I could come here and trash movies but I think most reviewers like to stop and look at a film they love unconditionally or unironically. It's usually something woefully underrated that didn't get the recognition it deserved. It wasn't successful here, I found a lot of people haven't heard of it, including a particular host of a morning music variety show who didn't know it when John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants brought it up, but it's still an amazing and well-made film.
I'm talking about That Thing You Do, and to call this a guilty pleasure would be an insult. It's a genuinely good movie worthy of the praise it's received, whereas a guilty pleasure would infer it shouldn't be loved as much as you love it. But everyone should love this film, because it's that lovable.
I have the extended cut on DVD now which I've yet to watch, I'm saving it for a day I'm really in the mood. But if you want wall to wall feel-good without the massive cringe factor of most romantic comedies, if you still want a touch of drama and realism thrown in, and you want a genuinely good story, it's all right here. You're missing out.
Aesthetically it's a little polished for a movie set in the 60s, most movies from the 90s set in this period are a little too colourful but no less convincing, (see Matinee, another film of a similar bent and style that went horribly underrated and missed. It's delightful but not as fun as That Thing You Do). Tom Hanks took to directing this, I believe as his debut as director and he also wrote the screenplay, and he nails the pushy but benevolent manager Mr White, who adopts the Oneders and tells them to go with the Wonders since everyone's pronouncing it O-Needers, which is a great running gag.
Liv Tyler and Charlize Theron both have that amazing timeless look that make them perfect for their roles as Guy's respective love interest (Faye) and current girlfriend (Tina) who's a little bored with him and eventually leaves him for her hunky dentist. The love story is subtle, with our hero Guy not in competition with Jimmy for Faye, he simply respects her as his friend's girl, while Jimmy doesn't appreciate her at all. We don't see Guy and Jimmy coming to blows over Faye, she simply realises who her right guy is (pun intended), but also distances herself from Jimmy with her own bold statement, Guy doesn't have to intervene to rescue her.
Ethan Embry and Steve Zahn give the best comic relief moments as TB Player (the Base Player - a joke I hadn't picked up on) and Lenny, both of them wanting fame but never taking it as seriously as Jimmy. They're along for the ride while Jimmy wants a career as a real musician, and Guy's sort of aimless but loving the experience of being famous, if only for a moment. Capturing the very essence of the one hit wonder bands who just disappeared, the bands you always ended asking, "What ever happened to...?" that's the very self-aware punchline of the film, That Thing You Do is probably one of the only films to explore this story line and still have well developed, convincing characters who aren't hamming it up. You're on the road with them and invested in their arcs, you're reveling in each new step to the top of the charts. Somehow they also wrote a title song that never grows old, possibly because it starts as a ballad and turns into a pop song so you're not overexposed, and you're still into it by the final big performance. There's a break where they play the b-side, which is also fantastic and fun, and we spend time with the band in their infancy, Jimmy wanting to perfect their slow, thoughtful sound without realising he's written a fantastic upbeat pop song until Guy mischievously ups the tempo for their first live performance. Jimmy walks out of this the definite antagonist, you're not on his side and his arrogance is captured masterfully by Johnathon Schaech who's always had a knack for sinister or unlikable characters. Guy's fresh-faced, boy next door polar opposite comes from Tom Everett Scott, and he's so convincing as an oblivious nice guy who can't even see when a beautiful cocktail waitress is interested in him because of his fanboy moment with Del Paxton, his musical idol. He's sweet to Faye without expectation, and happy to be the backbeat of the band on drums, but also not letting the "Shades" persona Mr White places on him go to his head. And he's quite clearly the one the girls are crazy about, not Jimmy, the lead.
The most joyous moment is the radio scene, I challenge you not to crack a smile from their childlike hysteria hearing the band on the airwaves for the first time. The song would've been a hit in the day, but it was still cleverly written with a mass-market appeal for the 90s as well, Fountains of Wayne's bassist responsible for the track while apparently not expecting it to be chosen for the film. If you're a Beatles fan, this is just wall to wall references based on Hanks coming up with the idea from Pete Best being fired. I know next to nothing about the Beatles despite having a family member who's a fan. So I can't understand how this film wasn't more popular at the time. The narrative is structured in a sequence of events with underlying tensions arising from random events like the band having to pose as an in-movie jazz band, to the chagrin of Jimmy, or the random radio interviews that leave them open for moments of comedy while proving how innocent and out of their depth they are in the limelight. It doesn't slow down once the momentum to the top starts, and the sudden drop just hours after the peak is believable considering the theme of the film.
It's hard to find much fault with this film, hence the 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. It's inoffensive even with the light course language. It'd be a great date movie, there's fun to be had and so much heart to keep it compelling without going overboard into schmaltz. Apparently the extended edition has more character developments and insight into the relationships, Guy and Faye's attraction is a little more fleshed out, however I kind of like the obliviousness you get from not seeing them flirt, that you're waiting for the guardian angel bellhop to turn the light bulbs on so the pair don't miss out on their moment. I'll revise this once I've seen it, but for now, please go check this movie out and tell me I'm wrong. If you're not even mildly entertained by this, you've got no soul.
As an addition to this, I finally got around to watching the extended cut and it's really a detriment to the snappy pacing. I think the additional stuff with Guy at the end is a nice touch considering you think he kinda gets shafted by the whole thing but I prefer the kinda sombre but he still gets the girl conclusion. The extra stuff with Tina is cute but it ending with her fawning over the dentist and giving up on Guy is enough. There's more about White but them shoehorning a gay partner in there doesn't really add as much as you'd think. Otherwise the extra stuff with Fay and Guy still needs trimming. I think keeping the flirting in is fine but the part with him hitting the bumper is redundant. There's a back and forth over the song not getting radio play but it not being there doesn't remove the excitement of them getting played. There's just more to the scenes and montages but it really slows it all down, which is a shame. I don't think I'd personally ever watch this version again, I was ignoring it more because of the pacing. The first manager has more involvement, White gets snubbed when there's an alternate version to the band being signed pushed to the press. It's just dialogue you can tell doesn't have to be there. Even the lead up to their first big stage performance takes way too long. You could keep some of it but I'd still be trimming it way down. I think the length in this case lends to a drama with comedic moments where chopping it down makes it a comedy with dramatic moments.
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