The Thing About "That Thing"

Most of us think of Tom Hanks in terms of his unparalleled acting ability, the vast number of roles he's played , the inevitable description as the film industry's "Everyman" , but we don't often think of him as a writer and director, why is why you should check out Hanks' 1996 masterpiece, "That Thing You Do." The movie captures the rise and fall of the "One-ders", a very obvious play on the term  "one hit wonders", the bands that strike gold once only to fade into obscurity, like "The Night Chicago Died" by Paper Lace or "Brandy" by Looking Glass as well as many others. The movie is just about perfect in its depiction of the band's rapid rise and fall.

It's 1964 in Pittsburgh when Tom Everett Scott, as drummer Guy Patterson, joins up with Jonathon Schaech, as singer/musician James Mattingly, to form the band. They are officially discovered  by Tom Hanks, playing "Mr. White", a talent scout for Playtone Records, who proceeds to package them as the latest "teen sensations". The film depicts the process of manufacturing a hit, from the endless sucking up to the deejays who controlled the radio playlists to the touring shows of Playtone's hit artists, which Hanks captures perfectly, slyly poking fun at the names and personas of the mid Fifties - mid Sixties performers. The Onders' rise to the ultimate honor - their televized national debut on an ersatz version of Ed Sullivan, complete with screaming teens.

The first major crack in the Oneders' facade originates with James Mattingly, who begins to resist "cookie cutter" fame by demanding more input into the band's output, so to speak. The funniest aspect of Mattingly's quest for "creativity" occurs when Playtone's President Sol Siler (Played for max laughs by Alex Rocco) meets the Onders for a quick cameo, spending exactly 10 seconds with his "hottest" act before starting in on a massive deli sandwich, keeping up a continual dialogue with his entourage. Mattingly decides to take the initiative, planting himself squarely in front of Siler, innocently inquiring about maybe recording some original music for the label. The mogul's reaction is classic - he chokes on his corned beef,demanding that Mattingly be removed from his sight immediately, plus reminded never to speak unless spoken to, a moment that sarcastically summarizes the typical label-artist relationship of that era.

The fissure widens further when - once again - Mattingly freaks over a tongue-in-cheek photo caption supered over him during their TV debut implying that he's engaged. Liv Tyler does a superb job as Mattingly's girlfriend, faithful, broken-hearted after she follows him to California only to be spurned and humiliated , finally forced to speak up for herself, dissing Mattingly in front of the band and Hanks. The next day, Mattingly quits, walking out of the studio. Drummer Patterson watches helplessly as the band quickly unravels, Hanks' Mr. White providing wry commentary on the fact that most groups typically collapse and re-form, reassuring Scott's Guy Patterson that he has talent and a future. Patterson pays homage to jazz pianist Del Paxton (Bill Cobbs) who catches him playing solo in the studio after the break-up and ends up sitting in with him. All the loose ends are neatly tied up as Scott finds Tyler in the hotel coffee shop about to head back to Pittsburgh. They discover their love for each other, and head off for marriage and a great lifestyle on the West Coast. Hanks' goes to the trouble of letting the audience know the fate of the characters, with the ironic twist that the Mattingly character supposedly formed a new band and recorded three gold records for Playtone.

The movie exudes positive energy, tongue-in-cheek satire and captures the moment perfectly - when rock and roll was re-invigorated by the new wave of "teen sensation" bands - the Beatles the Stones, and who could forget - The One-ders !!!