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This film presents a startlingly strange, certainly enjoyable real-life tale emerging from the American entertainment world; a lovable crowdpleaser whose feelgood flavour does little to warn you for how the plot repeatedly and savagely twists like an unsafe fairground ride. I actually had myself shutting my eyes and mouth open during several crucial moments, and was grabbing the chair ahead tightly with my hands.

The Unbelievable True Tale

The couple Mike and Claire Sardina, terrifically played by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, were a Milwaukee married couple who had children from previous relationships that during the 1990s formed a cheesy homage performance to Neil Diamond named Lightning and Thunder; they became an underground sensation within their state and even opened for Pearl Jam, whose guitarist Eddie Vedder amiably accompanied them during their performance for an additional song.

But things were not easy for them, and this film broods on how tough it is when misfortune's bolt hits repeatedly.

Adapting a Real Story

The film is actually based on an existing documentary of the same title created in 2008 from filmmaker Greg Kohs about this stranger-than-fiction world, a movie that relied 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 unrealistic and ridiculous elements in the lives of Mike and Claire.

But that’s not how this film from writer-director Craig Brewer reinvents their story. He, Jackman and Hudson turn the laugh-at into shared amusement. Jackman absolutely crushes it portraying a Neil Diamond tribute artist, sounding almost like him, and looking almost like him. He’s perfectly plausible as an individual not destined for in the big league but who undoubtedly possesses the talent (and the vocal cords) to carry a show.

Notable Acting

Hudson likewise shines, 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. The film depicts her belting out Cline numbers, although there is one Cline standard that this film interestingly misses out.

Actor Michael Imperioli portrays a Buddy Holly impersonator called Mark, while Mustafa Shakir appears as a James Brown act known as Sex Machine. The role of Claire's teenage daughter Rachel is played by Ella Anderson, and King Princess is 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

Sarcasm and mockery have been meticulously excised from the account of Mike and Claire's dramatically packed life experiences, and in their place Brewer substitutes those qualities which the pair personally would have recognized: the vulnerability and loneliness involved in striving for success in the margins of the music industry, or for that matter succeeding in any field and within any profession.

This is a tale of relentless perseverance and its cheerful optimism makes it a rich holiday delight.

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