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Here is a startlingly strange, certainly enjoyable real-life tale emerging from American showbusiness; an endearing hit with its uplifting tone won’t prepare you for how the plot repeatedly and savagely twists like an unsafe fairground ride. I actually had myself shutting my eyes with my jaw agape during several crucial moments, and was grabbing the chair ahead with both fists.

The Unbelievable True Tale

Mike and Claire Sardina, terrifically played by Jackman and Hudson, were a Milwaukee married couple who had children 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 performed before Pearl Jam, whose guitarist Eddie Vedder amiably accompanied them on stage for an additional song.

However, life was 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 a prior documentary film of the same title from 2008 by Greg Kohs about this stranger-than-fiction world, a film that was heavily reliant on the couple’s family archive of homemade recordings. One could argue that the 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 writer-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 looking almost like him. He is entirely believable as an individual not destined for the major leagues but who clearly has the chops (and the vocal cords) to headline a performance.

Standout Performances

Hudson is also excellent, performing her own vocals as Claire, who prior to partnering with Mike in the world of Neil Diamond homage enjoyed a successful career performing as Patsy Cline. The film depicts her powerfully singing Cline's songs, even though one particular Cline standard is curiously omitted from this movie.

Michael Imperioli plays a Buddy Holly tribute artist named Mark, while Mustafa Shakir appears as a James Brown act known as Sex Machine. Ella Anderson plays 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 heart-stoppingly eventful life stories, and replacing them Brewer installs those attributes which the pair personally would have recognized: the fragility and isolation involved in striving for success on the fringes of the music industry, or indeed succeeding in any field and within any profession.

It is a never-say-die story and its cheerful optimism renders it a calorific Christmas treat.

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