View source for That Thing You Do!

{{short description|1996 film by Tom Hanks}}
{{About|the 1996 film|the soundtrack|That Thing You Do! (soundtrack)|the song|That Thing You Do! (song)}}
{{use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = That Thing You Do!
| image          = That Thing You Do! film poster.jpg
| alt            = 
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Tom Hanks]]
| writer         = Tom Hanks
| producer       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Gary Goetzman]]
* [[Jonathan Demme]]
* [[Edward Saxon]]
}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Tom Everett Scott]]
* [[Liv Tyler]]
* [[Johnathon Schaech]]
* [[Steve Zahn]]
* [[Ethan Embry]]
* Tom Hanks
}}
| cinematography = [[Tak Fujimoto]]
| editing        = [[Richard Chew]]
| music          = [[Howard Shore]]
| studio         = {{Plainlist|
* Clinica Estetico
* [[Playtone|Clavius Base]]
}}
| distributor    = [[20th Century Fox]]
| released       = {{Film date|1996|10|4}}
| runtime        = {{Plainlist|
* 108 minutes (theatrical cut)
* 148 minutes ([[#Extended Edition DVD|extended cut]]) 
}}
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $26 million
| gross          = $34.6 million<ref name="boxofficemojo.com">{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0117887/ |title=That Thing You Do! (1996) |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=November 18, 2023}}</ref>
}}

'''''That Thing You Do!''''' is a 1996 American [[comedy-drama]] film written and directed by [[Tom Hanks]], in his feature writing and directorial debut. Set in 1960s [[rock and roll]] culture, it chronicles the rise and fall of a fictional [[one-hit wonder]] [[pop music|pop]] band and stars [[Tom Everett Scott]] in his film debut along with [[Johnathon Schaech]], [[Steve Zahn]], and [[Ethan Embry]] as the band's members, with [[Liv Tyler]] and Hanks appearing in supporting roles. Its production and music are key to its narrative, with original scores by a collaboration of artists including Hanks, [[Adam Schlesinger]], and [[Howard Shore]]. The soundtrack peaked at #21 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] albums chart, featuring a mix of [[diegetic]] and non-diegetic tracks. The cast practiced for weeks to perform convincingly on camera, blurring the lines between reality and fiction.

Despite being well received by critics, receiving several accolades, and producing a musical hit with the [[That Thing You Do! (song)|title song]], which was nominated for an [[Academy Award for Best Original Song|Academy Award]] and a [[Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song|Golden Globe Award]] for Best Original Song,<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/adam-schlesinger-that-thing-you-do-best-fake-song-9348993/ |title=With 'That Thing You Do!,' Adam Schlesinger Wrote One of the Best 'Fake' Songs in Film History |last=Hughes |first=Hilary |date=April 1, 2020 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]}}</ref> the film was a commercial disappointment, grossing $34.6 million against a $26 million budget.

''That Thing You Do!'' is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America.<ref>[https://www.filmratings.com/Search?filmTitle=That+thing+you+do&x=9&y=16 That Thing You Do] at Film|Ratings. Retrieved March 5, 2025.</ref>

==Plot==
In 1964, aspiring jazz drummer Guy Patterson is working in his family's appliance store in [[Erie, Pennsylvania]], when his friends Jimmy Mattingly II and Lenny Haise ask him to perform a song Jimmy wrote at a talent show with their band, because their regular drummer broke his arm. They rehearse the song, a slow-tempo ballad called "[[That Thing You Do! (song)|That Thing You Do!]]" in Jimmy's garage. Jimmy's girlfriend Faye Dolan, inspired by the [[Beatles]], suggests that the band should be named "The Oneders" (pronounced "wonders"). At the talent show, Guy forces the song into a faster tempo, winning the band the competition and earning a paying gig at Villapiano's, a local pizza parlor. After they decide to record the song and sell [[45-rpm|45s]] of it, produced by Guy's Uncle Bob, local talent promoter Phil Horace notices the band, promising them radio airplay within 10 days. Lenny convinces the band to sign with him.

