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This film presents a remarkably odd, 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 narrative frequently and brutally turns similar to a precarious carnival attraction. Personally, I found myself shutting my eyes and mouth open at certain key points, and was grabbing the chair ahead tightly with my hands.

The Unbelievable True Tale

The couple Mike and Claire Sardina, superbly portrayed by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, were a Milwaukee married couple with kids from prior unions that during the 1990s formed a cheesy Neil Diamond tribute act named Lightning and Thunder; they grew into 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 additional song.

But things were not easy for them, and this film broods on the difficulty that arises when misfortune's bolt strikes more than once.

Adapting a Real Story

The film is actually based on an existing documentary of the same title from 2008 from filmmaker Greg Kohs concerning this surreal reality, a movie that relied extensively on the couple’s family archive of home video. It’s fair to say that the documentary puts more emphasis on the unrealistic and ridiculous elements in the lives of Mike and Claire.

But that’s not how taken by this movie from writer-director Craig Brewer reinvents their story. The director and stars transform the mockery into shared amusement. Jackman absolutely crushes it portraying a Neil Diamond tribute artist, sounding almost like him, and looking almost like him. He is entirely believable as an individual not destined for in the big league but who clearly has the chops (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 world of Neil Diamond homage enjoyed a successful career performing as Patsy Cline. She is shown belting out Cline numbers, although there is one Cline standard that this film interestingly misses out.

Actor Michael Imperioli portrays a Buddy Holly impersonator called Mark, while Mustafa Shakir appears as a James Brown performer called Sex Machine. The role of Claire's teenage daughter Rachel is played by Ella Anderson, and King Princess portrays Mike’s daughter Angelina of about the same age – with their developing friendship is another underplayed aspect contributing to the movie's charm.

The Heart of the Story

Sarcasm and mockery have been meticulously excised from Mike and Claire’s dramatically packed life experiences, and in their place Brewer installs those qualities that the couple themselves would have recognized: the fragility and isolation involved in striving for success in the margins of the music industry, or indeed succeeding in any field and within any profession.

This is a tale of relentless perseverance and its bright hopefulness makes it a calorific Christmas treat.

The film "Song Sung Blue" releases December 25th in the United States and January 1st in Australia and the UK.