So...I was watching That Thing You Do! (Tom Hanks' deeply nifty little movie about a struggling rock band) again the other night.
And seeing as how I can't find anyplace else on the board to pose a question that's been bugging me off and on ever since I first saw it: How old is Guy, the drummer character (Tom Everett Scott) supposed to be?
The movie is set in 1964. All the other band members are, I think, supposed to be in their late teens/early twenties - post-high school, but pre-college - and Guy a little older, maybe mid-to-late twenties. Certainly Scott doesn't look much older than 25.
But late in the movie he tells another character that some of his records were swiped when he was 'stationed in Germany' (specifically, Munich).
Assuming he's talking about military service...and given that the character as written doesn't seem like the type to join the army just for the heck of it...which military action would this be? Korea doesn't fit the location - and WWII service would put Guy somewhere between thirty-five and forty, and he is definitely not supposed to be that old.

(*Moderator: If there's already a thread covering this topic, please feel free to move this post there and delete the conversation. Thanks.)

During the '60s, there was a permanent NATO presence in Germany. Had nothing to do with WWII.

Remember Elvis?

Ahhhhh...yes, now I do, vaguely, and with some assistance from Google.
Dates aren't my strong point, and somehow I'd always sorta assumed that the King served in Korea. (Which is doubly embarrassing coming from a lifelong M*A*S*H fan!)
Anyway, thanks for clearing that up.

Assuming he's talking about military service...and given that the character as written doesn't seem like the type to join the army just for the heck of it

As I understand it we had a draft going on from WWII until the late 70s even during the years when we were not at war with anyone at the time.

Yes, the U.S. Military had many bases in Europe. My father (U.S.A.F.) was stationed at differing times in both Germany and Turkey.

OK, it's not really a comedy, but none of the other boards fit.

There's a really great scene towards the end. Peter Scolari plays the host of an Ed Sullivan type show. Tom Hanks is the manager of the band "The Wonders".

As the band is playing, we see some shots of Scolari and Hanks looking at each other, with kind of a, "Do I know you?" thing. Great tribute to the oh-so-forgettable "Bosom Buddies" TV show!

As I think I've posted elsewhere on this board, I adore this movie.

It's slight - probably too slight - plotwise, but on the whole it's sweet, funny (especially Steve Zahn), charming (especially Hanks-lookalike Tom Everett Scott, who ironically has become a bit of a one-performance wonder himself) and my mom the authentic screeming-meemie Beatlemaniac vouches absolutely for the authenticity of the 60's-era setting.

Incidentally, besides Scolari it also features cameos from Chris Isaak and Kevin Pollack...and Mrs Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, who turns out to be quite a dish in a black cocktail dress. (Hanks claimed to have directed a scene in which she seduces Scott by explaining 'Just pretend it's us back when I was that slim'...)

This is, in my humble but accurate oppinion, one of best Rock movies ever (rock flicks... that would be a good category to have around here)

Colin Hanks (son of Tom Hanks) makes a brief appearance as well.