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.

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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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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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Stephen C

@bob25009 Jun 14

"That ****ing **** you do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

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Cfunk D

@Cfunk2085 May 4

Entertaining movie. Lots of humor without needing to cuss or be vulgar. I love raunchy comedies and this movie was funny without being crude. Great casting. Good pacing

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Tim M

@tgmacman 02/05/2025

With Tom Hanks pulling triple duty as a writer-director-star, the movie has an infectious sense of fun that'll have viewers tapping their toes to That Thing You Do!

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Tom Hanks

Director

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

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