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This film presents a startlingly strange, certainly enjoyable real-life tale from the heartland of American showbusiness; a lovable crowdpleaser with its uplifting tone won’t prepare you for the way the plot frequently and brutally turns like an unsafe fairground ride. Personally, I found myself shutting my eyes with my jaw agape during several crucial moments, and was grabbing the seat in front of me with both fists.

The Unbelievable True Tale

Mike and Claire Sardina, superbly portrayed by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, were a Milwaukee married couple who had children from prior unions who in the 90s formed a cheesy Neil Diamond tribute act called Lightning and Thunder; they became a cult hit in their home state and even opened for Pearl Jam, whose guitarist Eddie Vedder good-naturedly joined them during their performance for an encore.

But things were far from simple for the pair, and this movie contemplates how tough it is when the lightning of ill fortune strikes more than once.

From Documentary to Drama

The film is actually based on an existing documentary of the same title from 2008 by Greg Kohs about this stranger-than-fiction world, a movie that relied extensively on the family's personal collection of home video. It’s fair to say that the documentary puts more emphasis on the unrealistic and ridiculous elements of Mike and Claire’s life.

But that’s not how taken by this movie from director Craig Brewer reinvents their story. The director and stars transform the mockery into shared amusement. Jackman delivers a masterful performance portraying a Neil Diamond tribute artist, sounding almost like him, and appearing strikingly alike. He is entirely believable as an individual not destined for in the big league but who clearly has the chops (and the vocal cords) to carry a show.

Standout Performances

Hudson is also excellent, doing her own singing in the role of Claire, who before she joined Mike in the world of Neil Diamond homage enjoyed a successful career performing as Patsy Cline. She is shown belting out Cline numbers, even though one particular iconic Cline tune that this film interestingly misses out.

Michael Imperioli plays a Buddy Holly impersonator named Mark, while Mustafa Shakir appears as a James Brown performer called Sex Machine. Ella Anderson plays Claire's teenage daughter Rachel is played by Ella Anderson, and King Princess is Mike’s daughter Angelina who is around the same age – and their burgeoning friendship serving as another subtle element of the film’s likability.

The Heart of the Story

Sarcasm and mockery have been surgically removed from Mike and Claire’s heart-stoppingly eventful life stories, and in their place Brewer substitutes those attributes that the couple themselves would have recognized: the fragility and isolation of trying to make it on the fringes of the music business, or indeed succeeding in any field and in any business.

It is a tale of relentless perseverance and its cheerful optimism renders it a rich holiday delight.

Song Sung Blue is out on 25 December in the United States and 1 January in Australia and the United Kingdom.