That Thing You Do!

"The Fab Four without the Mop Tops"

1996 1h 48m EN

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 953

ComedyDramaMusic

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A Pennsylvania band scores a hit in 1964 and rides the star-making machinery as long as it can, with lots of help from its manager. But behind the scenes, the group’s sudden fame tests their strength, their maturity and responsibility, and their ability to resist the temptations that money and notoriety always make possible.

“The Fab Four without the Mop Tops”

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Cast

Tom Hanks
Mr. White
Tom Everett Scott
Guy Patterson
Liv Tyler
Faye Dolan
Johnathon Schaech
Jimmy Mattingly
Steve Zahn
Lenny Haise
Ethan Embry
T.B. Player
Charlize Theron
Tina
Obba Babatundé
Lamarr

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Tom Hanks
Writers: Tom Hanks
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

30 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Tom Hanks, shot by Tak Fujimoto. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Howard Shore. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Richard Chew shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Tom Hanks and Tom Everett Scott and Liv Tyler carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The Fab Four without the Mop Tops".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0117887 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Tom Hanks directs. Tak Fujimoto behind the camera. Howard Shore scores. Richard Chew cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

130 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Tom Hanks, shot by Tak Fujimoto. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Howard Shore. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Richard Chew shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Tom Hanks and Tom Everett Scott and Liv Tyler carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "The Fab Four without the Mop Tops".
7IMDB entry: tt0117887 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 10 themes, including "rock 'n' roll", "pop star", "pennsylvania, usa", "record label".

The technical file

Cinematography: Tak Fujimoto
Original score: Howard Shore
Editing: Richard Chew
Production design: Victor Kempster
Costume design: Colleen Atwood
Makeup / hair: Audrey L. Anzures
Sound: Bob Beemer
Runtime: 108 min · 1h 48m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $26,000,000
Box office: $34,585,416
Return: 133% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: That Thing You Do! (1996)

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Tom Hanks

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Filipe Manuel Neto2023-05-14
★ 8/10
Tom Hanks gave life and affection to this project, which easily reminds us of the golden years of rock-and-roll. The film is a very nice story that revolves around the world of ephemeral "rock and roll" stars. In 1964, a group of youngsters from Pennsylvania suddenly emerge from obscurity when their garage band, the Wonders, achieve fame and success on the back of a single song, "That Thing You Do". Believing in a potential that might not exist, the scouts of the music world waste no time and the boys get a contract with a major label, which is waiting expectantly for equally good songs. However, sudden fame will test the strength of the group, the maturity and responsibility of that guys and their ability to resist the temptations that money and notoriety always make possible. Tom Hanks is more than a protagonist, he is the engine that pulls the film and makes it possible. He had achieved fame at the expense of good comedies like “Big” or “Money Pit”, but he had his consecration in films like “Sleepless in Seattle”, “Philadelphia”, “Forrest Gump” and “Apollo 13”. In addition, he already had two Oscars on his shelf, so he had the means to leverage a project he liked, and there is no doubt that he liked this one, and it was the lever that made it go forward. And contrary to what often happens in these situations, he didn't want the lead role: it's in a reasonably more modest role that we see him, a role where he doesn't fail to stand out. The main role is assured by the band's boys, played by Tom Everett Scott, Johnatton Schaech, Steve Zahn, Ethan Embry and Giovanni Ribisi. All quite young, still at the beginning of their respective careers, all capable of relatively slick and honest work, especially Scott, who is given a little more visibility. We also have to highlight the pleasant participation of Liv Tyler and Charlize Theron. The film is quite light, lively and cheerful, even in the most tense moments, and in which it takes paths that could make it denser, more dramatic and profound, which it always avoids. That was a conscious choice, I'm sure, and that's debatable. Where the film stands out is in its attention to historical details, in the care with which it seeks to recreate the era and environments through the choice of suitable props, good costumes and make-up, as well as a set of excellent sets. And being such a musical film, the soundtrack is unavoidable and vibrant, with songs that stay in the ear and where the main melody, created especially for the film emulating the aesthetics and taste of the time, deserves a very special highlight.

Production companies