![]() Of course, you can’t achieve that effect without actors who can convincingly pull off awestruck joy, and it’s here that Tom Hanks made some really smart decisions. There’s a wide-eyed innocence to the whole thing that appeals to me, and I’m guessing to the optimist in all of us… I don’t know many people who don’t like this movie. What TTYD! does and does well is to keep that feeling going, bringing you along for the ride with these small town kids who literally can’t believe this is all happening to them. I’ll bet even Sid Vicious got choked up for a second before he went back to shooting up whatever was laying around. I have to think that any musician, no matter how jaded or above-it-all he may be, experiences a hushed moment of disbelief upon seeing his first record. In his debut directorial effort, Tom Hanks does a nice job of getting performances out of his actors that convince the audience that yes, these are really clean-cut, naive youngsters who just stumbled onto a Billboard hit and are enjoying the hell out of it. If pressed, I guess I’d point to the way the film portrays the boys’ totally unironic enthusiasm over their meteoric rise to fame. I think the issue is that while I really like the movie, it’s hard to put into words what I love about it. Care to place your bets?Ĭonfession time: I’ve been meaning to review TTYD! for years, but I could never figure out quite what to say. With a TV appearance coming up that could launch them into national stardom, the boys have a choice: shape up or break up. Jimmy wants to concentrate on more serious songs and make another record their bass player (Ethan Embry) enlisted in the Marines and will be leaving soon and smartass Lenny (Steve Zahn) is just looking to tune some pretty young thing’s guitar. White (Hanks), tensions mount for the newly rechristened Wonders even as “That Thing You Do” blazes up the charts. Soon Guy and the Oneders (that’s as in the number one), with lead singer Jimmy’s girlfriend Faye (Tyler) along for the ride, are playing at local bars and cutting a record. To his great fortune, rather than ruining the tune and getting everyone pissed, the crowd loves it. Guy agrees, then makes the rather ballsy decision to speed up the tempo of the song he didn’t write, by the band he’s not technically a member of, with people who are essentially paying him for his time. Our film begins with appliance salesman/drum enthusiast Guy Patterson (Scott) being asked by friends to play new song “That Thing You Do” at a talent show, in the wake of their original drummer breaking his arm. This often leads to silence and incredulous “son, do you ride the short bus?” stares, but who cares as long as you and the invisible audience are amused? Of course, Lenny’s invisible audience actually exists, plus he’s slightly dim and a borderline pervert, so I am now starting to regret comparing myself to him. Like Lenny, I too know the pain of making hilarious comments (shut up, they are so) to people who aren’t expecting them and don’t know how to react. I bring that up because while I do relate to Guy, the protagonist of feel-good period comedy That Thing You Do!, my favorite character is easily Lenny, the smart aleck who doesn’t take anything seriously and is prone to dropping random quips at any given time. With the exception of horror movies and some indie films, if the audience doesn’t like the main character, they don’t like the movie. ![]() I don’t think that’s the result of massive ego on my part (well, not entirely) so much as the fact that filmmakers work hard to make protagonists relatable and engaging. Spartacus.ĭrew’s review: Like most people, I usually identify with the heroes of films. Can the band work out their differences, or will they end up as the one-hit Wonders?ĭrew’s rating: I don’t say this to every girl, but I. Summary Capsule: The Oneders Wonders, a group of young musicians in the mid 60s, record a hit tune and skyrocket to fame… maybe a bit too quickly. Tagline: In every life there comes a time when that dream you dream becomes that thing you do. The Scoop: 1996 PG, directed by Tom Hanks and starring Tom Hanks, Liv Tyler and Tom Hanks’ younger clone (er, Tom Everett Scott) “I led you here, sir, for I am Spartacus.”
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