That Thing You Do!: Tom Hank's Extended Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition)
List Price:
Our Price: $10.45
You Save: $9.53 (48%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $10.15 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD details
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD details
Actor: Johnathon Schaech, Tom Everett ScottBrand: FOX
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 5.1; French (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; Spanish (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Format: AC-3, Color, Director's Cut, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 108 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-05-08
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
DVD Reviews of That Thing You Do!: Tom Hank's Extended Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition)
DVD Review: Music, Show Business, Dreams, Reality, People, and...Hanks
Summary: 5 Stars
1964 was a very good year. The Beatles were at the top of their game, still pretty much friends, and still under the happy tutelage of George Martin and the doting care of Brian Epstein; the happier facets of the 1960s life were in full swing; and a whole generation of Baby Boomers were growing up to the phenomenal soundtrack of melody-capped, harmony-driven classic pop-rock. There's a wonderful, and occasionally sad, nostalgia about Tom Hanks' treatment of this period in TTYD. The mass media technology of records, radio, TV, and films served to bring the country together and to make dreams of fame and fortune both possible and, occasionally, achievable for some. And in those days it still depended on the rootedness of talented personalities, their hard work, survival of demanding schedules, and (of course) the luck and unforeseen tangles of one's interaction with every level of the music end of show business. Yes, it's true that "it all begins with a song" but then there's that difficult, epic trip through the land of Oz that one has to bear up under in order to get all the way to the Emerald City (and hopefully back to Kansas as well).
TTYD is a look at 1964, and also a listen to 1964, through songs written in its stereotypical styles (including many by Tom Hanks himself--hats off to him for that), and performed with authentic recreations of the stagecraft, costuming, and public presentations of the time. The world of the music industry--both then and, to a large extent, still today--is portrayed with a surprising lack of varnish as Hanks shows us both the dreams of everyday people coming true and, at the same time, the shallowness of what those dreams ultimately may mean, when they are reshaped by various players in the music industry along the way. We see every tier of advancement for a band, ranging from the (literal) garage all the way up to national attention via radio airplay, movies, and television appearances. And we see the good and bad of every tier along the way: YES, it's possible to climb the show biz ladder all the way to top; YES, it's possible to climb it fairly quickly with the right breaks; and YES, it's even possible to find fun, happiness, and (if one were so lucky) even the right life partner along the way.
Hanks' attitude as writer seems to be: 'Here's the system, and here's an interesting trajectory of one band going through it, and here's a believable happy ending amid a very dismally realistic situation to boot. Local performance venues? SURE--so long as the show's fun for the crowd at the restaurant, which anchors the band. Local talent scouts? SURE--to make you small fry in a small pan, but it's still 'the next level.' Bad matinees? SURE--even at a big city theater. Touring the state fair circuit with a stable of artists who, for better or worse, are held captive to their record company contracts. SURE--the grind of the road. Record company executives who confiscate the credit, limelight, and lion's share of the profits for themselves? SURE--and that's been rather an industry standard for many years. Scripted image-over-substance in Hollywood? SURE--that's part and parcel of movies and TV. I think what I love most about Hanks' presentation of the music/show business industry is that he pulls back the curtain (again, like THE WIZARD OF OZ) so that we can see it's full of warts, missteps, assorted unfairnesses, some sheer dumb luck, a practiced and put-on sophistication, and, occasionally--and even in the strangest places--some insightful, good-hearted, and caring people.
Who are the film's protagonists? I'd LIKE to say it's The Wonders, but they are more of a 'representative sampling.' (Jimmy = the songwriter who lives for his art first and foremost, but who has to come to some kind of terms, though grudgingly, with the vagaries of show business in order to practice his craft; Lenny = the funny guy along for the ride whose cynicism is only equalled by his acute perceptions; T. B. Player = the lovable guy who gets to be in the band but whose personal dreams are on a totally different trajectory and don't really encompass seeking fame and fortune in show business; Guy = the performing musician who's also practical enough to turn his dreams into a reality that can bear some true happiness over the long haul). Each of these fellows seems to be a different sort of 'test case,' though Guy does prove himself 'the smart one' in the end. I'd say he BECOMES a protagonist as the movie progresses. If one wanted to play off the names a bit, he's probably "Guy" because he's a "good guy."
So: Who are the 'real' protagonists then? Well, Mr. Hanks himself, cast as the American counterpart to Brian Epstein. White knows his business; he knows how to play the game; and he's a careful judge of character too. In so many words, he tells Guy that Faye is the most important thing crossing HIS path at the moment. Faye herself is equally important, because she's pure, devoted, and also smart enough to, in time, see things for what they really are too. She can also see 'who's right for whom.' And I think there are two more protagonists as well: Del Paxton, the Voice of Wisdom concerning the true nature of the music industry and how to survive in it, and Lamarr, the hotel bell-hop, whose sense of decency is unfailing, and whose perception of character is almost clairvoyant. Bottom line: the show business system's tough; there are stinkers and victims all along the way, but there also some gems who value people and integrity more than anything else, and who know right away who's a phony and who's not.
