That Thing You Do!

We have reached the grand finale of Lemar’s birthday month on We Drink & We Watch Things, and we are closing out August with pure, unadulterated joy! For his fourth and final pick, Lemar chose Tom Hanks’ delightful 1996 directorial debut: That Thing You Do!. It is a sun-drenched, incredibly charming tribute to the fleeting nature of pop stardom and the golden age of 1960s rock 'n' roll. To celebrate the rise of the One-ders (that's "Wonders"), we are shaking up another custom cocktail by Lemar called "That Thing We Drink!" - a bright, effervescent mix of vodka, fresh lime juice, grenadine, and a splash of ginger beer. It is sweet, upbeat, and captures that crisp 1960s garage-band optimism in a glass. This week, we dive headfirst into the story of Erie, Pennsylvania’s favorite band. We celebrate Tom Everett Scott’s endlessly cool jazz-head drummer Guy Patterson, Johnathon Schaech’s intensely serious frontman Jimmy, Steve Zahn’s scene-stealing comedic brilliance as Len, and Ethan Embry’s nameless, lovable bass player. We gush over Liv Tyler’s star-making, infectious performance as Faye, praise Tom Hanks' smooth direction and supporting turn as Mr. White, and dissect the genius of the late Adam Schlesinger’s titular title track—a song so catchy it genuinely convinces you a band could rise from a college talent show to the national top ten on its rhythm alone. If you find yourself tapping your foot every time the tempo kicks up, or if you just want to hear us bring Lemar's birthday month to a triumphant, high-note finish, this is an episode you will love. We are blending our deep nostalgia for a feel-good classic with our usual casual banter to close out an incredible month of Lemar's favorite films. I am signin' off! This episode VIDEO is live on YouTube AND Spotify! Follow us on Instagram to get ep sneak peaks and find out what's coming up. DM us what you want to hear about next! Interested in what we're watching off the pod? Check out Mackenzie or Lemar's Letterboxd!