Hollywood's repeat Oscar-winning actor on escaping Gumpdom, writing That Thing and nixing Clinton

by Bob Strauss

With back-to-back Oscars and six megahit movies in a row, Tom Hanks can do just about anything he wants in Hollywood. So he decided to write and direct a movie.

That Thing You Do! charts the course of an Erie, Pennsylvania, garage band that, in the magical year of 1964, produced a pop hit that nearly knocked the Beatles off the charts, toured the nation, appeared on national TV...and then broke up just before they were to go into the studio for their first big-time recording session.

Light and lively, it has little in the way of star power. Hanks cast himself as a hard-nosed record company exec--but it's only a supporting role. Four relative unknowns play the band members, though Johnathon Schaech, who plays the lead singer, has been garnering attention as "the cute one"--the Paul of the group, if you will. Tom Everett Scott, as rockin' drummer Guy has caught the media eye because of his resemblance to a certain first-time director. And then there's commercially unproven art-movie temptress Liv Tyler as the band's mascot.

Many of Hanks' friends, as well as his wife, actress Rita Wilson, appear in bit parts. (Don't miss Chris Isaak as Guy's uncle, a producer of religious records, who masterminds the band's first single.)