8/13/2023 0 Comments Chris isaak that thing you do![]() ![]() That being said, however, I’ve always stood by the principle that a good message does not necessarily make for good art – for that, you need great presentation, as well. … What? … No, I really don’t think I’m over analyzing this. The great thing about this film, though, is in how the film presents it as not just the story about a fictional one-hit wonder band, but also a group of people who had an extraordinary, if short, experience that, for many, would never have even been a once in a lifetime opportunity, and, in the light of that grand spotlight, their true destinies and values came into focus, be it fame and fortune, artistic integrity, personal relationships, or some combination of these. Yeah, I know that might not sound like the most uplifting movie ever, and it’s certainly a far cry from wish fulfillment movies that so desperately want us to believe the false notion that if you just believe in yourself, you’ll accomplish every dream you’ve ever had. This band, initially calling themselves The Oneders before changing it to The Wonders due to some pronunciation confusion, sounds pretty similar to The Beatles, too, but it’s early enough in their contemporary’s career for them to eke out a single Billboard climbing hit, “That Thing You Do.” Though they have plenty of other great songs, it’s this one-hit that everyone wants to hear over and over again, and it’s ultimately also the song that would wind up being the catalyst for The Wonders’ disintegration as a band, becoming yet another footnote in music history as “one-hit wonders,” as so many other musicians do, too. The film is the directorial debut of Tom Hanks, who also costars in the film as the manager of a fictional band in 1964, a year in which Beatlemania reached a peak in America when they performed on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9. “Perfect,” I told myself, as I popped the disc in to watch it for the first time in who knows how long. And that’s when I spotted it: my very old copy of That Thing You Do! And suddenly, I grinned. “You should still review something musical,” I told myself, beginning to scan through my shelves again. Singin’ in the Rain stood out as another film I should do sometime, as it’s also one of my all-time favorites, but it was already 10PM, and that movie is kind of long. I decided this past Sunday to instead look to my DVD collection and figure out what to watch from there. I also got a rare invite to hangout this weekend and watch Interstellar, too, which was originally going to be a viewing of The Tree of Life, which are both movies I’ve been intending to review for a while, too, though they’re quite a bit more complex, so… you see where my lack of motivation kicked in there. ![]() I saw Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter just this past Thursday at the last theatrical showing in my area, and it was fantastic. I’ve been intending to review a few movies lately. When I get in those moods, it’s hard to become motivated to do anything. Recently, I personally have been going through a rut, which is partly why I have been slow to write a new review since my last one. These were also two of the few movies that everyone in my family could agree upon to watch together and be contented with while growing up, which, if you know my childhood, was something very significant. If there were any two comedies that resonated with me as a kid as being truly “great” versus merely “entertaining,” those movies were Groundhog Day and That Thing You Do! These were movies I would watch when I was bored or when I was doing chores or when I was in a bad mood or when I was in a good mood – or when I was just really in the mood for some truly great movies, period. Directed by: Tom Hanks Produced by: Jonathan Demme, Gary Goetzman, Edward Saxon Written by: Tom Hanks Edited by: Richard Chew Cinematography by: Tak Fujimoto Music by: Howard Shore Songs by: Tom Hanks, Adam Schlesinger, Rick Elias, Scott Rogness, Mike Piccirillo, Gary Goetzman, Howard Shore Starring: Tom Everett Scott, Liv Tyler, Johnathon Schaech, Steve Zahn, Ethan Embry, Tom Hanks, Obba Babatundé, Holmes Osborne, Charlize Theron, Bill Cobbs, Giovanni Ribisi Year: 1996 ![]()
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