That Thing You Do (96)

11/11/96 & 5/24/97

I was expecting a cotton candy movie about nothing, but I came out tapping my foot and smiling. Anyone who's ever dreamnt of being in a rock and roll band will love it. Friends are growing up in Erie, PA and their oh so serious guitarist writes a ballad. They are planning on performing it at a talent show, when the drummer breaks his arm in a parking meter mishap. They recruit 'Erie's only beatnik' to drum that night and he immediately starts the song way way faster than the original. Well, as expected everyone in the place goes nuts dancing and they build a reputation and one thing leads to another and pretty soon their flying all over the country playing state fairs for the Play-Tone records label. There isn't much else to the story except the usual quarrels, but there are some very nice moments. The drummer's first love is jazz and on a night off in Hollywood he gets a club referral from the doorman at the hotel. (This white-boy must prove his jazz knowledge, before the doorman will tell him where the 'real' jazz is played). Once there he meets, and ends up talking to his hero, an old jazzman. Mrs. Hanks, Rita Wilson is all cleavage as a waitress at the bar. Another good point is Liv Tyler, who is weirdly seductive as a pouty, but angelic teenage girl, who is true to her love, the serious one. When you hear her words of hurt and anguish in the inevitable breakup scene, you can absolutely believe that Tom Hanks wrote his own 'the streets of heaven are crowded with too many angels' speech when he accepted his Oscar for 'Philadelphia'. Good luck getting the song out of your head after you see it.
Second Viewing. Liv Tyler gets more delicious with each viewing it appears. How she can be so wholesome and sexy at the same time is beyond me.
Tom Everett Scott Liv Tyler Johnathon Schaech Steve Zahn Ethan Embry Tom Hanks Rita Wilson [Mrs. Hanks] Chris Isaak [dreamy singer, sunset district surfer] Kevin Pollak [San Jose's own] Written and Directed by Tom Hanks
40 critics 7.9 Ebert *** Maltin *** Benson ***

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