remarkable in delivering the film 's biggest and best dramatic moment .
the work of the young ensemble is so natural that they truly convince as teens of the early ' 60s ; they do not appear to be ' 90s grungers playacting " retro .
" yet for all the light , frothy charms of that thing you do ! , it 's nearly nice to a fault .
while this unbridled innocence in film is a refreshing change from all the sinful cinema around these days , there is not enough conflict to keep things consistently interesting .
everyone is so happy , basking in the glow of overnight success , marvelling at it all -- except toward the end , but even then the tone quickly reverts to sweetness , ending on an appropriately feel - good note .
there is n't much of an edge throughout that thing --
the only thing that is remotely edgy is hanks 's turn as the wonders ' manager -- and thus becomes in danger of being so nice
it 's bland .
but a little niceness goes a long way these days , and
there 's no denying the entertainment value of that thing you do ! ; it 's just about impossible to hate .
it 's an inoffensive , enjoyable piece of nostalgia that is sure to leave audiences smiling and humming , if not singing ,
" that thing you do !
"
--quite possibly for days .
to paraphrase a passage from the song : though i try and try to forget that song it is just so hard to do every time they play
" that thing you do ! "
Output: P