The Song Sung Blue Film Review: An Musical Homage Story Receives a Sweet Treat from Hollywood Thanks to Jackman and Hudson

This film presents a startlingly strange, certainly enjoyable true-life story emerging from the American entertainment world; a lovable crowdpleaser with its uplifting tone does little to warn you for how the plot repeatedly and savagely twists like an unsafe fairground ride. Personally, I found myself shutting my eyes and mouth open at certain key points, and was grabbing the seat in front of me with both fists.

The Stranger-Than-Fiction Story

The couple 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 homage performance to Neil Diamond named Lightning and Thunder; they became a cult hit in their home state and even performed before Pearl Jam, whose guitarist Eddie Vedder good-naturedly joined them on stage for an additional song.

But things were not easy for them, and this film broods on how tough it is when the lightning of ill fortune strikes more than once.

Adapting a Real Story

The film is actually based on a prior documentary film of the same title from 2008 by Greg Kohs about this stranger-than-fiction world, a movie that relied heavily reliant on the couple’s family archive of home video. It’s fair to say that the documentary focuses more intently on the unrealistic and ridiculous elements in the lives of Mike and Claire.

Yet this is not the approach this film from director Craig Brewer reinvents their story. He, Jackman and Hudson transform the mockery into laugh-with. Jackman absolutely crushes it as a Neil Diamond impersonator, vocalizing in a remarkably similar manner, and appearing strikingly alike. He is entirely believable as someone who isn’t supposed to be the major leagues but who clearly has the chops (and the vocal cords) to headline a performance.

Standout Performances

Hudson likewise shines, doing her own singing as Claire, who before she joined Mike in the Neil Diamond tribute world had a thriving act performing as Patsy Cline. The film depicts her powerfully singing Cline's songs, even though one particular iconic Cline tune is curiously omitted from this movie.

Actor Michael Imperioli portrays a Buddy Holly tribute artist named Mark, while Mustafa Shakir appears as a James Brown performer called Sex Machine. Ella Anderson plays Claire’s teen daughter Rachel, and King Princess portrays Mike’s daughter Angelina who is around the same age – and their burgeoning friendship is another underplayed aspect contributing to the movie's charm.

The Heart of the Story

Irony and satire have been surgically removed from Mike and Claire’s dramatically packed life stories, and replacing them Brewer installs those attributes that the couple themselves would have recognized: the vulnerability and loneliness involved in striving for success in the margins of the music business, or indeed making it anywhere and within any profession.

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

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