That Thing You Do - Tom Hanks - Film Editing - Richard Chew - Conversation - Singles - Walter Murch

That Thing You Do - Tom Hanks - Film Editing - Richard Chew - Conversation - Singles - Walter Murch


I really like Tom Hanks's "That Thing You Do," Tom is a wonderful Director, as well as a foremost and accomplished Actor.

Editing on the film was spectacular, as well as the Acting and Writing. And that means the Director was waay good. Yay Tom! 

Tom also chose, when he wrote himself the part, something hard to pull off. His character is utterly necessary to the story, and he pushes the story along, and he is NOT LIKEABLE. 

This movie is wall-to-wall cute (Liv Tyler has never looked so kissable), and yet Tom Hanks wrote himself a hard-nosed cold-blooded toad, to play. And then played him, straight as a string. I have a LOT of admiration for Tom in this movie, on every level.

"That Thing You Do" is a movie about the Music Business, before the Beatles came along and changed everything, by refining the process and jacking the numbers up to the stratosphere. 

This little Band, "The Wonders" does not sound like the Beatles, but their one-hit wonder song follows the classic pop formula the Beatles followed, and the sound is pure-dee 1964. If I were to describe their music, I'd say it is a faithful re-creation of The Dave Clark Five.

Tom was more interested in making the feel of this movie just right, and that is the foundation of this film, the feeling.

There is one scene where the Band hears its song on the radio for the first time. No dialogue, just Band members running in to turn it on, and then jumping up and down and screaming. Too wonderful scene. 

I'll tell you how wonderful the Editing was. Only in hindsight did I realize - There is ONLY ONE song to play in the movie. They play it through at least FOUR times, and the Editor manages to keep it extremely interesting, and make it feel different each time. An Amazing Task! It is done so well, one scarcely notices it. Really well done! 

I am not surprised the Editor is ABLE to do it, he is Richard Chew. He and Paul Hirsch and Marcia Lucas and George Lucas edited the original "Star Wars," and Mr. Chew edited Francis Coppola's "The Conversation," (Sound by Walter Murch), one of the best ever. 

The only film which compares to "That Thing You Do" in my mind, for the pop music sequences, is George Lucas's "American Graffiti."
(Edited by Verna Fields, Marcia Lucas, and George Lucas, Sound by Walter Murch). 

HOW Mr. Chew chose to pull off that prodigious feat, (playing the same song multiple times, and keeping it exciting), in "That Thing You Do," is utter Mastery of Film Editing. Man, he is good!

Richard Chew also Co-Produced and Edited THE made-in-Seattle music movie, 1990's "Singles."  As I have similar projects going, I'm waay interested. Read about how a real Hollywood movie goes together in Seattle.



That Thing You Do
Song That Thing You Do
The Conversation
Tom Hanks
Film Editing
Richard Chew
Singles
Walter Murch
Singles
American Graffiti