That Thing You Do! (1996) Family Movie Review | 30th Anniversary Special | Ep. 114

It's the feel-good movie that made you want to start a band — and one of Tom Hanks' most personal passion projects. On this family movie review, Isaac and Seth bring real film analysis and honest movie reviews to the 1996 gem That Thing You Do!, celebrating its 30th anniversary, to ask: does this nostalgic one-hit wonder still have us tapping our feet, or has the song finally faded out after all these years? They dig into Tom Hanks' writing and directorial debut — reportedly written out of boredom while promoting Forrest Gump — the tight, character-driven ensemble cast, and a surprisingly deep look at how one song can change a band's life forever. Plus the incredible detail work throughout the film, from subtle callbacks to the way the cinematography puts you right in the drummer's seat. Fun facts you'll want to share: the title song was written by Fountains of Wayne bassist Adam Schlesinger for a studio-held songwriting contest. The actors playing the band rehearsed for a full eight weeks to look authentic performing their instruments. And in real life, "That Thing You Do!" actually charted at #41 on the Billboard Hot 100. Plus a true-or-false trivia question about a surprising real-life connection between two of the film's stars, a look at glowing reviews from around the internet, the Kid Test (this one skews a bit older, and Isaac's younger kids weren't quite ready for it yet), and a rare unanimous rating — both hosts are taking this one home. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 – Intro: A Nostalgic Family Movie Review Begins 1:26 – Movie Reveal: That Thing You Do! (1996) — A 30th Anniversary Celebration 2:10 – Film Facts & Granny's Family-Friendly Rating 6:03 – First Memories & Nostalgia 9:35 – Plot Rewind: Full Film Analysis Begins 13:24 – Character Breakdown & Band Dynamics 23:15 – Favorite Quotes & Scenes 26:15 – Fun Facts: Tom Hanks' Forrest Gump-Era Inspiration 31:35 – More Fun Facts: 8 Weeks of Band Rehearsal & a Charlize Theron Story 34:52 – Trivia: The Real-Life Best Man Twist 36:22 – What Other Movie Reviews Are Saying 43:27 – The Kid Test 46:17 – Our Official Family Movie Review Rating 52:53 – Outro & Where to Find Us We've also partnered with Big Poppin' LLC for our own custom flavor — "Grandma's Punch-Aid"! Follow them to grab your bag: https://www.facebook.com/BigPoppinLLC/ Find us on YouTube, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, and TikTok for more family movie reviews. Sign up for our newsletter for a chance to win a FREE movie poster from movieposters.com — use code GRANDMASHOUSE for up to 15% off: https://moviesatgrandmashouse.beehiiv.com/ Check out our Patreon for exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/c/MoviesatGrandmasHousePodcast Hello hello! We'd love to hear your thoughts, send us a voice note!