Phil keeps his promise, and the song gets regular play on Pennsylvania radio, becoming an instant local hit.  He eventually books them for a showcase concert in Pittsburgh, where technical difficulties and the band's lack of stagecraft result in a disastrous performance. Afterward, Phil introduces a dispirited Guy to Mr. White, an [[Artists and repertoire|A&R]] representative for Play-Tone Records, who offers the band a contract and becomes their manager. He renames the band "The Wonders" and unifies their style and presentation. He places them on the Play-Tone tour of Midwestern state fairs, with Faye handling their wardrobes so she can stay on the tour with Jimmy.

During the tour, the Wonders meet other acts, learn about the business, and improve their performing skills. "That Thing You Do!" garners national radio airplay, raising the band's popularity and eventually reaching number 7 on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Billboard Hot 100|Hot 100]]; Mr. White then sends them to Los Angeles for publicity, including radio and film appearances. While the rest of the band revels in their newfound fame and success, Jimmy becomes increasingly irritable due to wanting to record a new album. On the day of their appearance on ''The Hollywood Television Showcase'' (a nationally-televised live variety show), Guy is hungover after meeting his idol, jazz pianist Del Paxton, while Jimmy is nervously vomiting and Lenny is preoccupied with his new girlfriend. The band's bass guitarist is absent after abruptly joining the [[United States Marine Corps|Marine Corps]], so Mr. White has replaced him with experienced session guitarist Scott "Wolfman" Pell. The Wonders successfully perform "That Thing You Do!", but when television captions introduce the individual members, Jimmy is visibly angered by an additional caption announcing his apparent engagement.

In the dressing room after the performance, Jimmy furiously accuses Faye of orchestrating the engagement announcement. Faye, already disillusioned with Jimmy's behavior, breaks up with him. Lenny, meanwhile, elopes with his girlfriend in Las Vegas. The next day, at a scheduled recording session at Play-Tone's studio, Mr. White has brought new material approved by Play-Tone for Jimmy and Guy to record, as dictated by the band's contract. Jimmy, insistent on recording his own songs, immediately quits and leaves. Mr. White reassures Guy that short-lived [[one-hit wonder]]s are common in the music industry. Guy, left alone in the studio, improvises on drums, attracting the attention of Del Paxton. Impressed by Guy's impromptu drumming, Del joins Guy and records an improvised jazz duet with him. Returning to the hotel to check out, Guy tells a dejected Faye that he plans to stay in Los Angeles, while she says she will return to Erie. He pursues her and they finally admit their long-hidden feelings for each other before sharing a kiss.

A picture-and-text epilogue reveals the fates of the band members. Jimmy returned to Play-Tone and formed a highly successful new band named "The Heardsmen", and is a record producer in Los Angeles. Lenny, single again, manages a casino in [[Laughlin, Nevada]]. The bass guitarist (named "T.B. Player" in the credits) served two tours of duty in [[Vietnam War|Vietnam]] with the Marines, earning a [[Purple Heart]], and works in construction in [[Orlando, Florida]]. Finally, Guy and Faye married and raised four children in [[Venice, California]], before moving to [[Bainbridge Island, Washington]] and founding the [[Puget Sound]] Conservatory of Music, where Guy teaches jazz composition.