The film naturally has a Tom Hanks flavor, since he wrote, directed, and starred in it. (How could he POSSIBLY have played Mr. White poorly?! He couldn't have, even if he'd TRIED.) What else... Nostalgia for 1964? Yes. A pointed (though not overtly unkind) tweak toward conservative and Christian America? Yes. (We Christians are a notoriously forgiving bunch though, so no hard feelings, Tom.) Some admiring spillover from his then-recent APOLLO 13 experiences? Yes--Clint Howard's back, as the radio DJ; Lenny's last name is "Haise" and Jimmy's is "Mattingly"; the Oneders are on the same bill in Pittsburgh as "Marilyn Lovell and the Geminis"; Gus Grissom appears as a guest on the "Hollywood Showcase"; and one of the groups is named the "Saturn 5." Some work and public acknowledgement for his friend Peter Scolari and for his lovely wife, Rita Wilson (the sexy, seductive, and savvy Marguirite)? Yes. There's a lesson here for musicians and show biz types alike, offhandedly displayed by Mr. Hanks for us to see if we will just look: Build a network of friends and associates, and build it upon genuine loyalty. When you do that, the system works for you in turn.
It's fun to watch TTYD for the music, for the youth, for the characters, for the actors and their acting, for the writing, for the directing, for the jokes and the laughs from Lenny (Love ya, Steve Zahn!--and I hope you won that livestock competition...), for the careful attention to detail (e.g., the instruments improve/are replaced as the band gets more successful), for the portrayal of the period and of the music industry generally. And if anyone reading this review ever meets any of the actors, songwriters, or others involved with making this movie, do be sure to thank them. But once in a while, at least, watch TTYD also for what it reveals about PEOPLE and CHARACTER. Tom Hanks' honesty in that area is remarkable.
As a classically trained composer who's currently writing pop songs, and who's recently taken a course in music publishing from one of our nation's finest schools devoted exclusively to popular music, my parting thought is that someday I wouldn't mind having my own songs recorded on the PlayTone label too. (Just cut me a good copublishing deal with no controlled composition clause royalty rate reductions, Tom!) For those who are disinclined to believe in happy endings like Guy & Faye's, or who doubt that dreams CAN come true, have look at [...] sometime. Mr. Hanks has made at least that small part of TTYD live on in the real world, and I wish him every success with the endeavor.
(Goodnight, T. B. Player, wherever you are...)
More That Thing You Do!: Tom Hank's Extended Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition) reviews:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Description of That Thing You Do!: Tom Hank's Extended Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Synopsis:Item Type: DVD Movie
Item Rating: PG
Street Date: 05/08/07
Wide Screen: yes
Director Cut: yes
Special Edition: no
LanguageENGLISH
Foreign Film: no
Subtitlesno
Dubbed: no
Full Frame: no
Re-Release: no
Packaging: Sleeve
Bestsellers in DVD
![The Story of Jeremiah [VHS] Image](/images/noimg.gif)
The Story of Jeremiah [VHS]Vision Video; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Wresting With God [VHS]by Vision Video
Vision Video; Published: 1990-10-01; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Price in other shops:
Study Bible Video with Workbook [VHS]Spring Arbor Distributors; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $7.95
Price in other shops:
Tempo:Childrens TV Favourites Video [VHS]HarperCollins Audio; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $9.17
Price in other shops:
Tempo.Herbs:Parseley'Sb/ Party Video [VHS]HarperCollins Audio; VHS Tape; VHS Video
![Strike the Original Match [VHS] Image](/images/Strike-the-Original-Match-VHS-0001374079-X.jpg)
Strike the Original Match [VHS]New Liberty Films; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Price in other shops:
![Medjugorje The Miracles and the Message [VHS] Image](/images/Medjugorje-The-Miracles-and-the-Message-VHS-0001373293-X.jpg)
Medjugorje The Miracles and the Message [VHS]JPN Film Production; Release date: 1995-12-15; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $29.99
Mayo Clinic Echocardiography Review Course for Boards and Recertification DVD 2008by Mayo
DVD
Price in other shops:
Pediatric Diagnostic Imaging DVD: Single Userby Oakstone
DVD
Price in other shops:
Cost Accounting [VHS]by Charles T. Horngren, George Foster, Srikant M. Datar, Howard Teall
Pearson Canada, Toronto; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Similar DVDs, VHS Video, Audio CDs
The Out of Towners / Leap of Faith (Double Feature)Lions Gate; Release date: 2008-03-18; Published: 2008-03-01; DVD
Best price: $7.99
Price in other shops:
Catch Me If You Can (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)MCA; Release date: 2003-05-06; Published: 2003-05-01; DVD
Best price: $4.00
Price in other shops:
CocoonAMECHE,DON; Release date: 2004-06-01; Published: 2004-06-01; DVD
Best price: $3.56
Price in other shops:
The Rocker (Born to Rock Edition)Twentieth Century Fox; Release date: 2009-01-27; Published: 2009-01-01; DVD
Best price: $2.40
Price in other shops:
Guys and DollsBRANDO/SINATRA; Release date: 2000-04-18; DVD
Best price: $7.19
Price in other shops:
While You Were SleepingBUENA VISTA GAMES; Release date: 1998-02-04; Published: 1998-02-01; DVD
Best price: $2.81
Price in other shops:
You've Got Mail (Deluxe Edition)Warner Brothers; Release date: 2010-09-07; DVD
Best price: $3.16
Price in other shops:
A League of Their OwnSony; Release date: 1997-09-03; Published: 2002-06-01; DVD
Best price: $7.82
Price in other shops:
Mr. Holland's OpusBuena Vista Home Video; Release date: 1999-08-24; DVD
Best price: $2.98
Price in other shops:
That Thing You Do!: Original Motion Picture SoundtrackRelease date: 1996-09-24; Music CD
Best price: $29.98