A hip, amateur quartet gains local fame for a catchy single. Soon, the single becomes a big seller and attracts the attention of a big record label. Unfortunately, the small band is not equipped to deal with the challenges that accompany fame.

THAT THING YOU DO came out at the height of Tom Hanks’s fame in the late 90’s and most people look to this movie as proof of his mortality. I, for one, disagree with that notion and think that this film just proves how great he really is. The movie that he wrote, directed and appeared in is a fun, enjoyable film that appeals to audiences of all age groups.

You can’t mention the movie without mentioning the music, and that’s another feather in Tom Hanks’s cap since he wrote some of the songs (although not the title song) too. If the song had been released forty years ago, it would surely be a staple on today’s oldies stations. Unfortunately, we hear the song about 200 times during the course of the film, so it’s easy to get sick of it. However, they were a one-hit wonder and the overuse of the song is kind of the point.

Perhaps Tom’s biggest mistake was not giving himself a bigger part. I realize he was probably trying to stay out of it because he didn’t want to steal the show, but the scenes with him in it really are the cream of the crop. The movie gets off to a slow start until that point and stalls when he’s not in the movie. As much as I like Tom Everett Scott and the rest of the supporting cast, they didn’t carry the film as well as they should have.

This version of the film is “Tom Hanks’s extended cut” and it includes some additional scenes. I wouldn’t say the extended cut changes anything, but one thing it did do was include a lot more scenes with Charlize Theron. She got a lot more screen time this time around. I would say I like this version better, only because her scenes add more to the development of Tom Everett Scott’s character.

Video: Widescreen (1.85:1): The transfer looked pretty good and it’s clear the video has been cleaned up from the original release.

Audio: English 5.1, Spanish and French 2.0 with English and Spanish subtitles: The audio also sounded good with surround channels being used appropriately.

The Wonders! Big in Japan (6:58): The cast went to Japan to promote the film and this features interviews with them about their experience. It was a neat little featurette and it was nice to get their views on their trip.

The Story of the Wonders (30:48): This was a little long considering it didn’t really cover that much material. The cast is interviewed about the movie and they basically sum up what the film is about. If you watch this, then you’ve probably already seen the movie and this will be kind of a waste of your time.

Making That Thing You Do (13:43): This is cool because it features a lot of Mr. Hanks. He talks about the film and his inspirations for writing it. There are other cast interviews thrown in, but his are the most interesting.

That Thing You Do Reunion (10:16): I love reunion pieces and this one was pretty decent. There are too many movie clips thrown in, but it’s still alright. Is it just me, or does Ethan Embry look really old?

HBO First Look (13:01): Typical HBO documentary. Way too many movie clips and not worth the time if you’ve seen the movie.

There are also some Previews, a Music video and some TV spots.

I enjoyed THAT THING YOU DO, and I find it to be a nice, wholesome story with cute characters and funny moments. It’s a good story that’s been done really well. If you didn’t check it out the first time around, be sure to pick up this special edition.