==Cast==
{{Cast listing|
*[[Tom Everett Scott]] as Guy "Skitch" (later "Shades") Patterson, the Wonders' drummer
*[[Liv Tyler]] as Faye Dolan, Jimmy's girlfriend (later Guy's) and the band's costume mistress
*[[Johnathon Schaech]] as James "Jimmy" Mattingly II, the Wonders' lead singer and rhythm guitarist
*[[Steve Zahn]] as Leonard "Lenny" Haise, the Wonders' lead guitarist
*[[Ethan Embry]] as T.B. Player, the Wonders' bass guitarist
*[[Tom Hanks]] as Mr. Amos White, a Play-Tone employee who becomes the Wonders' manager
*[[Charlize Theron]] as Tina Powers, Guy's former girlfriend who later ended up with her dentist
*[[Keith Neubert]] as Tina's dentist
*[[Obba Babatundé]] as Lamarr, concierge of the Ambassador Hotel who befriends the Wonders
*[[Giovanni Ribisi]] as Chad, the band's original drummer who injured his arm and takes over Guy's position in Patterson's Appliance store
*[[Chris Ellis (actor)|Chris Ellis]] as Phil Horace, the band's first manager
*[[Alex Rocco]] as Sol Siler, founder of Play-Tone Records
*[[Bill Cobbs]] as Del Paxton, a jazz pianist and Guy's favorite musician
*[[Peter Scolari]] as Troy Chesterfield, film actor and host of ''The Hollywood Television Showcase''
*[[Rita Wilson]] as Marguerite, the waitress at The Blue Spot jazz club
*[[Chris Isaak]] as Guy's Uncle Bob, a church minister who records the Wonders' songs "That Thing You Do!" and "All My Only Dreams" for release on 45s
*[[Kevin Pollak]] as Victor "Boss Vic Koss" Kosslovich, Pittsburgh concert promoter
*[[Robert Torti]] as Freddy Fredrickson, a Play-Tone singer
*Chaille Percival as Diane Dane, a Play-Tone singer
*[[Holmes Osborne]] as Mr. Patterson, Guy's father and owner of Patterson's Appliance store
*[[Sean Whalen]] as a heckler at the talent show, later the first "fan" of The Oneders
*[[Clint Howard]] as a KJZZ disc jockey
*[[Kathleen Kinmont]] as Koss' secretary
*[[Jonathan Demme]] as the director of ''Weekend at Party Pier''
*[[Tracy Reiner]] as Anita, the co-star of ''Weekend at Party Pier''
*[[Barry Sobel]] as "Goofball" in ''Weekend at Party Pier''
*[[Paul Feig]] as a KMPC disc jockey
*[[Gedde Watanabe]] as a Play-Tone photographer
*[[Robert Ridgely]] as the ''Hollywood Showcase'' announcer
*[[Marc McClure]] as the ''Hollywood Showcase'' director
*[[Bryan Cranston]] as [[Gus Grissom|Virgil "Gus" Grissom]], an astronaut who appears as a guest on ''The Hollywood Television Showcase''
*[[Colin Hanks]] as a page at the City of Broadcasting
*Larry Antonino as Scott "Wolfman" Pell, a Play-Tone session musician who becomes the Wonders' bass guitarist after T.B. Player leaves for the Marines
*Kennya J. Ramsey, Julie L. Harkness, and Darlene Dillinger as the Chantrellines, a Play-Tone girl group
*[[Howie Long]] as Mr. White's driver/partner Lloyd in the extended cut; his part was entirely cut from the theatrical release.
}}

==Production and music==
The film features original music by [[Tom Hanks]], [[Adam Schlesinger]], [[Rick Elias]], Scott Rogness, [[Mike Piccirillo]], [[Gary Goetzman]] and [[Howard Shore]]. In the film, the Wonders rise to brief stardom on the strength of "[[That Thing You Do! (song)|That Thing You Do]]", a song written as a wistful ballad but which becomes an uptempo rocker during the band's first performance at a talent show. Written and composed for the film by Adam Schlesinger, [[bassist]] for [[Fountains of Wayne]] and [[Ivy (band)|Ivy]] and released on the film's soundtrack, the song became a genuine hit for the Wonders in 1996 (the song peaked at number 41 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], number 22 on the [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|Adult Contemporary]] charts, number 18 on the [[Adult Top 40]], and number 24 on the [[Top 40 Mainstream]] charts). The track was nominated for a [[54th Golden Globe Awards|1996 Golden Globe Award]] as well as a [[69th Academy Awards|1996 Academy Award]] for Best Original Song. [[Mike Viola]] of [[the Candy Butchers]] provided the lead vocals for the Wonders.

