Was "That Thing You Do!" originally (tentatively) titled "The Wonders"?
March 18, 2021 3:42 PM Subscribe
Back in 1995 or 1996 I saw a trailer in a movie theater for the terrific movie "That Thing You Do!". I feel 75% certain that when I saw it the movie was titled "The Wonders." I can see the logo (like the one on their drumhead) for it in my teenage brain, and I can sort of remember being surprised by the change in name when the movie hit. But there's zero evidence I can find so maybe I'm just making it all up? It feels dumb to use an AskMe on this but I've googled it so many times through the years that I really want to know...
I've tried just watching trailers, and looking for production photos (sometimes they are wearing a hat or something with the movie name on it), and watching making-of documentaries. Are you buddies with Tom Hanks? Are you a better Googler than me? Anything that shows it either way would be most welcome.
I've tried just watching trailers, and looking for production photos (sometimes they are wearing a hat or something with the movie name on it), and watching making-of documentaries. Are you buddies with Tom Hanks? Are you a better Googler than me? Anything that shows it either way would be most welcome.
The name of the band in "That Thing You Do" is "The Wonders." Is it possible you're remembering signage for them from within the movie?
posted by dws at 3:49 PM on March 18, 2021 [10 favorites]
posted by dws at 3:49 PM on March 18, 2021 [10 favorites]
Any chance you saw it in (a French-speaking part of) Canada? According to imdb, the title was "The/Les Wonders" in Spain, Brazil, and francophone Canada (and probably some other places).
Are you buddies with Tom Hanks?
Maybe if you wrote him this question on a typewriter...
posted by trig at 4:12 PM on March 18, 2021 [7 favorites]
Are you buddies with Tom Hanks?
Maybe if you wrote him this question on a typewriter...
posted by trig at 4:12 PM on March 18, 2021 [7 favorites]
I also cannot find any evidence of this movie having an alternate title in America.
posted by jenfullmoon at 4:14 PM on March 18, 2021
posted by jenfullmoon at 4:14 PM on March 18, 2021
I think there's audio commentary or special features that have Producer Tom Hanks say "This had a working title of..." but I don't know how to check.
posted by k3ninho at 4:46 PM on March 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by k3ninho at 4:46 PM on March 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
The band in the movie is the Oneders, i.e. One-ders, which is pronounced like "Wonders" ideally, but of course people mispronounce it in the movie to their chagrin.
"Oneder" is an industry contraction of "one-hit wonder."
posted by Sunburnt at 5:28 PM on March 18, 2021 [3 favorites]
"Oneder" is an industry contraction of "one-hit wonder."
posted by Sunburnt at 5:28 PM on March 18, 2021 [3 favorites]
Best answer: I can't help answer the question, but this movie is amazing. I love, love, LOVE It. That is all.
posted by tacodave at 7:09 PM on March 18, 2021 [7 favorites]
posted by tacodave at 7:09 PM on March 18, 2021 [7 favorites]
When I searched IMDb for The Wonders it came up with:
That Thing You Do! (1996)
aka "The Wonders: O Sonho Não Acabou" (Portuguese)
As someone else asked, is it possible you saw it in a place where a non-English language was predominately spoken, or maybe it was a trailer before a non-English movie?
posted by Meldanthral at 7:29 PM on March 18, 2021
That Thing You Do! (1996)
aka "The Wonders: O Sonho Não Acabou" (Portuguese)
As someone else asked, is it possible you saw it in a place where a non-English language was predominately spoken, or maybe it was a trailer before a non-English movie?
posted by Meldanthral at 7:29 PM on March 18, 2021
Best answer: I’m sure I remember hearing somewhere that the original working title was The Wonders, but Adam Schlesinger knocked it out of the park with the song, and so they changed the title to That Thing You Do! Possibly an audio commentary or podcast with Adam, but cursory googling doesn’t bring up any evidence... I can believe that there might have been a early trailer with the working title before an exec or T. Hanks decided to change it to its rightful title. All that is to say, if no googling or back catalogue searches check out, it might just be the Mandela effect.
posted by Champagne Supernova at 10:18 PM on March 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by Champagne Supernova at 10:18 PM on March 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
Best answer: A GIANT version of the band's logo is the main set piece for the movie's climactic performance. I wonder if you saw that in the trailer and it stuck with you? Here's a clip of what I mean.
posted by greenland at 10:34 PM on March 18, 2021
posted by greenland at 10:34 PM on March 18, 2021
Best answer: Well, OP, you and tacodave just made me find and watch that terrific movie, and now it's 4am and I have to get up soon. So thanks!
posted by JimN2TAW at 12:51 AM on March 19, 2021 [6 favorites]
posted by JimN2TAW at 12:51 AM on March 19, 2021 [6 favorites]
Best answer: YES! Any TTYD post is worth celebrating; such a great film.
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 2:23 AM on March 19, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 2:23 AM on March 19, 2021 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I think there's audio commentary or special features that have Producer Tom Hanks say "This had a working title of..." but I don't know how to check.
I have the DVD with special features, etc. I will (re)watch this weekend and see if there's anything.
posted by JanetLand at 7:11 AM on March 19, 2021 [1 favorite]
I have the DVD with special features, etc. I will (re)watch this weekend and see if there's anything.
posted by JanetLand at 7:11 AM on March 19, 2021 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Well, my report is mixed. I watched all of the special features/interviews, and there was nothing specific about the title; indeed, nothing specific about the writing of the song, which surprised me. But the DVD also has some trailers, and I noticed that the trailers kept saying and showing THE WONDERS over and over and didn't really show That Thing You Do! as the title until the very end of the trailer. So I could see how anybody watching those could take away the idea that the movie was called The Wonders. Sorry I couldn't come up with anything more definite.
posted by JanetLand at 7:45 AM on March 21, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by JanetLand at 7:45 AM on March 21, 2021 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks everyone (and especially JanetLand for watching the DVD extras!).
Like others above, I deeply love this movie and watch it often. I think we can safely conclude that there was not a theatrical trailer - at least a USA one - with the title "The Wonders" and I bet that their scene at the Hollywood Television Showcase with a giant logo behind them was probably what stuck in my head.
posted by AgentRocket at 7:32 AM on March 22, 2021
Like others above, I deeply love this movie and watch it often. I think we can safely conclude that there was not a theatrical trailer - at least a USA one - with the title "The Wonders" and I bet that their scene at the Hollywood Television Showcase with a giant logo behind them was probably what stuck in my head.
posted by AgentRocket at 7:32 AM on March 22, 2021
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by prewar lemonade at 3:46 PM on March 18, 2021 [1 favorite]