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That Thing You Do!
Synopsis
Tom Hanks made his directorial debut in this bright comedy set in the mid-1960's about a rock group and their brief fling with fame. Guy Patterson (Tom Everett Scott) works as a salesman at his father's appliance store and plays the drums in his spare time, fancying himself a jazz musician. One day, a buddy of Guy's tells him a local rock band, The One-Ders (it's pronounced wonders), are in need of a drummer -- they have Battle of the Bands coming up and their usual timekeeper has broken his arm. Guy agrees to sit in, but when it's time to play their best original, a love ballad called That Thing You Do, Guy lays in a sharp, driving beat that turns the tune into an uptempo pop-rocker. Lead singer Jimmy (Johnathon Schaech) isn't happy at first, but guitarist Lenny (Steve Zahn) and the nameless Bass Player (Ethan Embry) think the song sounds better that way -- and they notice the girls like it just fine. Soon people are actually requesting the song at their shows, and the One-Ders scrape together some money to press a single of That Thing You Do to sell between sets. A DJ puts the song on the radio, and opportunity knocks in the form of Mr. White (Tom Hanks), who works for the very major Play-Tone Records label. Play-Tone buys the rights to That Thing You Do and puts the band on the road as their song makes it way to the top of the national charts. But what can The Wonders (as Play-Tone have re-named them) do for an encore? And what should Guy do about his infatuation with Jimmy's girlfriend, Faye (Liv Tyler)? Real-life 60's obsessed rocker Chris Isaak has a small part as a recording engineer, and fans of real 60's garage bands will appreciate the wealth of small, accurately observed details (for example, halfway through the film, when a few That Thing You Do royalty checks have presumably kicked in, the band's inexpensive Danelectro guitars disappear and the Wonders are suddenly playing on brand new Fender gear -- the height of rock style in 1965).~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Full Credits
  • Director:
    Tom Hanks,
  • Writer:
    Tom Hanks,
  • Producer:
    Jonathan Demme, Gary Goetzman, Edward Saxon,
  • Cinematographer:
    Tak Fujimoto,
  • Editor:
    Richard Chew,
  • Cast:
    Liv Tyler, Ethan Embry, Steve Zahn, Tom Everett Scott, Tom Hanks, Johnathon Schaech,
  • Associate Producer:
    Terry Odem,
  • First Assistant Director:
    Katterli Frauenfelder,
  • Second Assistant Director:
    Mark Cotone, Lisa C. Satriano,
  • Second Second Assistant Director:
    Pamela Cederquist,
  • Supervising Sound Editor:
    Richard King,
  • Camera Operator:
    Craig Haagensen,
  • Script Supervisor:
    Anne Rapp,
  • ADR Mixer:
    Charleen Richards, David Boulton,
  • Boom Operator:
    David M. Roberts,
  • Construction Coordinator:
    David T. Cannon,
  • Construction Foreman:
    David A. Weinman,
  • First Assistant Camera:
    Baird Steptoe,
  • Location Manager:
    Robin Citrin,
  • Property Master:
    Will Blount,
  • Set Dresser:
    Bart C. Hubenthal, Jon J. Bush, James E. Marchwick, Doug Sieck,
  • Sound Effects Editor:
    Michael J. Benavente,
  • Sound Mixer:
    John Pritchett,
  • Key Rigging Grip:
    Kent H. Jorgensen,
  • Costumer:
    Alix Friedberg, Donna O'Neal,
  • Studio Teacher:
    Adria Later,
  • Supervising ADR Editor:
    Kimberly Harris,
  • Key Costumer:
    Valerie T. O'Brien, Eva Prappas,
  • Sound Re-Recording Mixer:
    Chris Carpenter, Bob Beemer, Bill W. Benton,
  • Assistant Property Master:
    Patrik Alven,
  • Dialogue Editor:
    Robert Troy, James Matheny, Kimberly Lambert,
  • Extras Casting:
    Bill Dance, Dixie Webster,
  • Assistant Art Director:
    Christopher S. Nushawg, Charlie Daboub,
  • Hair Department Head:
    Kathryn Blondell,
  • Best Boy Grip:
    Doug Cowden,
  • Music Coordinator:
    Deva Anderson,
  • Set Designer:
    Masako Masuda, Stella Vaccaro, Keith P. Cunningham, Suzan Wexler,
  • Music:
    Adam Schlesinger,
  • Sound Recordist:
    Robert Renga, Craig Heath,
  • Foley Editor:
    Jeffrey R. Payne, Frank Smathers,
  • Key Grip:
    Herb Ault,
  • Makeup Artist:
    Margaret E. Elliott, Larry Abbott, Steve Artmont, Rick Sharp,
  • ADR Editor:
    Nicholas Korda, Susan Dudeck,
  • Set Costumer:
    Cindy Evans, Marsha Bozeman,
  • Assistant Sound Editor:
    Carmen Flores De Tanis, Catherine Calleson, Nico Salvato,
  • Transportation Captain:
    Mike Paventi,
  • Choreographer:
    Toni Basil,
  • ADR Recordist:
    Bobby Johanson, Diane Linn,
  • Screenplay:
    Tom Hanks,
  • Rigging Gaffer:
    R. Michael De Chellis,
  • Unit Publicist:
    Marsha Robertson,
  • Hairstylist:
    Norma Lee, Carolyn Elias, Janice Alexander, Elizabeth Rabe,
  • Transportation Coordinator:
    Ken Peterson,
  • Second Assistant 'B' Camera:
    Beth Horton,
  • Foley Artist:
    Gary A. Hecker, Jeffrey Wilhoit,
  • Steadicam Operator:
    Gregory Lundsgaard,
  • Picture Car Coordinator:
    Larry Stelling,
  • Foley Recordist:
    Nerses Gezalyan,
  • Cableman:
    John Glaeser,
  • Greensman:
    Hugo Herrera,
  • Production Supervisor:
    Christa Vausbinder,
  • Dolly Grip:
    Richard L. Carden,
  • Music Editor:
    Alex Gibson,
  • Title Designer:
    Pablo Ferro,
  • Costume Supervisor:
    Cha Blevins,
  • Set Decoration:
    Merideth Boswell,
  • Leadman:
    Tommy Samona,
  • Second Assistant Camera:
    Brent Lon Hershman,
  • Graphic Designer:
    Martin Charles,
  • Costume Design:
    Colleen Atwood,
  • Key Makeup Artist:
    Frank Griffin, Daniel C. Striepeke,
  • Production Design:
    Victor Kempster,
  • Unit Production Manager:
    Charles Skouras III,
  • Negative Cutter:
    Gary Burritt,
  • Gaffer:
    Randy Woodside,
  • Casting Assistant:
    Meredith Tucker,
  • Art Direction:
    Dan Webster,
  • Original Music Composer:
    Howard Shore,
  • Key Hair Stylist:
    Audrey L. Anzures,
  • Production Accountant:
    Ellen Adolph,
  • Color Timer:
    Phil Hetos,
  • Casting:
    Howard Feuer,
  • Payroll Accountant:
    John R. Hansen,
  • Still Photographer:
    Phillip V. Caruso,
  • Special Effects Coordinator:
    Thomas R. Ward,
  • Video Assist Operator:
    Dan Moore,
  • First Assistant Editor:
    Catherine Chase,

Technical specifications

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