That Thing You Do!: Tom Hank's Extended Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition)

1964 was a very good year. The Beatles were at the top of their game, still pretty much friends, and still under the happy tutelage of George Martin and the doting care of Brian Epstein; the happier facets of the 1960s life were in full swing; and a whole generation of Baby Boomers were growing up to the phenomenal soundtrack of melody-capped, harmony-driven classic pop-rock. There's a wonderful, and occasionally sad, nostalgia about Tom Hanks' treatment of this period in TTYD. The mass media technology of records, radio, TV, and films served to bring the country together and to make dreams of fame and fortune both possible and, occasionally, achievable for some. And in those days it still depended on the rootedness of talented personalities, their hard work, survival of demanding schedules, and (of course) the luck and unforeseen tangles of one's interaction with every level of the music end of show business. Yes, it's true that "it all begins with a song" but then there's that difficult, epic trip through the land of Oz that one has to bear up under in order to get all the way to the Emerald City (and hopefully back to Kansas as well).TTYD is a look at 1964, and also a listen to 1964, through songs written in its stereotypical styles (including many by Tom Hanks himself--hats off to him for that), and performed with authentic recreations of the stagecraft, costuming, and public presentations of the time. The world of the music industry--both then and, to a large extent, still today--is portrayed with a surprising lack of varnish as Hanks shows us both the dreams of everyday people coming true and, at the same time, the shallowness of what those dreams ultimately may mean, when they are reshaped by various players in the music industry along the way. We see every tier of advancement for a band, ranging from the (literal) garage all the way up to national attention via radio airplay, movies, and television appearances. And we see the good and bad of every tier along the way: YES, it's possible to climb the show biz ladder all the way to top; YES, it's possible to climb it fairly quickly with the right breaks; and YES, it's even possible to find fun, happiness, and (if one were so lucky) even the right life partner along the way.Hanks' attitude as writer seems to be: 'Here's the system, and here's an interesting trajectory of one band going through it, and here's a believable happy ending amid a very dismally realistic situation to boot. Local performance venues? SURE--so long as the show's fun for the crowd at the restaurant, which anchors the band. Local talent scouts? SURE--to make you small fry in a small pan, but it's still 'the next level.' Bad matinees? SURE--even at a big city theater. Touring the state fair circuit with a stable of artists who, for better or worse, are held captive to their record company contracts. SURE--the grind of the road. Record company executives who confiscate the credit, limelight, and lion's share of the profits for themselves? SURE--and that's been rather an industry standard for many years. Scripted image-over-substance in Hollywood? SURE--that's part and parcel of movies and TV. I think what I love most about Hanks' presentation of the music/show business industry is that he pulls back the curtain (again, like THE WIZARD OF OZ) so that we can see it's full of warts, missteps, assorted unfairnesses, some sheer dumb luck, a practiced and put-on sophistication, and, occasionally--and even in the strangest places--some insightful, good-hearted, and caring people.Who are the film's protagonists? I'd LIKE to say it's The Wonders, but they are more of a 'representative sampling.' (Jimmy = the songwriter who lives for his art first and foremost, but who has to come to some kind of terms, though grudgingly, with the vagaries of show business in order to practice his craft; Lenny = the funny guy along for the ride whose cynicism is only equalled by his acute perceptions; T. B. Player = the lovable guy who gets to be in the band but whose personal dreams are on a