In the film, the title song is referenced with "All My Only Dreams" as the B-side. The actual 45&nbsp;rpm single, released to record stores in North America, features "Dance with Me Tonight" as its B-side. The song has since been [[cover version|recorded]] by [[the Knack]], [[Billie Joe Armstrong]], and Bubblegum Lemonade. The Wonders are also seen playing the song "Little Wild One". This was written by the band [[Gigolo Aunts]] as a "faux-Beatles"-style tune at the request of their record label to be submitted for consideration for inclusion in the film.<ref>{{cite news|title= That Tune You Do: Writing The Music For THAT THING YOU DO |work= FilmBuffOnline|date=August 18, 2007|url= http://www.filmbuffonline.com/FBOLNewsreel/wordpress/2007/08/18/that-tune-you-do-writing-the-music-for-that-thing-you-do/|access-date=February 5, 2016|first=Rich|last=Drees}}</ref>

To perform the Wonders' songs convincingly on-camera, Scott, Schaech, Zahn and Embry took several weeks of individual lessons, followed by daily practice as a group. Of the four, only Zahn and Embry had any prior experience of playing their assigned instruments. They eventually honed their performance to the point where extras on the set thought they were actually playing the songs, when in reality they were miming along to recordings by professional musicians.<ref name="Sollosi">{{cite magazine|url=http://ew.com/article/2016/10/04/that-thing-you-do-20th-anniversary-wonders/|title=That Thing You Do! 20th anniversary: The Wonders look back|last=Sollosi|first=Mary|date=October 4, 2016|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=April 27, 2017}}</ref>

The song that plays during the film's [[opening credits]], "Lovin' You Lots and Lots", is credited to the fictitious Norm Wooster Singers and was actually written by Hanks. This song is a send-up of [[Ray Conniff]], [[Mitch Miller]], and other practitioners of the "beautiful music" or proto-[[Elevator music|Muzak]] formats that were a staple of adult radio during the early 1960s such as on [[KPOL (AM)|KPOL (AM) 1540]] in Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000002BQE |title=That Thing You Do: Various Artists: Music |access-date=January 31, 2011 |website=Amazon.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Steve |last=Blodgett |url=http://www.earthsignals.com/Collins/0025/ |title=KPOL Archive #1 |website=Earthsignals.com |access-date=January 31, 2011}}</ref> Hanks also composed Guy's jazzy signature drum solo, "I Am Spartacus".

The Wonders' bass guitarist (played by Ethan Embry) is unnamed in the film; in the end credits, he is credited as "T.B. Player". This is short for "The Bass Player", a joke based on the perception that bass players are often unknown and unappreciated. Embry later provided his own take on the character's real name: "I just said my name was Tobias, because he's ''such'' a Tobias. You just take the vowels out [and it's T.B.]. His nickname was Toby, but his mom calls him Tobias. And his last name actually was Player, because he was a player, dude! That carousel ride with the Chantrellines? Total player."<ref name="Sollosi" />

The band at the Blue Spot were portrayed by jazz musicians [[Alphonse Mouzon]], [[James Leary (musician)|James Leary]] and Barth Beasley.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-02-06 |title=Remembering Alphonse Mouzon |url=https://downbeat.com/news/detail/remembering-alphonse-mouzon |access-date=2025-05-29 |website=downbeat.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=James H. Leary – Arkansas Black Hall of Fame |url=https://arblackhalloffame.org/honorees/2023/leary/ |access-date=2025-05-29 |website=arblackhalloffame.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-01-04 |title=Exclusive Interview With Barth Beasley |url=https://hoodcriticmagazine.com/2016/01/03/exclusive-interview-with-barth-beasley/ |access-date=2025-05-29 |language=en}}</ref>

