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This film presents a startlingly strange, certainly enjoyable real-life tale emerging from the American entertainment world; a lovable crowdpleaser with its uplifting tone does little to warn you for how the narrative 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 chair ahead with both fists.

The Stranger-Than-Fiction Story

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

However, life was far from simple for the pair, and this movie contemplates the difficulty that arises when misfortune's bolt strikes more than once.

From Documentary to Drama

It is in fact adapted from an existing documentary of the same title from 2008 by Greg Kohs concerning this surreal reality, a film that was extensively on the couple’s family archive of home video. One could argue that the original 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 director Craig Brewer reinvents their story. The director and stars transform the mockery into laugh-with. Jackman delivers a masterful performance portraying a Neil Diamond tribute artist, sounding almost like him, and looking almost like him. He is entirely believable 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 is also excellent, doing her own singing in the role of Claire, who before she joined Mike in the Neil Diamond tribute world had a thriving act performing as Patsy Cline. She is shown powerfully singing Cline's songs, even though one particular iconic Cline tune that this film interestingly misses out.

Michael Imperioli plays a Buddy Holly impersonator called Mark, while Mustafa Shakir appears as a James Brown performer called Sex Machine. The role of Claire’s teen daughter Rachel, and King Princess is Mike’s daughter Angelina of about the same age – and their burgeoning friendship is another underplayed aspect of the film’s likability.

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 attributes which the pair personally would have recognized: the vulnerability and loneliness involved in striving for success in the margins of the music business, or for that matter succeeding in any field and within any profession.

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

Song Sung Blue releases December 25th in the United States and 1 January in Australia and the United Kingdom.