That Thing You Do/YMMV

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


Restaurant Manager: (fanning a wad of bills) Do you know what this is?
Lenny: Presidential flashcards?

  • Crowning Moment of Heartwarming: When Faye hears "That Thing You Do" on the radio for the first time, and dashes down the street to tell everyone else. Also a Crowning Moment of Funny, since she's running down the street shrieking, scares the bass player -- and then they both barrel into Guy's father's store and cause a huge scene jumping around with the rest of the band.
    • After the TV show, Guy tells Faye sincerely how gorgeous she looks. (Nobody else has.)
    • The very quiet, very careful scene between Guy and Faye near the end, after Jimmy has left her and the band. "Gentlemen... I'd forgotten what they sound like."
    • Pretty much every scene between Faye and Guy counts, like when he insists to the band's first manager that she comes to Pittsburgh with them, or where she comes down with the flu and only Guy is shown worrying about and caring for her.
  • Fridge Brilliance: Not really noticeable unless you're paying attention. Listen to just how many times the movie plays through "That Thing You Do". When the band is starting out, it's a catchy tune, for some bordering on Crowning Music of Awesome. But then they play it for the recording session, then on the radio, then on tour, and then, and then, and then. By the end of the movie, no matter how much you liked it, you're starting to get just a little bit tired of hearing it so many times in a row. Which is exactly what it's like to listen to a one-hit wonder, a decent song overexposed all to hell until the audience is sick of it.
    • One of the reasons for the constant mispronunciation of the band name as "O-NEE-ders" may be that Oneida, NY is not very far away from Erie, PA and a fellow Great Lakes town. The locals probably think they're stating they're from Oneida.