The That Thing You Do! cast has easily made their way back into our hearts. But to be honest, did they ever really leave? The cast recently announced they’ll be gathering for special virtual cast reunion and commentary available on YouTube this Friday April 17, at 7:00pm ET/4:00pm PT. The viewing party will be in honor of musician Adam Schlesinger. The frontman of Fountains of Wayne and legendary songwriter recently passed away due to COVID-19. Schlesinger wrote the earworm title song in the film, “That Thing You Do!” and garnered both Golden Globe and Oscar nominations that year.
That Thing You Do! was not a huge hit when it released in 1996 but has since built a cult following and has become beloved by many. The story follows a fictional “one hit wonder” band in the ’60s and not only helped launch the careers of Liv Tyler, Charlize Theron, Ethan Embry and Steve Zahn but served as Tom Hanks’ directorial and writing debut. And The Oneders, a.k.a. The Wonders have come together ahead of the livestream for a charming interview with Rolling Stones.
Okay, here’s the best part. The That Thing You Do! cast introduces themselves as The Wonders: Guy Patterson, Jimmy Mattingly, Lenny Haise, and T.B. Player. At first I thought they were going to do the whole interview as The Wonders, but they switch into themselves. They look back at when they met for the first time and learned about the songs. Something cute: Tom Everett, Ethan Embry, Steve Zahn, and Johnathon Schaech went to a thrift shop on Melrose and got matching outfits. The group then wore their outfits to the first table read where they performed the Wonders’ songs. Aww.
The actors also look back on Adam Schlesinger’s contributions to the film, which ties into the That Thing You Do! livestream commentary on Friday night. They’ll be raising money for MusiCares,a charitable organization run by The Recording Academy. They’ve established a COVID-19 Relief Fund to “help our peers in the music community affected by the coronavirus pandemic.” Ethan Embry tweeted today, “We’re going to give commentary for the original theatrical version. Tell stories from our time making the film, and all around celebrate Adam Schlesinger’s musical gifts to us, and hopefully raise some money for @MusiCares COVID relief fund in his honor.”
If that interview was any indication, today’s viewing party and commentary will be just -if not more- charming and a delight to watch. We can’t wait!
Featured Image: 20th Century Fox
