Whereas Dances With Wolves was an epic cultural tract, That Thing You Do! is a piece of entertaining bubblegum which, like its director, making his feature directorial debut, is high on charm and style.
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05/10/09
That Thing You Do! (1996)
91
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:47
Fresh:43
Rotten:4
Average Rating:7/10
Synopsis: Set in the 1964 and steeped in Americana, this film chronicles the meteoric rise -- and equally quick demise -- of a music group called The Wonders. The talented musicians start out playing in... [More]
Starring: Tom Everett Scott, Liv Tyler, Steve Zahn, Ethan Embry
Director: Tom Hanks
Reviews for That Thing You Do!
Top CriticThough 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.
12/17/07
A barely there-tale of rock 'n' roll dreams, driven by the infectious title tune.
12/17/07
Top CriticFirst-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.
12/17/07
Top CriticAn undeniably delightful film. It makes you smile and want to dance, and (for better or worse) it's titular theme song won't leave your head for days.
06/21/07
A sweet, likeable tale of the quick rise to fame and then demise of a small town band. Set in 1964, Hanks' film offers a sanitized, Gump-ish look at a mythical period when boys were boys and girls were girls, with no references to the sex-drug subculture
01/03/07
Top CriticSweet nothing, then, but what would you expect of a rock movie devoted to the drummer?
06/24/06
A simple, rather sweet and uncomplicated, rock and roll fable.
04/09/05
With its exuberant tempo and danceable Beatlesque theme song, That Thing You Do will win the hearts of a broad audience.
06/25/04
Uma história simples, contada de maneira também simples, que acaba agradando por suas boas intenções.
01/01/04
Hanks sacrificed character complexity, but at least some period details are right.
10/29/03
An amusing directorial debut by Hanks
06/19/03
Mr. Hanks's debut feature, written and directed with delightful good cheer, is rock-and-roll nostalgia presented as pure fizz.
05/20/03
Top CriticShort on substance but long on charm, That Thing You Do! is a lively, entertaining fable about a makeshift rock 'n' roll band that enjoys a brief moment of fame in the summer of 1964.
05/20/03
Tom Hanks' writing-directing debut is a sweet valentine to rock 'n' roll.
11/07/02
A romantic romp as sweet and bubbly as a Coke float.
10/15/02
The rise of the Wonders is fun to watch, doesn't require a lot of probing analysis, and should make a great date movie, especially for Boomers.
04/17/02
Though Hanks doesn't serve up much context, he's solid with details, and the Wonders' performances ring truer than most.
11/16/01
Top Critic...a brightly entertaining blend of humor and heartbreak about four fresh-faced guys in a band from Erie, Pa.
05/12/01
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