HOT: That Thing You Do

So, I have seen this movie a ton of times. In fact, I got a copy of it on DVD a few year's ago. But, it's on television so much that I had never opened it.

Well, for the Hanks-O-Thon it was time to watch the DVD. And, to my surprise, there was a Director's Cut available - and since I had seen the original version so many times I figured I'd give it a shot.

There wasn't too much more in the director's cut of That Thing You Do. A lot of the extra scenes involved the characters and gave them some extra depth. But, there were some scenes that really opened my eyes to a character, something I never saw in the original.

Anyway, a quick rundown of the film. A small band in Erie, Pennsylvania is about to play at a local talent contest. Jimmy Mattingly (Johnathan Schaech), Lenny Haise (Steve Zahn), T.B. Player (Ethan Embree) and Chad (Giovanni Ribisi) make up the band. Mattingly's girlfriend Faye (Liv Tyler) is also prominently featured as part of the band, even though she doesn't sing.

A few days before the contest, Chad tries to jump over a parking meter and falls and breaks his arm. In a bind the group goes to Guy Patterson (Tom Everett Scott), a drummer who is being coached to take over his father's appliance store.

The song 'That Thing You Do' was written by Mattingly and was meant to be a ballad - but once Guy gets things rolling, the song becomes very upbeat and becomes a hit - and even nets them a job singing at a local restaurant.

After cutting an album on their own, the band is signed by a manager who promises to get their song on the radio and get them playing in larger cities - and he comes through. So much so that 'The Oneders' is soon signed by Playtone Records and Mr. White (Tom Hanks) - who changes their name to 'The Wonders'.

The song climbs the charts for months and the band plays state fairs with the rest of the Playtone galaxy. But, as things really begin to get good for the band - they also start to drift apart.

I really enjoy this movie. So simple, yet so fun.

The two main things in the director's cut that we get to see is Guy's girlfriend, Tina (Charlize Theron), fall in love with her dentist. In the original, we see her meet her dentist and see that there is something there - but here we see much more of the two of them interacting. The second thing we see - Mr. White is apparently gay. I never saw any really glimpse of this in the original, but there were a few scenes in the director's cut - including seeing his boyfriend, played by former NFL star Howie Long.

Doesn't change the movie all that much, but pretty interesting to see the whole picture now.

Hanks isn't in the movie a ton, more of a side character. The real star is Scott, Tyler and the other band members. But, his touches are all over it - including writing and directing it. Not to mention the slew of actors in bit parts throughout the movie from a lot of his other movies, including his wife, Rita Wilson.

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Eagle Eye

Jerry Shaw (Shia LaBeouf) has just lost his twin brother, Ethan, in Eagle Eye. Jerry is the black sheep of the family - Ethan has always been the go-getter, including being part of the military.

As Jerry tries to return to his normal life of evading his landlord and the Copy Cabana, he enters his apartment to find a ton of military weaponry and secrets.

Jerry's phone rings and a voice on the other end tries to get him out of the situation before the FBI arrives to arrest him. Jerry refuses and is taken into custody and questioned by Agent Thomas Morgan (Billy Bob Thornton).

Allowed one phone call, Jerry tries to call his parents when the same voice as before tells him to duck as a crane smacks open the windows of the room he is in and he is told to jump out of the building.

In another part of town, Rachel Holloman (Michelle Monaghan) has just dropped her son off at the train station for a trip to D.C. to play a concert. Rachel also receives a call from the same voice, and is told to wait in a car or her son's train will derail.

This is where both Jerry and Rachel meet up and a wild chase ensues for the rest of the film, until its climax.

The movie is action packed and very well done. Rosario Dawson, Michael Chiklis, Anthony Mackie and Ethan Embry also star in the film.

There was one thing that bothered me throughout the film, however, and that was the inclusion of Rachel. It was very obvious the reasoning behind Jerry's involvement - he looked and sounded exactly like his twin brother. But Rachel only seemed to picked at random - because her son was going to be on that train.

