Tom Hanks has praised the 1996 musical film *That Thing You Do!*, which he wrote, directed and co-starred in, describing it as “perfect in every way”. The article presents the comment as unusually strong self-approval from Hanks, whose film follows a fictional band’s rapid rise after releasing a hit song in 1960s America.

Hanks made the film after becoming interested in the music business and the fleeting nature of pop success. It earned modest box-office returns on release but developed a cult following, helped by its title song, which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. Hanks has said the film’s characters, period setting and soundtrack combined to create the exact result he wanted.