Movie #11- "That Thing You Do!" (1996)

The title song is catchy... it has to be.  If it isn't, then it sinks this film from the start.  It is the kind of song that will get stuck in your head for a few days.  Hearing it throughout the movie also helps.  Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne) has a great touch when it comes to writing a pop tune, and this song really captures an era.
This is Tom Hanks love letter to the pop bands of the 1960s.  The one-hit wonders... the thrill of hearing your current favorite song on the radio... the excitement of buying a 45 (kids, ask your parents or maybe grandparents).  It was an era when labels would send their bands out on a package tour to the screams of teenage girls.  It's a few years before my time, but I do remember of the joys of listening to the radio and purchasing my favorite vinyl.  It brought back some memories.  And while the music format has changed over the years, some things don't (personal commentary alert), like the industry finding the next big thing and exploiting it to the nth degree.
Hanks does a good job in nailing the look and feel of the era, but this is a love letter.  Just a few, slight glimpses into the dark underbelly of the music industry.  Also, the band's demise is telegraphed far too early in the film and handled far too conveniently.
Overall I enjoyed "That Thing You Do!".  Now if I can just get the song out of my head (I've been thinking of it this entire time).

Rating: 7/10
Movies I've previously seen: 2
First time viewings: 9