totally different trajectory and don't really encompass seeking fame and fortune in show business; Guy = the performing musician who's also practical enough to turn his dreams into a reality that can bear some true happiness over the long haul). Each of these fellows seems to be a different sort of 'test case,' though Guy does prove himself 'the smart one' in the end. I'd say he BECOMES a protagonist as the movie progresses. If one wanted to play off the names a bit, he's probably "Guy" because he's a "good guy."So: Who are the 'real' protagonists then? Well, Mr. Hanks himself, cast as the American counterpart to Brian Epstein. White knows his business; he knows how to play the game; and he's a careful judge of character too. In so many words, he tells Guy that Faye is the most important thing crossing HIS path at the moment. Faye herself is equally important, because she's pure, devoted, and also smart enough to, in time, see things for what they really are too. She can also see 'who's right for whom.' And I think there are two more protagonists as well: Del Paxton, the Voice of Wisdom concerning the true nature of the music industry and how to survive in it, and Lamarr, the hotel bell-hop, whose sense of decency is unfailing, and whose perception of character is almost clairvoyant. Bottom line: the show business system's tough; there are stinkers and victims all along the way, but there also some gems who value people and integrity more than anything else, and who know right away who's a phony and who's not.The film naturally has a Tom Hanks flavor, since he wrote, directed, and starred in it. (How could he POSSIBLY have played Mr. White poorly?! He couldn't have, even if he'd TRIED.) What else... Nostalgia for 1964? Yes. A pointed (though not overtly unkind) tweak toward conservative and Christian America? Yes. (We Christians are a notoriously forgiving bunch though, so no hard feelings, Tom.) Some admiring spillover from his then-recent APOLLO 13 experiences? Yes--Clint Howard's back, as the radio DJ; Lenny's last name is "Haise" and Jimmy's is "Mattingly"; the Oneders are on the same bill in Pittsburgh as "Marilyn Lovell and the Geminis"; Gus Grissom appears as a guest on the "Hollywood Showcase"; and one of the groups is named the "Saturn 5." Some work and public acknowledgement for his friend Peter Scolari and for his lovely wife, Rita Wilson (the sexy, seductive, and savvy Marguirite)? Yes. There's a lesson here for musicians and show biz types alike, offhandedly displayed by Mr. Hanks for us to see if we will just look: Build a network of friends and associates, and build it upon genuine loyalty. When you do that, the system works for you in turn.It's fun to watch TTYD for the music, for the youth, for the characters, for the actors and their acting, for the writing, for the directing, for the jokes and the laughs from Lenny (Love ya, Steve Zahn!--and I hope you won that livestock competition...), for the careful attention to detail (e.g., the instruments improve/are replaced as the band gets more successful), for the portrayal of the period and of the music industry generally. And if anyone reading this review ever meets any of the actors, songwriters, or others involved with making this movie, do be sure to thank them. But once in a while, at least, watch TTYD also for what it reveals about PEOPLE and CHARACTER. Tom Hanks' honesty in that area is remarkable.As a classically trained composer who's currently writing pop songs, and who's recently taken a course in music publishing from one of our nation's finest schools devoted exclusively to popular music, my parting thought is that someday I wouldn't mind having my own songs recorded on the PlayTone label too. (Just cut me a good copublishing deal with no controlled composition clause royalty rate reductions, Tom!) For those who are disinclined to believe in happy endings like Guy & Faye's, or who doubt that dreams CAN come true, have look at [...] sometime. Mr. Hanks has made at least that small part of TTYD live on in the real world, and I wish him every success with the endeavor.(Goodnight, T. B. Player, wherever you are...)