===The real Wonders===
There were at least two real groups named the Wonders who made the record charts at various radio stations in the early 1960s. One was a soul group who had a record called "Please Don't Cry" (b/w "[[With These Hands (song)|With These Hands]]"; Bamboo 523) that was cited in the September 1, 1962, issue of ''Billboard'' as having "moderate sales potential", but it was not successful.<ref>''Billboard'', 1 Sep 1962, p. 24</ref> (The flip, however, was played by [[KGYM|KCRG]] in [[Cedar Rapids, Iowa]], in the fall of 1962.)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://las-solanas.com/arsa/surveys_item.php?svid=3789 |title=KCRG 1600 Cedar Rapids Survey 09/22/62 |first=Tim |last=Warden |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203020543/http://las-solanas.com/arsa/surveys_item.php?svid=3789 |archive-date=February 3, 2014}}</ref>

The other Wonders had a regional hit record called "Say There" (b/w "Marilyn"; [[Colpix]] 699), released in August 1963.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.45cat.com/record/cp699|title=45cat - The Wonders [Colpix] - Say There / Marilyn - Colpix - USA - CP 699|work=45cat}}</ref> A mixed race [[doo wop]] group from New York City, they also recorded as the {{sic|Satans Four}}.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/4243601-The-Wonders-7 | title=The Wonders (7) | website=[[Discogs]] }}</ref> "Say There" hit the Top 20 at [[WYTS|WCOL]] in [[Columbus, Ohio]], and made the top 30 at [[KQV]] in [[Pittsburgh]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://las-solanas.com/arsa/charts_item.php?srt0=t40_tw&lttl=28&hsid=14677&srt1=chartweek|title=The Wonders – Say There|first=Tim |last=Warden|access-date=January 22, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203020540/http://las-solanas.com/arsa/charts_item.php?srt0=t40_tw&lttl=28&hsid=14677&srt1=chartweek|archive-date=February 3, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> In addition, the tune made the radio publication ''The Gavin Report'' as a regional hit in their August 16, 1963, issue.

==Soundtrack==
{{Main|That Thing You Do! (soundtrack)}}
The soundtrack album (released under the Playtone name in conjunction with Epic Records) was also a hit, peaking at #21 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] albums chart. The CD artwork is a replica of the fictional Playtone label used in the movie, and the liner notes are done in a [[mockumentary]] style, as if the Wonders had been a real group and the events of the film had actually happened. Hanks later used the success of ''That Thing You Do!'' as a springboard to launch the actual [[Playtone|Playtone Records]] label, through which the soundtracks of all his subsequent films, as well as other films such as ''[[Bring It On (film)|Bring It On]]'' and television programs such as ''[[The Sopranos]]'', were released as albums.

==Reception==
===Box office===
The film grossed $25.9 million domestically and $8.7 million internationally for a total worldwide gross of $34.6 million.<ref name="boxofficemojo.com" />
The film debuted at No. 3.<ref>{{cite news|title= Weekend Box Office |work= The Los Angeles Times|date=October 8, 1996|url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-10-08-ca-51781-story.html|access-date=January 1, 2011|first=Claudia|last=Puig}}</ref>

=== Critical response ===
On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film has an approval rating of 94% based on reviews from 62 critics, with an average rating of 7.30/10. The site's consensus reads, "A light, sweet, and thoroughly entertaining debut for director Tom Hanks, ''That Thing You Do!'' makes up in charm what it lacks in complexity".<ref>{{cite web |title=That Thing You Do! (1996) |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/that_thing_you_do |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=December 5, 2022 }}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a score of 71 out of 100 based on reviews from 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{cite web |title=That Thing You Do! |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/that-thing-you-do! |website=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=May 4, 2020 }}</ref> <!-- CinemaScore THAT THING YOU DO (1996) A- -->

[[Emanuel Levy]] of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' called it "A top-notch production, exuberant period music and Hanks the actor in an important role cunningly disguised a rather slight and inconsequential narrative."<ref>{{cite web |date=September 16, 1996 |last1=Levy |first1=Emanuel |author-link=Emanuel Levy |title=That Thing You Do |url=https://variety.com/review/VE1117905610 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] }}</ref>
[[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' gave it 3 out of 4 and wrote: "The movie may be inconsequential, but in some ways that's a strength. Without hauling in a lot of deep meanings, it remembers with great warmth a time and a place."<ref>{{cite web |date=October 4, 1996 |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |title=That Thing You Do! |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/that-thing-you-do-1996 |website=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] }}</ref>

