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This film presents a remarkably odd, certainly enjoyable true-life story from the heartland of the American entertainment world; a lovable crowdpleaser with its uplifting tone won’t prepare you for how the narrative frequently and brutally turns like an unsafe fairground ride. I actually had myself shutting my eyes with my jaw agape 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, terrifically played by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, were a Milwaukee married couple who had children from prior unions that during the 1990s created a kitschy homage performance to Neil Diamond named Lightning and Thunder; they became a cult hit within their state and even performed before Pearl Jam, with the band's 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 the difficulty that arises when misfortune's bolt hits repeatedly.

From Documentary to Drama

It is in fact adapted from an existing documentary of the same title from 2008 from filmmaker Greg Kohs about this stranger-than-fiction world, a movie that relied heavily reliant on the family's personal collection of home video. It’s fair to say that the original documentary puts more emphasis on the unrealistic and ridiculous elements in the lives of Mike and Claire.

Yet this is not the approach taken by this movie from writer-director Craig Brewer reimagines their tale. The director and stars turn the laugh-at into shared amusement. Jackman delivers a masterful performance portraying a Neil Diamond tribute artist, sounding almost like him, and appearing strikingly alike. He’s perfectly plausible as an individual not destined for in the big league but who clearly has the chops (and the vocal cords) to headline a performance.

Standout Performances

Hudson is also excellent, doing her own singing in the role of 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.

Actor Michael Imperioli portrays a Buddy Holly tribute artist named Mark, and Mustafa Shakir is 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 who is around the same age – with their developing friendship is another underplayed aspect contributing to the movie's charm.

The Core Narrative

Irony and satire have been surgically removed from the account of Mike and Claire's dramatically packed life experiences, and replacing them Brewer installs those attributes that the couple themselves would have been aware of: the vulnerability and loneliness of trying to make it on the fringes of the music business, or for that matter making it anywhere and in any business.

This is a never-say-die story and its bright hopefulness renders it a calorific Christmas treat.

Song Sung Blue releases December 25th in the US and January 1st in Australia and the UK.