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That Thing You Do!

PG Released Oct 4, 1996 1h 50m Comedy Drama List
93% Tomatometer 61 Reviews 78% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
Wily band manager Mr. White helps a small town band achieve big time success when they release a Beatles-style pop song in 1964. Pennsylvania band the "Oneders" become a sensation after their drummer breaks his arm, and is replaced by jazz enthusiast, Guy Patterson, who injects something a bit different into their music.
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That Thing You Do!

That Thing You Do!

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Critics Consensus

A light, sweet, and thoroughly entertaining debut for director Tom Hanks, That Thing You Do! makes up in charm what it lacks in complexity.

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Critics Reviews

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Duane Byrge Hollywood Reporter The chief wonder of this rock 'n' roll cast is Tom Everett Scott, whose easy charisma, dreamy smile and undersurface intelligence should shoot him up the acting charts like a bullet. Oct 4, 2016 Full Review Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly Rated: A- Sep 7, 2011 Full Review Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader Though Hanks keeps the satirical and critical aspects of this look at show biz fairly light, there's a lot of conviction and savvy behind the steadiness of his gaze. Dec 17, 2007 Full Review Wesley Lovell Cinema Sight For a film about rivalry, recriminations, and the allure of success, That Thing You Do! is a sweet, charming, humorous look at how far people are willing to go for success and how difficult it is to attain while maintaining the purity of your true self. Rated: 4/4 Dec 4, 2022 Full Review Rob Gonsalves Rob's Movie Vault A nostalgic, whistle-clean comedy about a (fictional) band like the dozens of other nice-boy bands that cropped up after The Beatles. Rated: B Sep 1, 2022 Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews ...a persistently entertaining endeavor that's been suffused with a whole host of appealing, captivating elements... Rated: 3/4 Apr 13, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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mark g Way too cutesy and sugary. None of it rings realistic or genuine. Pure fluff. I thought it was such a safe movie, too safe. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 09/21/24 Full Review alan g Great movie about the music scene in the 60s. Tom Hanks and the cast do a great job. A must watch. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/04/24 Full Review Mike M This is for those of us who have dreamed about being in a music group that actually hit the big time. A movie I find rewatchable. There are so many great lines that are delivered so very well. It left me wanting more so I saw the uncut version. The scenes that were edited out were very interesting. However I agree with the edits. The additional scenes tended to slow down the movie way too much. Getting back to "That Thing You Do" as it was released, I found it to be a wholesome funny story with some great dramatic parts. It never resorted to cheap cringeworthy humor. "That Thing You Do" is a great reflection of life in the more innocent time 1964. Without relying on previously released tracks the new music captures the spirit of the times. The soundtrack is a keeper and available on PlayTone Records! It's a shame "That Thing You Do" isn't mentioned more often in Mr Hanks film biography. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/14/24 Full Review Jared B Great first half the movie. The ending is so abrupt it definitely takes away from the experience. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 07/25/23 Full Review Ron Y It's a musical comedy classic, a seasoned musician would agree on that, especially if they didn't get a record deal or big time venue. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/04/23 Full Review Pat W The characters were interesting. The acting was good. The movie's depiction of a newly popular rock band struggling to navigate their way through the record industry and grappling with their own internal conflicts felt realistic. However, the film's pacing starts to stagger towards the end, and the ending itself just doesn't feel quite right. Like my driving after a night out at the bar, the script lacked the direction it needed to succeed completely. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/14/23 Full Review Read all reviews
That Thing You Do!

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Wily band manager Mr. White helps a small town band achieve big time success when they release a Beatles-style pop song in 1964. Pennsylvania band the "Oneders" become a sensation after their drummer breaks his arm, and is replaced by jazz enthusiast, Guy Patterson, who injects something a bit different into their music.
Director
Tom Hanks
Producer
Gary Goetzman, Jonathan Demme, Edward Saxon
Screenwriter
Tom Hanks
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Production Co
Twentieth Century Fox
Rating
PG
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 4, 1996, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 25, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$25.9M
Runtime
1h 50m
Sound Mix
Surround
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