===Accolades===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Award
! Category
! Nominee(s)
! Result
|-
| 20/20 Awards
| Best Song
| rowspan="2"| "[[That Thing You Do! (song)|That Thing You Do!]]" <br> Music and Lyrics by [[Adam Schlesinger]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[69th Academy Awards|Academy Awards]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1997 |title=The 69th Academy Awards (1997) Nominees and Winners |access-date=October 23, 2011 |publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141109082132/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1997 |archive-date=November 9, 2014}}</ref>
| [[Academy Award for Best Original Song|Best Original Song]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[American Comedy Awards#1997 awards|American Comedy Awards]]
| Funniest Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
| [[Tom Hanks]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Casting Society of America#Artios Awards|Artios Awards]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.castingsociety.com/awards/artios/1997 |title=Nominees/Winners |publisher=[[Casting Society of America]] |access-date=January 6, 2019 |archive-date=October 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221006173814/https://www.castingsociety.com/awards/artios/1997 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| [[Artios Award for Outstanding Achievement in Casting - Big Budget Feature (Comedy)|Best Casting for Feature Film – Comedy]]
| John Lyons
| {{won}}
|-
| [[California Film Commission|California on Location Awards]]
| colspan="2"| Production Company of the Year – Features
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 1996|Chicago Film Critics Association Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://chicagofilmcritics.org/awards-blog/archives |title=1988-2013 Award Winner Archives |website=[[Chicago Film Critics Association]] |date=January 2013 |access-date=August 24, 2021}}</ref>
| [[Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Score|Best Original Score]]
| [[Howard Shore]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Florida Film Critics Circle Awards 1996|Florida Film Critics Circle Awards]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.floridafilmcritics.com/2013/11/16/1996-ffcc-award-winners/ |title=1996 FFCC AWARD WINNERS |website=[[Florida Film Critics Circle]] |access-date=August 24, 2021}}</ref>
| Best Song
| rowspan="4"| "That Thing You Do!" <br> Music and Lyrics by Adam Schlesinger
| {{won}}
|-
| [[54th Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/film/thing-you-do |title=That Thing You Do! – Golden Globes |website=[[HFPA]] |access-date=July 5, 2021 |ref={{harvid|HFPA|1997}}}}</ref>
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song|Best Original Song]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| Online Film & Television Association Awards<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oftaawards.com/film-awards/2nd-annual-film-awards-1996/ |title=1st Annual Film Awards (1996) |website=Online Film & Television Association |access-date=May 15, 2021 |archive-date=October 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231023033949/http://www.oftaawards.com/film-awards/2nd-annual-film-awards-1996/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| Best Original Song
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[1st Golden Satellite Awards|Satellite Awards]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pressacademy.com/award_cat/1997/ |title=1997 Satellite Awards |website=[[Satellite Awards]] |access-date=August 24, 2021}}</ref>
| [[Satellite Award for Best Original Song|Best Original Song]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[18th Youth in Film Awards|Young Artist Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.youngartistawards.org/pastnoms18.htm |title=18th Youth In Film Awards |access-date=March 31, 2011 |work=YoungArtistAwards.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110402060451/http://www.youngartistawards.org/pastnoms18.htm |archive-date=April 2, 2011}}</ref>
| colspan="2"| Best Family Feature – Musical or Comedy
| {{nom}}
|}

