That Thing You Do!

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That Thing You Do!

PG

1996

1h 50m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

93%

Tomatometer

60 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

10/04/2016

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

12/17/2007

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

12/17/2007

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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Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

12/04/2022

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

09/01/2022

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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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

04/13/2021

3/4

...a persistently entertaining endeavor that's been suffused with a whole host of appealing, captivating elements...

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Lance L.

@RT17837880 May 14

Least common denominator Inoffensive in every way

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Blake- N

@PBSAniDom Apr 18

That Thing You Do! is one of the most charming and feel-good comedy-drama films of the 90s, capturing the rise and fall of a one-hit-wonder band with warmth, humor, and genuine heart. Directed by Tom Hanks, the film perfectly recreates the excitement of the 1960s music scene while keeping the story personal and relatable. The cast has great chemistry, especially Tom Everett Scott, who brings an easygoing likability to the lead role. The music is incredibly catchy—the title song alone is unforgettable and carries much of the film’s energy. What really makes the movie stand out is its sincerity; it never feels cynical, instead celebrating ambition, friendship, and the fleeting nature of success. It’s simple, uplifting, and endlessly rewatchable, making it one of the best classic comedy-drama films to come out of the 90s. Overall, i'd gave it a 10/10.

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Henry D

@Henry_Domke Mar 31

A pleasant period piece with high production value. It’s so squeaky clean that it almost feels pasteurized. The sets and costumes stirred memories of my childhood. Still, the music wore on me, with its obvious attempt to echo the early Beatles and the same song repeated again and again. And Tom Hanks’s son wasn’t charismatic enough to carry the lead.

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Conrad C

@sosopoptart Dec 26

Sounds great, and an enjoyable watch. Guy's slightly nerdy slightly awkward charm is probably the best part.

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Duke D

@Duke2415 Dec 10

I still love revisiting this film every so often. It captures the era perfectly. The song is as a good as any early Beatles song, and it's a great story. I'm probably biased, seeing as how I had a basement band that did much less than the oneders, but if you want a feel good nostalgic rock and roll musical romp. This is it.

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Jerod S

@jeroduptown Nov 14

Wholesome 60s band goes big time with their one hit - and Liv Tyler in the background running the love story.

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Tom Everett Scott

Guy "Skitch" "Shades" Patterson

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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