But, that was basically it. I know a lot of things went on in the film that seem a little crazy, but those things don't bother me that much - I know it's a film.

I, again, continue to be very impressed with LaBeouf. He has certainly come a long way and continues to climb up the A-list charts. I had only seen Monaghan a few times before this - but she also stood out in the film as the conflicted mother.

I have never been a Dawson fan, but I was not annoyed with her performance in this film. Thornton was very entertaining in his role as well.

If you are looking for pretty much non-stop action sequences then this is your film - and the ending was pretty well done, annd actually rather touching as you get to know the characters.

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LWITM: Can't Hardly Wait

I figured I would at least give you all (the few that look here) a little something. I have thought about doing this for a little while now, and since I have nothing to say today - it might be the perfect time.

I have noticed that there are a few movies out there from the past, whose casts are pretty strong - especially if they would try to get that cast together today.

So, my first Look Who's In That Movie (LWITM) is about Can't Hardly Wait.

Can't Hardly Wait arrived in theaters in 1998 with the huge star supposedly Jennifer Love Hewitt. But, dive a little deeper and you will see just how many of today's stars were just up-and-comers when this little movie came out.

First off, you have the circle of stars in this film:

• Jennifer Love Hewitt played Amanda Beckett, the object of Preston Myers affection.
• Ethan Embry played Preston Myers, a boy who pined after Amanda since the first day she walked into school - but never had the courage to speak to her.
• Lauren Ambrose played Denise Fleming, a girl who thought she was better than the high school crowd - and was Preston's best friend.
• Seth Green played Kenny Fisher, a boy who acted urban despite obviously being very white. His whole persona was trying to get laid.
• Peter Facinelli played Mike Dexter, Amanda's ex-boyfriend and ruler of the high school. The very obvious jock-type who picks on the nerds and is looking to score.
• Charlie Korsmo played William Lichter, a huge nerd whose purpose for attending the party is to embarrass Mike - but ends up getting drunk and becoming the life of the party.

Hewitt was a decent sized star before this movie came out with her television role on Party of Five and movie roles like I Know What You Did Last Summer. Green has become a huge star in Hollywood with film roles, guest stars on television shows and two of his own in Robot Chicken and Family Guy. Ambrose had the starring role in the hit television series Six Feet Under. Facinelli starred in Fastlane, and has been last seen in Damages. Korsmo, however, did a reverse turn. He was more known for his child roles in Hook and Dick Tracy - Can't Hardly Wait was his last film role.

Dive a little deeper, however, and even those smaller characters have become players in Hollywood.

• Scrubs star Donald Faison was the Lovebürger drummer.
• My Name Is Earl star Jaime Pressly played Beth, one of Amanda's friends.
• American Pie's Chris Owen was the Klepto Kid.
• Breckin Myer of Road Trip played the Lovebürger lead singer.
• Sabrina the Teenage Witch's Melissa-Joan Hart was the Yearbook Girl.
• Selma Blair, of Hellboy, was one of the girls that Mike hits on.
• Less Than Perfect star Sara Rue was known as Earth Girl.
• 24's Eric Balfour played the Hippie Guy.
• How I Met Your Mother star Jason Segal was the Watermelon Guy.
• Save the Last Dance's Sean Patrick Thomas was Mike's jock friend.
• Freddy Rodriguez from Grindhouse played another jock friend.
• Cloverfield's Brian Klugman was the Stoner Guy.

That's most of the now known characters, but I am sure there are more. A pretty eclectic list - and I am sure most of those actors/actresses would not be in this movie - if it were made today. The asking price for some of their salaries might almost eclipse the entire movie's budget.

It's pretty cool that so many characters from one film have made it, at least somewhat, in the movie/television world. I will keep my eyes open for more films like this - and when I don't have much to write about, I will slap that sucker into a blog.

Hope you like it.

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