The Song Sung Blue Film Review: A Musical Homage Story Gets a Heartwarming Boost of Movie Magic Courtesy of Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson

Here is a remarkably odd, certainly enjoyable true-life story from the heartland of the American entertainment world; a lovable crowdpleaser with its uplifting tone won’t prepare you for how the narrative frequently and brutally turns like an unsafe fairground ride. Personally, I found my eyes closed and mouth open at certain key points, and was grabbing the seat in front of me tightly with my hands.

The Unbelievable True Tale

The couple Mike and Claire Sardina, superbly portrayed by Jackman and Hudson, were a Milwaukee married couple with kids from prior unions who in the 90s formed a kitschy Neil Diamond tribute act called Lightning and Thunder; they grew into an underground sensation in their home state and even opened for Pearl Jam, with the band's guitarist Eddie Vedder good-naturedly joined them on stage for an additional song.

But things were far from simple for the pair, and this film broods on the difficulty that arises when the lightning of ill fortune strikes more than once.

From Documentary to Drama

The film is actually based on an existing documentary bearing the identical name created in 2008 by Greg Kohs about this stranger-than-fiction world, a film that was extensively on the family's personal collection of homemade recordings. One could argue that the original documentary puts more emphasis on the delusional and absurd aspects in the lives of Mike and Claire.

But that’s not how taken by this movie from director Craig Brewer reimagines their tale. The director and stars transform the mockery into laugh-with. Jackman absolutely crushes it portraying a Neil Diamond tribute artist, vocalizing in a remarkably similar manner, and looking almost like him. He’s perfectly plausible as someone who isn’t supposed to be the major leagues but who undoubtedly possesses the talent (and the pipes) to headline a performance.

Standout Performances

Hudson likewise shines, performing her own vocals as Claire, who before she joined Mike in the Neil Diamond tribute world had a thriving act as Patsy Cline. She is shown powerfully singing Cline's songs, although there is one Cline standard is curiously omitted from this movie.

Actor Michael Imperioli portrays a Buddy Holly tribute artist called Mark, and Mustafa Shakir is a James Brown performer known as Sex Machine. Ella Anderson plays Claire's teenage daughter Rachel is played by Ella Anderson, and King Princess is Mike’s daughter Angelina of about the same age – with their developing friendship is another underplayed aspect of the film’s likability.

The Heart of the Story

Irony and satire have been meticulously excised from Mike and Claire’s heart-stoppingly eventful life stories, and in their place Brewer substitutes those attributes which the pair personally would have been aware of: the vulnerability and loneliness of trying to make it in the margins of the music industry, or indeed making it anywhere and within any profession.

It is a never-say-die story and its cheerful optimism renders it a rich holiday delight.

Song Sung Blue is out on 25 December in the US and January 1st in Australia and the UK.