That Thing You Do! (1996)

That Thing You Do! (1996)

Tom Hanks writes and directs this sweetly nostalgic sleeper hit about a one-hit-wonder band in the ‘60s

7.7

Movie

United States of America
English
Comedy, Drama, Music, Romance
1996
TOM HANKS
Alex Rocco, Barry Sobel, Benjamin John Parrillo
108 min

What it's about

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.

The take

Plenty of films have been made about the grueling climb to rock-and-roll fame, but few carry the effortless charm that That Thing You Do! has. Written and directed by Tom Hanks, the film is as cookie-cutter as it gets, dodging the dark depths that typically haunt rock biopics. But that isn’t to say That Thing You Do! is boring—just the opposite, its simplicity and nostalgia make it wholly enjoyable. It’s a confection of a film that goes down easy, and it will have you smiling and bopping your head from start to end.

Comments

Add a comment

Your name

Your comment

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

Hitman Hart: Wrestling With Shadows (1998)

A documentary capturing one of the most important transition periods in WWF, through the eyes of Canadian wrestling hero Bret Hart

8.5

Housekeeping for Beginners (2024)

At once understated and powerful, this Macedonian drama shines a necessary light on the complexity of found families

7.8

Dogleg (2023)

An offbeat, unusual debut feature that’s as uncontrollable as its medium

7.0

Beyond the Mat (1999)

The quintessential ‘90s pro wrestling documentary that shows that the top of the mountain carries more insanity than glory

8.0

Secret Sunshine (2007)

A grieving woman deals with the worst of fates in this challenging, disquieting riverside drama

7.6

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

A star-studded and riveting legal drama with a blockbuster feel.

8.1

The Guilty (2018)

A minimalist, razor-sharp thriller that will have you gasping for air.

9.0

Forgotten Love (2023)

The stunning third take of the classic Polish pre-war melodrama

7.7

Chinese Odyssey 2002 (2002)

An absurd, ridiculous parody of classic Chinese dramas that comes with a sweet twist

7.5

System Crasher (2019)

A tale of trauma and one of the most talked about movies on Netflix in 2020.

9.0

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.