That Thing You Do
1. The scene in the movie when they first hear their song on the radio demonstrates beautifully the importance of radio airplay in making artists popular during that era. What sort of role does radio play in music today? How do non-radio musical outlets of today compare to those of yesteryear (P2P networks, Internet radio, podcasts, etc.). Are they better or worse?
2. By the early 1960s music was being mass produced for the widest ranging audience possible by ”hit factory” song writers or “cubicle” artists whose full time job, 9-5, was to make hit songs. The Beatles helped to change this and establish the trend of rock acts writing and performing their own music.
As an artist of this new era, Jimmy, the lead singer/songwriter of the Oneders, is hesitant to sign a contract or involve money as it relates to his music. Why do you think he hesitates? What do you think the effect of money is on the music and the artist? What about on the artists themselves? Can money and musical success ever be separated?
3. How important is “image” in the commercialization of rock? Consider how Mr. White (Tom Hanks) crafts theirs. What is he trying to convey to the general public? Does the artist make the image or does the image make the artist?
4. Think about some examples of commercialism in music today. Has it changed since the 50s and 60s? Do you think artists are keeping more or less of their money? Has “the man” figured out new and/or better ways of making money off of musicians?
5. “It’s a common tale,” says Mr. White. “One hit wonders.” Can you think of any so called one hit wonders from rock history? What are some of the factors that create these so called “one hit wonders”?
6. The commercialization of rock music in the 50’s and 60’s took many different forms. List 3-5 examples, in chronological order, of commercialization in the movie. Do any of these examples of commercial events or people from the movie match up with actual events, persons, etc. from our study of rock ‘n’ roll?
That Thing You Do
1. The scene in the movie when they first hear their song on the radio demonstrates beautifully the importance of radio airplay in making artists popular during that era. What sort of role does radio play in music today? How do non-radio musical outlets of today compare to those of yesteryear (P2P networks, Internet radio, podcasts, etc.). Are they better or worse?
2. By the early 1960s music was being mass produced for the widest ranging audience possible by ”hit factory” song writers or “cubicle” artists whose full time job, 9-5, was to make hit songs. The Beatles helped to change this and establish the trend of rock acts writing and performing their own music.
As an artist of this new era, Jimmy, the lead singer/songwriter of the Oneders, is hesitant to sign a contract or involve money as it relates to his music. Why do you think he hesitates? What do you think the effect of money is on the music and the artist? What about on the artists themselves? Can money and musical success ever be separated?
3. How important is “image” in the commercialization of rock? Consider how Mr. White (Tom Hanks) crafts theirs. What is he trying to convey to the general public? Does the artist make the image or does the image make the artist?
4. Think about some examples of commercialism in music today. Has it changed since the 50s and 60s? Do you think artists are keeping more or less of their money? Has “the man” figured out new and/or better ways of making money off of musicians?
5. “It’s a common tale,” says Mr. White. “One hit wonders.” Can you think of any so called one hit wonders from rock history? What are some of the factors that create these so called “one hit wonders”?
6. The commercialization of rock music in the 50’s and 60’s took many different forms. List 3-5 examples, in chronological order, of commercialization in the movie. Do any of these examples of commercial events or people from the movie match up with actual events, persons, etc. from our study of rock ‘n’ roll? Trivia:
Throughout the entire movie, no one ever says the bass player's name. Even in the credits, he is listed as T.B. Player and The Bass Player. The name and logo of the record label in this movie, Playtone, became the name of Tom Hanks' production company. Another Beatles parallel in the film: There's a scene where you see the band members play on stage and Mr. White is watching them (while moving his head along with the music). There's a famous picture of Brian Epstein (Beatles' mythological manager) doing the exact same thing on The Beatles' famous Shea Stadium concert. There are several Beatles parallels: The Beatles' first hit, "Please Please Me," was a speeded-up version of a slow ballad. On the Ed Sullivan show, a shot of John Lennon was accompanied by the caption, "Sorry Girls, He's Married." Also, lead singer Jimmy gets sick on the show as George Harrison did prior to their appearance. Two of the characters in this movie, Lenny Haise and James Mattingly, have the same last names as the characters from Tom Hanks' previous movie, Apollo 13; Fred Haise and Ken Mattingly. Tom Hanks' wife, Rita Wilson and two of his kids, Colin and Elizabeth can be seen in the movie. Rita Wilson played Marguerite, the cocktail waitress in the jazz club, Colin was the page who escorted Liv Tyler and Elizabeth was the bored girl in the dress shop. The kit which Guy Patterson uses on tour is the same Ludwig kit as the one Beatle Ringo Starr played. The four actors of the band rehearsed for eight weeks as a band in order to improve their performing, but most of their performances were still dubbed by professional musicians.