Product Description
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Set in the 1964 and steeped in Americana, this films chronicles
the meteoric rise and equally quick demise of a music group
called the Wonders. The talented musicians start out playing in
neighborhood joints. That changes after they meet a shrewd record
executive, who advises the boys on how to dress, act and sing.
Soon their song "That Thing You Do" hits #1, and the group is on
top of the world. Unfortunately, the song is the Wonders' only
hit. And that's just one reason why the group's collapse happens
so quickly. Director Tom Hanks Star Tom Everett Scott, LIV Tyler,
Steve Zahn Special Features: Widescreen, Featurettes, Music
Video.
Set Contains:
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It should come as no surprise that Tom Hanks' extended cut of
That Thing You Do! is even more entertaining than the original
theatrical release. Hanks' debut as a writer-director was one of
the most pleasant movie surprises of 1996, and Hanks' infectious
enthusiasm for '60s pop music carried through to every aspect of
this timelessly delightful production. Both versions are included
on disc 1 of this two-disc set, with Hanks' extended cut running
almost 40 minutes longer (147 minutes) and featuring a lot of
good, fresh material that es out characters, adding depth
and dimension to the rise and fall of the movie's fictional 1964
pop band, the Wonders. Unlike a lot of extended cuts, this one
doesn't feel extraneous or unnecessarily longer; the pacing
remains brisk, both Liv Tyler and Charlize Theron get more screen
time, and some new character details emerge during the Wonders'
rise to short-lived success, including brief appearances by Howie
Long as the sidekick (and/or boyfriend?) of the Wonders' manager
(Tom Hanks), suggesting a possible parallel to the Beatles' gay
manager, Brian Epstein. There's also a blink-and-you'll-miss-it
cameo for Hanks' son, Colin (as an usher escorting Liv Tyler to
the Wonders' big TV debut), and additional scenes to deepen
"Sticks" Patterson's love of jazz. Now That Thing You Do! isn't
just longer but better, with Hanks' extended cut earning its
place as the definitive version of what was already a remarkably
assured directorial debut.
Disc 2 includes several bonus features not found on the
previously released DVD. Some of them are EPK (electronic press
kit) featurettes produced to promote That Thing You Do! back in
1996, while the That Thing You Do! reunion is an all-new (2007)
encounter with cast members Tom Everett Scott, Jonathan Schaech,
Charlize Theron, and Ethan Embry, reminiscing about the fun they
had during production while Steve Zahn ("Lenny") shares his
favorite memories of the filming in a separate interview. The
"Feel Alright" video is a flawlessly edited homage to pop-band
promotional films of the '60s, brilliantly assembling clips from
That Thing You Do (with The Beatles' A Hard Day's Night and Help!
as obvious inspirations). "The Wonders--Big in Japan!" is a
lively home-video diary of a That Thing You Do! promotional tour
in Tokyo (where the actors actually played as "the Wonders"), and
there's also a pair of informative (albeit semi-redundant)
"making of" featurettes from 1996, including the same 13-minute
bonus from the original DVD release, and an episode of HBO's
"First Look" hosted by former MTV vee-jay Martha Quinn. "The
Story of the Wonders" demonstrates how much thought and affection
Hanks put into his fictional pop band's history and personnel,
and disc 2 closes out with a standard sampling of TV spots and
trailers. Two music videos from the original DVD (for "That Thing
You Do!" and "Dance with Me Tonight") are not included here.
--Jeff Shannon