== Reunion ==
The [[Erie SeaWolves]] hosted Wonders Night on September 4, 2021, at [[UPMC Park]]. Cast members [[Johnathon Schaech]], [[Tom Everett Scott]], and [[Steve Zahn]] traveled to Erie for the occasion and participated in a panel discussion, autograph session, and elements of the ballgame presentation. Cast member [[Ethan Embry]] joined the panel discussion virtually. As a result of funds collected from VIP experiences as well as memorabilia and jersey auctions, the 25th anniversary event raised $25,500 for Notice Ability, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping students with dyslexia.<ref>{{Cite web|title=NoticeAbility.org|url=https://www.noticeability.org/|access-date=November 9, 2021|website=NoticeAbility.org|language=en-US}}</ref> Additional donations were made to Notice Ability, bringing the total sum raised to nearly a quarter of a million dollars.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Wright|first=Jarah|date=November 8, 2021|title=2021 Promotion of the Year: The Wonders reunite at Erie SeaWolves game|url=https://ballparkdigest.com/2021/11/08/2021-promotion-of-the-year-the-wonders-reunite-at-erie-seawolves-game/|access-date=November 9, 2021|website=Ballpark Digest|publisher=August Publications|language=en-US}}</ref> Wonders Night also earned the SeaWolves Promotion of the Year recognition by ''Ballpark Digest''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Wonders Night Named Ballpark Digest Promotion of the Year|url=https://www.milb.com/news/wonders-night-promo-of-the-year|access-date=November 9, 2021|date=November 9, 2021|website=MiLB.com|language=en}}</ref>

==Home media==
===Initial release===
''That Thing You Do!'' was first released on April 2, 1997, on VHS and Laserdisc. In 1998, the film became available in the [[DIVX]] format (as with all [[20th Century Fox]] films), rather than [[DVD]].

===First DVD===
After DIVX failed, the film was released on DVD on June 5, 2001. It included the featurette "The Making of ''That Thing You Do!''", and two music videos.

===Extended Edition DVD===
On May 8, 2007, ''Tom Hanks' Extended Edition'' was released on DVD. The film's theatrical cut and an extended cut with 39&nbsp;additional minutes of deleted scenes are included.

Many of the deleted scenes are devoted to character development. A tastefully steamy look at Guy's "make-out" session with Tina at his apartment is included. The extended version also goes more in-depth with Guy's developing relationship with Faye (via mild flirting) and his deteriorating relationship with Tina, as well as Tina's budding relationship with her dentist, Dr. Collins. It also suggests that the character portrayed by Tom Hanks (Mr. White) is not only gay but in a relationship with a man played by former [[National Football League|NFL]] defensive lineman [[Howie Long]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2017/10/that-thing-you-do-gay-subplot-twenty-years-later-lgbt-1201883706/ |title='That Thing You Do!' Twenty-One Years Later: The Gay Subplot That Never Made it Into Theaters |last=Dry |first=Jude |date=October 4, 2017 |website=Indiewire.com |publisher=[[IndieWire]] |access-date=July 27, 2018}}</ref>

More camera time is also devoted to the tryst between the bass player and one of the singers of the Chantrellines. In the theatrical cut, this romance was depicted mainly as an unrequited crush on the part of the bass player; in the extended cut it is clearly shown that his efforts were successful.

At the end of the Extended Edition, rather than becoming a studio drummer on the recommendation of Del Paxton, Guy becomes a disc jockey for the jazz station KJZZ and records a documentary series of interviews with legendary jazz musicians.

===2007 DVD repackage re-release===
''That Thing You Do!'' was packaged with ''[[Bachelor Party (1984 film)|Bachelor Party]]'' and ''[[The Man with One Red Shoe]]'' in the ''Tom Hanks Triple Feature'' DVD anthology set. The actual DVD appears to be the original 2001 disc, with the featurette and music videos.

===Blu-ray release===
[[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment]] released the film on Blu-ray on April 2, 2013. The Blu-ray includes the Theatrical and Extended cuts as well as all of the bonus features found on the two-disc DVD.

==See also==
* [[Playtone]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite web |last=Kring-Schreifels |first=Jake |date=2021-10-01 |title=Pure Nostalgia: The Oral History of 'That Thing You Do!' |url=https://www.theringer.com/movies/2021/10/1/22702189/that-thing-you-do-oral-history-tom-hanks |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=[[The Ringer (website)|The Ringer]]}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{Mojo title}}
* {{Metacritic film}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes}}
* {{AFI film}}
* {{TCMDb title}}

{{Tom Hanks}}
{{Authority control}}

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[[Category:1990s musical comedy-drama films]]
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