History Film / ThatThingYouDo

** Casey Kasem and Dick Clark both said that "That Thing You Do!" would be a smash hit had it been released in the 60's.

* VarietyShow: ''The Hollywood Television Showcase,'' an AffectionateParody of (or {{Homage}} to) ''The EdSullivanShow'' or ''Hollywood Palace''.

* VarietyShow: ''The Hollywood Television Showcase,'' an AffectionateParody of (or {{Homage}} to) ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' or ''Hollywood Palace''.

* VarietyShow: ''The Hollywood Television Showcase,'' an AffectionateParody (or ShoutOut) to ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' or ''Hollywood Palace''.

* Music/GarageRock

* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue

* WhatDidYouExpectWhenYouNamedIt: They've got ''one'' song, which is a runaway hit, and you want to call them the ''Wonders''? {{Lampshaded}} by Mr. White when [[spoiler:Jimmy quits]]:
--> "One-hit Wonders."

* {{Defictionalization}}: Tom Hanks named his production company [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playtone Playtone]] after the fictional "Play-Tone Records" in the film.

* MagicalNegro: Lamarr the the doorman at the Ambassador Hotel who directs Guy where to meet his idol and encourages him to pursue Faye.

* PunnyName: "Oneders", "Heardsmen", "Chordvettes"...Jimmy seems to have a real fondness for these.

* RunningGag: "You guys look great in [insert color of suits the band is wearing today], have I mentioned that?"

* ShoutOut: Numerous to Music/TheBeatles and other pop music acts of the early 1960s. Guy also name-checks several jazz artists at one point.

* WhatDidYouExpectWhenYouNamedIt: They've got ''one'' song, which is a runaway hit, and you want to call them the ''Wonders''?

* YokoOhNo: [[invoked]] Part of the tension of the movie stems from the love triangle between Jimmy, Faye and Guy. [[spoiler: Although it's Jimmy who thinks that marrying Faye would be bad for the band, [[WhatTheHellHero and his dumping her for this reason is seen by the other band members as rather tasteless.]]]]

** Lenny is apparently a big fan of ''{{Bonanza}}'' and ''TheBeverlyHillbillies''.

** During his argument with Faye after the TV appearance jimmy is shown changing his guitar strings. This is a good idea for anyone planning on recording the next day (as he is) since it will give it a "fresher" sound.

With their record zooming up the charts, hordes of screaming fans greeting them at every stop on tour and a gig on ''The Hollywood Television Showcase'', the sky's the limit for the newly renamed Wonders... until they start trying to cope with success.... and Guy develops a not-unreciprocated interest in Jimmy's girlfriend Faye Dolan (LivTyler).

* RealLifeRelative: Tom Hanks' wife plays the waitress at the jazz club.

** Several characters have names which are references to astronaut characters in ''Apollo 13'' (Haise, Mattingly, White). And astronaut Gus Grissom is a guest on ''The Hollywood Television Showcase,'' which is itself a ShoutOut to the ''EdSullivanShow'' and ''Hollywood Palace''.

1996 comedy movie written and directed by TomHanks, who also appears in a starring role.

* JerkassFacade: Minor case; Mr. White acts like a typical hard-nosed studio executive, but is a pretty decent guy when all is said and done. Of course, he's played by TomHanks, [[TypeCasting so this is probably to be expected.]]

* ExcitedShowTitle

* ExcitedTitle

Naming themselves the 'One-ders' (as in Wonders) on the sound-for-the-time logic that a PunnyName worked for Music/TheBeatles, the band intends to perform a slow ballad written by Jimmy and Lenny called "That Thing You Do". The night of the comp, however, Guy leads them off at a much faster tempo than they'd rehearsed, giving them no choice but to transform it into a snappy pop number. ''Auteur'' Jimmy and easy-going Lenny are both upset... until they see the crowds dancing in the aisles.

Naming themselves the 'One-ders' (as in Wonders) on the sound-for-the-time logic that a PunnyName worked for Music/TheBeatles, the band intends to perform a slow ballad written by Jimmy and Lenny called "That Thing You Do". The night of the comp, however, Guy leads them off at a much faster tempo than they'd rehearsed, giving them no choice but to transform it into a snappy pop number. ''Auteur'' Jimmy and easy-going Lenny are both horrified... until they see the crowds dancing in the aisles.

Naming themselves the 'One-ders' (as in Wonders) on the sound-for-the-time logic that a PunnyName worked for TheBeatles, the band intends to perform a slow ballad written by Jimmy and Lenny called "That Thing You Do". The night of the comp, however, Guy leads them off at a much faster tempo than they'd rehearsed, giving them no choice but to transform it into a snappy pop number. ''Auteur'' Jimmy and easy-going Lenny are both horrified... until they see the crowds dancing in the aisles.

* AffectionateParody: Of those early-1960s {{One Hit Wonder}}s formed after the success of TheBeatles in the United States, and TheBritishInvasion that resulted.

* ShoutOut: Numerous to TheBeatles and other pop music acts of the early 1960s. Guy also name-checks several jazz artists at one point.

*** And yet another Shout Out: the "CAREFUL GIRLS, HE'S ENGAGED" is a direct reference to TheBeatles' performance on ''Ed Sullivan'', when John Lennon had the subtitle "SORRY GIRLS, HE'S MARRIED."

** Mr. White's homosexuality may be an allusion to TheBeatles' gay manager, Brian Epstein.