That Thing You Do! (1996)

That Thing You Do! Poster

A Pennsylvania band scores a hit in 1964 and rides the star-making machinery as long as it can, with lots of help from its manager.

Introduction
"That Thing You Do!" is an American musical comedy-drama movie from 1996 composed and directed by Tom Hanks. Embed in the summer of 1964, the story revolves around a one-hit-wonder pop band's quick rise to fame and the effects it has on the members. The movie celebrates and spoofs the phenomenon of fleeting popularity and the developing music scene in the mid-1960s.

Plot Summary
The movie starts in Erie, Pennsylvania, where a young jazz enthusiast, Guy Patterson, works in his daddy's appliance shop however surreptitiously plays drums in the basement. His pals, aspiring artists Jimmy Mattingly, Lenny Haise, and Chad, ask him to fill in for their Pennsylvania regional band, "The One-ders" as their drummer all of a sudden broke his arm. Man agrees, and they perform a song composed by Jimmy at a regional college talent show - the titular "That Thing You Do!"

Throughout the efficiency, Guy unexpectedly speeds up the pace of the song, transforming it from a sluggish ballad into an upbeat pop-rock tune. This change rejuvenates the audience, leading to their success in the competitors. They catch the attention of a regional supervisor who assists them get gigs around the state and ultimately sign with Playtone Records, a major label, altering the band name to "The Wonders".

Ascent to Stardom and Downfall
This success escalates quickly, with "That Thing You Do!" charting higher, resulting in television looks, studio follow-up record creation, and even a tour around the midwest as part of a Playtone trip group. Stress rise as Jimmy's enthusiastic tendencies clash with the laid-back mindsets of bandmates, particularly Lenny. Concurrently, the band's roadway manager and A&R representative, Mr. White, begins mentoring them.

Conflicts surface when Jimmy's egocentric habits intensifies, both with the band and his girlfriend, Faye. Furthermore, Lenny's indifferent mindset becomes significantly undependable. While the band hits their peak with their song arriving 10 Billboard chart, things begin to unwind just as swiftly as they rose.

In the climax of the movie, following an effective performance, Lenny elopes and Jimmy gives up after a fight with White over the instructions of his songwriting, leaving Guy as the last guy standing. After a brief conference with his jazz idol - Del Paxton, who motivates him to create his own path, Guy chooses to say goodbye to an ephemeral time in the spotlight.

Concluding Events
As the band ends, Guy locates Faye, who simply exposed her love for him before Jimmy's abrupt departure, raising an unexpected romantic element in the story. They clinch, and it's revealed in the epilogue that they get wed and begin a music school in Washington.

In general
"That Thing You Do!" is a sentimental homage to the 1960s popular song period and stands as an entertaining depiction of short and extreme stardom. With engaging characters and an appealing title track, the movie charmingly shows the quick rise and fall of one-hit-wonders peaking in the middle of Beatles-era frenzy, stabilized with light hearted psychological beats.

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