‘That Thing You Do!’: The movie that changed Tom Hanks’ career forever
Tom Hanks has always been refreshingly humble about himself and unpretentious about his career. He recognises that he’s a lucky guy and isn’t afraid to acknowledge his privilege. That self-deprecation is a large part of his appeal as a star. Unlike the A-listers, who are so glamorous and aloof that they seem immune to such mortal frailties as self-doubt and personal failure, Hanks has always been candid about his insecurities and regrets without seeming self-indulgent.
From an outsider’s perspective, he’s had a pretty good run. Four and a half decades into his career, it’s safe to say that he’s one of the biggest movie stars of the past half-century and quite possibly the most beloved of them all. But just like any other human being, he’s had his struggles, and those struggles have helped shape who he is as an actor.
In 1996, Hanks made his feature debut as a director on the film That Thing You Do!, which he also wrote. The story is set in the 1960s and follows a one-hit-wonder band called, appropriately enough, The Wonders. Hanks plays the band’s manager alongside Tom Everett Scott, Steve Zahn, and Liv Tyler.
Considering that the history of movie stars directing movies has been decidedly checkered, That Thing You Do! was remarkably well received and almost certainly would have been, even if no one ever found out that Hanks had directed it. Charming, nostalgic, and warmhearted, it is exactly the type of movie that one would expect from the affable Forrest Gump star, and it remains an endearing watch.
For Hanks, the film was a watershed moment, and not necessarily in a good way. Around its release, he spoke candidly to The Virginian Pilot about the difficulties of being a director and how it had already changed his perspective as an actor.
“There’s something to be said for being a highly paid movie star,” he said. “You may get bored sitting in your trailer, but the director never gets to go to the trailer.”
As a director and actor on That Thing You Do!, Hanks started work at four every morning and didn’t finish until 11:45. “I wasn’t ready for the physical grind of it,” he admitted, adding that the most valuable directing advice he got was from his Nothing in Common director Garry Marshall: change your shoes at lunchtime.
Aside from recognising what a cushy job he had as an Oscar-winning actor, Hanks also resolved to be a little kinder to his directors in the future.
“I don’t think I’ll ever be quite the same actor again,” he said. “I always thought I was a pretty good boy with directors but I had come in late, and grumpy, a couple of times. I know now what that poor guy is going through.”
Given the actor’s track record as the consummate good guy, it’s unlikely that many of his previous directors would have thought this adjustment necessary. They’d probably rather he impart his revelation to certain other actors whose attitudes might have been a bit more lacking in that department. Whether anyone needed it or not, however, Hanks was determined to become a better person.
