Let me tell you about "That Thing You Do!" :)

If you have followed Clever Bunnies for any length of time, you know that Becca and I have a thing for 1960's music.

We can blame the start of it on a set of classic car song CDs our dad had, which consisted of a lot of Beach Boys, Jan & Dean, etc.

Then our mom showed us the Monkees, 

If you haven't, shame on you.

and from there we delved deep into the pop and rock groups of that era- Herman's Hermits, Dave Clark Five, The Beatles, The Everly Brothers, Simon & Garfunkel, The Four Seasons, The Lovin' Spoonful, (I could keep going for a long time, but I'll stop.) JK. Chad and Jeremy, Peter and Gordon, Freddie and Dreamers, The Buckinghams, Cyrkle, Peter Paul and Mary, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, We Five, Dusty Springfield, The Zombies, the Kinks, Crosby Stills and Nash, The Association, the Tremolos, the Royal Guardsmen, yes this is all from memory.

There's always a story behind these groups and songs they produced.

How the band met, their rise to fame, and usually the inevitable breakup. 

Even the Everly Brothers split up! I mean, come on Don and Phil, I know there are frustrations to working with your sibling all the time, but you're family, right?

Where am I going with all this?

Well, the other night I was trying to find a movie to watch. My dad and I wanted to watch something, but we couldn't find anything that sounded good.

Then I came across "That Thing You Do".

Synopsis:

Wily band manager Mr. White helps a small town band achieve big time success when they release a Beatles-style pop song in 1964. Pennsylvania band the "Oneders" become a sensation after their drummer breaks his arm, and is replaced by jazz enthusiast, Guy Patterson, who injects something a bit different into their music.

Written and directed by Tom Hanks...he's pretty cool...and Beatles style music in the 60's...let's give it a try!

I don't think Dad loved it as much as I did, but after showing it to Becca the next day, I think we can safely say we've found one of our new favorite movies.

While the story is completely fictional, the tale it tells is a true one in many regards, and sheds some light on what usually happens to "one hit wonder" groups.

Let's introduce you to the band members shall we?

Shades AKA Guy Patterson becomes the backbone of the group, despite his start as a stand-in when their drummer, Chad, got a broken arm.

His life rapidly changes from the dull day-to-day working at his father's appliance store as the group gains fame and rockets into the spotlight.
Guy,"The Smart One" as later dubbed in the film, is optimistic, thoughtful and cares about his friends. He stays calm and steady even through the ups and downs; really holding everyone together.
His passion for music and his drumming never changes, whether playing in the basement of his father's store, on a school's stage, or on live television.

Bethany: "Can I have a guy like Guy?"

Next there is Jimmy, the musical genius and creator of the group. He is the lead singer, the song writer, and very very opinionated.

 As opportunities arise he is rather protective of his music and seems to drag his feet at first. However, when the story progresses we see his priorities shift, getting a bit swept away as the fame goes to his head.

Third on the list is the funny guy, Lenny. Lenny brings a light-hearted attitude to the band, as well as his excellent guitar skills. Impulsive, and seeming to not have anything better to do, Lenny is enthusiastic to hop aboard the music train to fame… and girls.
He is full of energy and terrific one liners :) 

 Next is the poor nameless Bass Player or T.B Player... literally the only name this guy ever gets.
We agree that he is definently the sweetest guy in the group, but he doesn't have too much to say. He is happy to be along for the ride - until August that is.

Last but not least is Faye, Jimmy's girlfriend.

She's encouraging, supportive, and always there for her fellow...even when he's not there for her.
Although she's not with the group on stage, she's a very important member, and wants to help where she can, even if it's fetching Guy's forgotten sunglasses before a performance.

Oh yeah, and she's an elf. :)

Objectionable content:

We need to mention there is some language in this movie, and a few scenes with females in less then modest clothing.
You may also want to look away from the somewhat lengthy kissing scene at the end, but other then that, no inappropriate scenes are shown.


While we enjoy a lot of music from this era of the beginning of Rock n' Roll, we also know it has a justifiably earned reputation for a lot of sinful activities. We live in a fallen world full of sinful people, and whether they lived in 1964 or 2016, people who don't know Jesus Christ as their savior will search out other things to fulfill their lives.

Without focusing on the nitty gritty, this film shows how easily things like pride, greed, and self-focus are destructive in any kind of relationship. The temptations and wild living that come along with fame and fortune are briefly introduced, and realistically adressed, but not overwhelming or glorified.

So if you like catchy music, fun characters, and a blast from the past, you should check out "That Thing You Do"