That Thing You Do
(20TH Century Fox)Director: Tom Hanks
Producers: Gary Goetzman, Jonathan Demme, Edward Saxon
Screenwriter: Tom Hanks
Director of Photography: Tak Fujimoto
Cast: Tom Everett Scott, Liv Tyler, Johnathon Schaech, Steve Zahn, Ethan Embry, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Kevin Pollak, Peter Scolari, Charlize Theron, Bill Cobbs
Quick Review: A nice film by a nice guy who likes people. It's no accident that the film is set in 1964 - the end of our long period of trust in America. It's not even rebellious, in the mid-'60s sense of a rock movie like A HARD DAY'S NIGHT. It's simply a tale of idealism, friendship, and the wonder of all that can happen when your talent gets noticed in America. What life story does that resemble? If you need car crashes, explosions, gun fights, explicit anything, or special effects, avoid this film. If you are looking for a film that sees the world through the tolerant and optimistic eyes of a man like Tom Hanks, then kick back and remember when you could leave your doors unlocked in America.
