Editorial Review

Tom Hanks's debut as a writer and director is a lively, affectionate account of the shooting-star career of a forgotten (fictional) '60s pop-rock band called The Wonders--as in "one-hit wonders." Hanks plays the manager of the group, which includes drummer Guy "Sticks" Patterson (Tom Everett Scott) who works the floor at his parents' appliance store in Erie, Pennsylvania; Jimmy (Johnathon Schaech), the talented and temperamental lead singer and songwriter; Lenny (Steve Zahn), the goofy guitarist; and Ethan Embry as a geeky little fellow identified in the cast list only as "The Bass Player." The movie traces their meteoric rise and fall, from cutting their first record, to going on tour with a Phil Spector/Motown-type revue, to the internal tensions that lead to the band's disintegration, which comes when they fail to follow up their smash hit single, "That Thing You Do!" And that song, by the way, is so catchy it would definitely have been a hit in 1964--and deserves to be one today. This delightful movie would make a great double-bill with Allison Anders's wonderful Read more

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• Dolby
• NTSC

Reviews (154)

Hideous! 1 star only because there is no lower choice available
This film is so god-awful it makes me sweat with embarassment for my limited participation in enabling its existence by having seen it. TTYD might be an OK film to someone born after the era which Tom Hanks attempts to convey here through cliché and outright quasi-Beatloid parody, but there are films aplenty from the 1960's that pretty much tell the same stale "unknowns-make-it-big" saga with far more authenticity and sincerity, simply by having been made during that time. Not even as believable as a film with Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, nor as musically sophisticated.

Great Little Movie If You're a Fan of Pop Music
I admit to really loving this movie.I read somewhere that Tom Hanks came up with the idea for the script after watching a Beatles documentary.Based on the timing of its mid-90's release, I'm certain it was the Anthology series - which aired in that period on ABC television.Being a huge Beatles fan - and having almost worn out my Anthology DVD set - you can see a lot of the small touches in TTYD taken almost verbatim from the glory days of Beatlemania.As I've read in other reviews, the only real problem with the story arc is the Jimmy character.There's no real evidence of his genius, nor is there a trace of likeability.You also don't accept his "artistic gravitas" (which manifests even while he's still playing in his parents' garage in small-town Erie, PA), because there's not even the slightest hint that he has the goods to back it up.The song that becomes their one hit only did so because it was played contrary to his original concept.This makes the climactic, inevitable ending ring hollow, because at that point you're sort of glad that scowling, sulking and ever-petulant Jimmy is gone.I liked Tom Everett Scott a lot, but Steve Zahn basically walks away with the movie as Lenny - it's kind of a shame he hasn't had more substantial comedic roles over the last 10 years.One of the little details I liked is that they started out as a true garage band, with cheap Sears & Roebuck Silvertone guitars and worn out drums.By the time they reach the middle of their state fair tour, and the record has significantly charted, they're all playing on brand spanking new Rickenbacker's, Fender's and (I think) Ludwig drums.The short scale red Rickenbacker that Jimmy plays is the same model John Lennon used, and in a couple of scenes you can see Jimmy standing on stage aping his head-up, cocksure, wide stance at the mike.
Favorite Movie
This is a classic band movie.It's very inspirational, engaging, has wonderful music you can sing a long to and definetely makes you want the soundtrack.It's a movie that is short, sweet and sensational.The Wonders rock my socks. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Feature Film-comedy    3. Movie   

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (2)

Fallen Angels I
Reminded me of the old black & white, "Who Done It".All stories were good, but "Murder, Obliquely" was my favorite.

Film noir in Technicolour
Fallen Angels 1 has three film noir -stories, each half an hour long, all created in the style of the 40's films. I got this because of Rickman (of course), but wasn't disappointed in any of the other stories either.Read more

Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Feature Film-drama    3. Movie   

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (1)

Fallen Angels, II
Reminded me of the old black & white, "Who Done It".All stories were good, but "Dead-end for Delia" was my favorite.There is quite a twist to this story. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Feature Film-drama    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

Tom Hanks's debut as a writer and director is a lively, affectionate account of the shooting-star career of a forgotten (fictional) '60s pop-rock band called The Wonders--as in "one-hit wonders." Hanks plays the manager of the group, which includes drummer Guy "Sticks" Patterson (Tom Everett Scott) who works the floor at his parents' appliance store in Erie, Pennsylvania; Jimmy (Johnathon Schaech), the talented and temperamental lead singer and songwriter; Lenny (Steve Zahn), the goofy guitarist; and Ethan Embry as a geeky little fellow identified in the cast list only as "The Bass Player." The movie traces their meteoric rise and fall, from cutting their first record, to going on tour with a Phil Spector/Motown-type revue, to the internal tensions that lead to the band's disintegration, which comes when they fail to follow up their smash hit single, "That Thing You Do!" And that song, by the way, is so catchy it would definitely have been a hit in 1964--and deserves to be one today. This delightful movie would make a great double-bill with Allison Anders's wonderful Read more

Features

• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (154)

Hideous! 1 star only because there is no lower choice available
This film is so god-awful it makes me sweat with embarassment for my limited participation in enabling its existence by having seen it. TTYD might be an OK film to someone born after the era which Tom Hanks attempts to convey here through cliché and outright quasi-Beatloid parody, but there are films aplenty from the 1960's that pretty much tell the same stale "unknowns-make-it-big" saga with far more authenticity and sincerity, simply by having been made during that time. Not even as believable as a film with Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, nor as musically sophisticated.

Great Little Movie If You're a Fan of Pop Music
I admit to really loving this movie.I read somewhere that Tom Hanks came up with the idea for the script after watching a Beatles documentary.Based on the timing of its mid-90's release, I'm certain it was the Anthology series - which aired in that period on ABC television.Being a huge Beatles fan - and having almost worn out my Anthology DVD set - you can see a lot of the small touches in TTYD taken almost verbatim from the glory days of Beatlemania.As I've read in other reviews, the only real problem with the story arc is the Jimmy character.There's no real evidence of his genius, nor is there a trace of likeability.You also don't accept his "artistic gravitas" (which manifests even while he's still playing in his parents' garage in small-town Erie, PA), because there's not even the slightest hint that he has the goods to back it up.The song that becomes their one hit only did so because it was played contrary to his original concept.This makes the climactic, inevitable ending ring hollow, because at that point you're sort of glad that scowling, sulking and ever-petulant Jimmy is gone.I liked Tom Everett Scott a lot, but Steve Zahn basically walks away with the movie as Lenny - it's kind of a shame he hasn't had more substantial comedic roles over the last 10 years.One of the little details I liked is that they started out as a true garage band, with cheap Sears & Roebuck Silvertone guitars and worn out drums.By the time they reach the middle of their state fair tour, and the record has significantly charted, they're all playing on brand spanking new Rickenbacker's, Fender's and (I think) Ludwig drums.The short scale red Rickenbacker that Jimmy plays is the same model John Lennon used, and in a couple of scenes you can see Jimmy standing on stage aping his head-up, cocksure, wide stance at the mike.
Favorite Movie
This is a classic band movie.It's very inspirational, engaging, has wonderful music you can sing a long to and definetely makes you want the soundtrack.It's a movie that is short, sweet and sensational.The Wonders rock my socks. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Foreign Film - Spanish/Misc Sa    3. Movie