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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 whose feelgood flavour won’t prepare you for how the plot frequently and brutally turns similar to a precarious carnival attraction. Personally, I found my eyes closed with my jaw agape during several crucial moments, and was grabbing the seat in front of me tightly with my hands.

The Unbelievable True Tale

The couple Mike and Claire Sardina, terrifically played by Jackman and Hudson, were a Milwaukee married couple who had children from previous relationships who in the 90s formed a cheesy homage performance to Neil Diamond named Lightning and Thunder; they became an underground sensation within their state and even performed before Pearl Jam, whose guitarist Eddie Vedder amiably accompanied them on stage for an additional song.

But things were far from simple for the pair, and this film broods on how tough it is when the lightning of ill fortune hits repeatedly.

From Documentary to Drama

It is in fact adapted from a prior documentary film bearing the identical name 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. It’s fair to say that the original 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 appearing strikingly alike. He is entirely believable as someone who isn’t supposed to be in the big league but who undoubtedly possesses the talent (and the vocal cords) to carry a show.

Standout Performances

Hudson is also excellent, performing her own vocals in the role of Claire, who before she joined Mike in the world of Neil Diamond homage enjoyed a successful career as Patsy Cline. She is shown belting out Cline numbers, although there is one Cline standard is curiously omitted from this movie.

Michael Imperioli plays a Buddy Holly tribute artist called 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 portrays Mike's daughter Angelina of about the same age – with their developing friendship is another underplayed aspect of the film’s likability.

The Heart of the Story

Irony and satire have been meticulously excised from the account of Mike and Claire's heart-stoppingly eventful life stories, 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 indeed making it anywhere and within any profession.

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

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