That Thing You Do!

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That Thing You Do!

PG,

1996,

1h 50m,

Comedy/

Drama

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Watchlist

93%

56 Reviews

Tomatometer

78%

100,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

93%

Tomatometer

56 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.

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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Duane Byrge

The Hollywood Reporter

Oct 4, 2016

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.

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Dec 17, 2007

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.

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Desson Thomson

Washington Post

Dec 17, 2007

First-time writer/director Tom Hanks stays about a half-beat ahead of the cliches with rim shots of boyish enthusiasm and deft comedy. The movie's also buoyed by the title song, whose Beatles sound is infectious enough to merit a real hit.

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Gissane Sophia

Lady Geeks Media

Oct 15, 2026

5/5

It was a gem in the ’90s, and it’s a gem today, without question.

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Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

Dec 4, 2022

4/4

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.

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Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

Sep 1, 2022

B

A nostalgic, whistle-clean comedy about a (fictional) band like the dozens of other nice-boy bands that cropped up after The Beatles.

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Apr 27, 2019

A great film that gives a really refreshing and happy feeling, with an incredibly authentic sounding soundtrack that makes it hard to believe the songs are actually originals written for the film. A really engaging cast who gel brilliantly, Liv Tyler and Tom Everett Scott in particular put in captivating performances. Accusations in some reviews I have seen of lacking complexity seem to miss what the film is about, I loved this, and never tire of the title song!

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Kylo R

Apr 6, 2019

A charming feel good music film which showcases excellent musical performances by its stars who are never make you "Wonder(s)" why they were cast.

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Mar 30, 2019

I love this movie! Great movie!

Ron W

Mar 3, 2019

One of the Rarest-of-Rare well-made films that are pure fun and feel-good right from beginning till the end !

Anakin L

Jun 13, 2018

What a snorefest, trainwreck of a movie. This was Tom Hank's pet project before he learnt to make movies, and it shows. The production is pretty good, but the script and character development is awful.

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Hermione W

Apr 23, 2018

good news guys.. That Thing You Do! Its light and breezy and has the potential to change the tone into a bit intense too which is where this feature scores majestically as it gives enough gravitas to the characters that helps on resonating with the outer world. Tom Hanks; in his first big screen directorial debut has done a satisfactory job especially in its last act. Tom Everett Scott, Liv Taylor and Steve Zahn are quite good on carrying off a scene easily and is supported completely by Tom Hanks. That Thing You Do! is crucially good on terms of depicting the factual events but what it fails to deliver is the character development that is essential in such features.

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Tom Hanks

Director

Tom Everett Scott

Guy "Skitch" "Shades" Patterson

Liv Tyler

Faye Dolan

Johnathon Schaech

Jimmy Mattingly

Steve Zahn

Lenny Haise

Ethan Embry

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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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