Tom Hanks made his directorial debut with this immensely likeable pop fable about the meteoric rise and fall of the mythical Wonders, an all-American small-town rock 'n' roll band. Set in a period-perfect 1964, and featuring a marvellously evocative soundtrack of cod-Golden Oldies, it deliberately emphasises the Forrest Gump-style feel-good nostalgia, rather than making any hard-hitting statements about the price of fame. Hanks also plays the group's opportunistic manager, but it's sweet-natured Tom Everett Scott who registers strongest as the drumming driving force behind the aspiring Beatles, and Liv Tyler is equally affecting as the band's mascot.

A Pennsylvania band scores a hit in 1964 and rides the star-making machinery as long as it can, with lots of help from its manager. But behind the scenes, the group’s sudden fame tests their strength, their maturity and responsibility, and their ability to resist the temptations that money and notoriety always make possible.