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This film presents a startlingly strange, certainly enjoyable true-life story from the heartland of American showbusiness; an endearing hit whose feelgood flavour won’t prepare you for the way 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, while clutching the seat in front of me with both fists.

The Unbelievable True Tale

Mike and Claire Sardina, superbly portrayed by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, were a Milwaukee married couple who had children from prior unions that during the 1990s created a cheesy homage performance to Neil Diamond called Lightning and Thunder; they became a cult hit within their state and even performed before Pearl Jam, with the band's guitarist Eddie Vedder amiably accompanied them on stage for an encore.

But things were far from simple for the pair, and this movie contemplates how tough it is when misfortune's bolt hits repeatedly.

Adapting a Real Story

It is in fact adapted from an existing documentary bearing the identical name from 2008 by Greg Kohs concerning this surreal reality, a movie that relied heavily reliant on the couple’s family archive of homemade recordings. One could argue 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 director Craig Brewer reimagines their tale. He, Jackman and Hudson transform the mockery into shared amusement. Jackman delivers a masterful performance portraying a Neil Diamond tribute artist, vocalizing in a remarkably similar manner, and looking almost like him. He’s perfectly plausible as an individual not destined for in the big league but who clearly has the chops (and the pipes) to headline a performance.

Notable Acting

Hudson likewise shines, doing her own singing 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 powerfully singing Cline's songs, although there is one iconic Cline tune that this film interestingly misses out.

Michael Imperioli plays a Buddy Holly tribute artist called Mark, and Mustafa Shakir is a James Brown act known as Sex Machine. The role of Claire's teenage daughter Rachel is played by Ella Anderson, and King Princess portrays Mike's daughter Angelina of about the same age – and their burgeoning friendship is another underplayed aspect contributing to the movie's charm.

The Core Narrative

Irony and satire have been meticulously excised from the account of Mike and Claire's dramatically packed life stories, and in their place Brewer installs those qualities which the pair personally would have been aware of: the vulnerability and loneliness of trying to make it on the fringes of the music industry, or for that matter succeeding in any field and within any profession.

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

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