I love this movie. Whenever I just want to get away and feel good, I watch this movie. Love the correlations between them and the Stones and the Beatles. Catchy main tune also. Takes me back to when I was a kid in the 60's.

The movie was in great condition and it arrived on time.

I love this movie. It epitomizes my middle school years

After a movie star hits it big, really big, they usually get the chance to bring a pet project to fruition. Bruce Willis brought out what he thought was a well thought out project in “Hudson Hawk” which garnered reviews as possibly one of the worst movies in film history. John Travolta, after his career resurgence in the mid-90’s, brought us “Battlefield Earth” which replaced “Hudson Hawk” as a contender for the worst film in movie history. Tom Hanks on the heels of his success in “A League of Their Own,” “Philadelphia,” “Sleepless in Seattle,” “Forrest Gump,” “Apollo 13,” and even “Toy Story” brought us “That Thing You Do!” is an example of personal filmmaking at it’s best.“That Thing You Do!”, which was written and directed by Hanks and he plays a supporting role in the film, is the story of small town rock band in 1964, which through a series of accidents and coincidences suddenly finds itself with a hit record, on a rock ‘n’ roll tour, and on the fast track to Los Angeles for a major label. The movie captures the sense of innocence and naiveté of the characters as they get carried along this stream, but it also captures the fun and excitement of the moment. The scene when they’re walking down the main street listening to transistor radios and they hear their song on the radio for the very first time! has a palpable sense of excitement and joy in the moment. I can’t remember another movie that has captured that so well.The movie is well acted, Tom Everett-Scott plays the focal character of the film, Guy Patterson, “Erie’s one beatnik” who is asked to sit in for The Oneders (pronounced wonders) drummer and whose input changes the destiny of the band. Johnathon Schaech plays Jimmy Mattingly the serious, talented and ambitious leader of the band who has penned the song that will take them to the top, ‘That Thing You Do!’. Steve Zahn plays the goofy lead guitar player who is in the band for the girls, and Ethan Embry plays the bass player (who never gets a name in the movie except to be called ‘the bass player’) who is just going along for the ride and is more interested in joining the Marines than being in a rock band. Liv Tyler plays Faye, Jimmy’s girlfriend and mascot of the band. Hanks himself plays Mr. White, the Play-Tone A&R man guiding the band along it’s path of rock touring and recording. Although, these roles seem like they’re clichés none is played as a cliché and that gives each character a freshness, likeability and room for character development present even in the unnamed character of ‘the bass player.’ A special mention should be made to Obba Babatunde as Lamar, the bellman at the Los Angeles hotel the (renamed) Wonders are staying at, again this could be a stock character played as a cliché but Lamar is given life and a vibrance by Babatunde.The bonus features on the ‘Tom Hanks Extended Cut’ include a music video for “Feel Alright,” “The Wonders Big in Japan,” “The Making of That Thing You Do!” “The Story of the Wonders.” “Reunion; The Wonders,” and “HBO First Look: That Thing You Do!” All are interesting and give some great background on how Hanks came up with the idea for the movie and his bringing it to the screen. The only shortcoming is the HBO First Look featurette is pretty redundant of “The Making of” featurette, one of them could have been left off.This is a movie you’ll want to see and the DVD you want to have!

If you have never watched this then it is a must! Tom Hanks is epic in this film!

I've watched this film so many times over the years, it doesn't get old. Tom Hanks acting, writing, directing and song writing too - it couldn't get better.That Thing You Do is a brilliant look at the way fame can change you, or not - depending on what you do with it. The cast is engaging and believable, they all learned to play their instruments especially for the film, and it shows (not like the ham fisted playing of Tia Carrere in Wayne's World (ouch!). The supporting cast is wonderful, the sets, costume and styling is all perfection - every detail is captured magnificently.I never noticed until I watched the DVD extras, that The Wonders bass player is never named in the film - just like Joan Fontaine's character in 'Rebecca'.The sound track is genius! I have it saved on Spotify and listen to it a lot. It has a genuine feel to it, and I can imagine that if these songs were released in the mid-1960's they would definitely have topped the charts. The jazz is very cool too.Best line of the film... A drunken Guy Patterson talking excitedly to his Jazz hero Del Paxton - "...but I listened to all your records (long meaningful pause) YOU... are my biggest fan!"<3

A great film that was available at a good price at long last. But spoiled by the fact that it was unclear I was buying a German language version. Not good enough Amazon - must do better! Fair enough the image is in German, but having filtered the selections to supposedly only include English Language DVD's, this should not happen. Lesson learned. Again!

A truly outstanding musical movie. If you love the sixties you'll love this and the soundtrack captures the spirit of that generation spot-on. I never get tired of listening to the title track and though it was recorded in the nineties, it is one of my favourite all-time sixties tracks. Good quality, good value for money, and great music. Magic.

What is there not to love about Tom Hanks and the fact that he wrote this film is even better. A funny light hearted look at what happens if you achieve your dreams. Is it everything that you hope it will be ? Maybe modern day bands should watch this film, it shows that even with success, different personalities and different aspirations can break a band apart. Enjoy the story but do watch the special features, I found it very interesting to learn that the actors actually learnt how to play the instruments, it lends a certain authenticity to the film.

Great and fun film that takes you back to the 60s and shows how some ordinary kids that form a band end up having a nr. one hit on the billboard charts. The story is how they got up there and what life and all the excitement is like for these young band members. Very entertaining, funny and moving. Would recommend for music fans.Everything was fine with the DVD and the delivery.