“How did we get here?” That’s the question Steve Zahn’s character in That Thing You Do! asks his bandmate with bemusement right before they perform on live television.

It’s a moment I have thought of many times over the past 30 years. Sometimes, it’s been a moment I’ve aspired to, and sometimes it’s a moment I’ve felt myself. When the band hears their song on the radio for the first time, it’s one of the most ebullient moments I’ve ever seen on film. There is a euphoria that is recognizable for anyone who has ever felt the joy of a creative accomplishment – and isn’t that all of us, in one way or another? That’s what makes That Thing You Do! my feelgood movie.

In 1996, Tom Hanks was on top of Hollywood. He had back-to-back best actor Oscar wins, and two of 1995’s highest-grossing films with Toy Story and Apollo 13. I presume he could have done anything he wanted. I will be forever grateful that he chose to write, direct and co-star in this modest, gentle ode to 1960s pop music.…