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This film presents a remarkably odd, certainly enjoyable true-life story emerging from the American entertainment world; a lovable crowdpleaser whose feelgood flavour won’t prepare you for how the narrative frequently and brutally turns similar to a precarious carnival attraction. Personally, I found myself shutting my eyes and mouth open during several crucial moments, and was grabbing the chair ahead tightly with my hands.

The Stranger-Than-Fiction Story

Mike and Claire Sardina, superbly portrayed by Jackman and Hudson, were a Milwaukee married couple who had children from prior unions that during the 1990s created a cheesy Neil Diamond tribute act named Lightning and Thunder; they became a cult hit within their state and even opened for Pearl Jam, whose guitarist Eddie Vedder amiably accompanied them during their performance for an encore.

However, life was far from simple for the pair, and this film broods on how tough it is when misfortune's bolt strikes more than once.

From Documentary to Drama

It is in fact adapted from an existing documentary bearing the identical name from 2008 from filmmaker Greg Kohs about this stranger-than-fiction world, a movie that relied extensively on the couple’s family archive of homemade recordings. One could argue that the documentary puts more emphasis on the delusional and absurd aspects of Mike and Claire’s life.

Yet this is not the approach this film from writer-director Craig Brewer reimagines their tale. The director and stars turn the laugh-at into shared amusement. Jackman absolutely crushes it portraying a Neil Diamond tribute artist, vocalizing in a remarkably similar manner, and looking almost like him. He is entirely believable as an individual not destined for in the big league but who clearly has the chops (and the vocal cords) to headline a performance.

Notable Acting

Hudson likewise shines, performing her own vocals as Claire, who prior to partnering with Mike in the Neil Diamond tribute world enjoyed a successful career as Patsy Cline. She is shown powerfully singing Cline's songs, although there is one Cline standard is curiously omitted from this movie.

Actor Michael Imperioli portrays 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 is Mike’s daughter Angelina of about the same age – with their developing friendship is another underplayed aspect contributing to the movie's charm.

The Heart of the Story

Irony and satire have been meticulously excised from Mike and Claire’s dramatically packed life experiences, and replacing them Brewer installs those attributes which the pair personally would have recognized: the fragility and isolation involved in striving for success in the margins of the music industry, or for that matter succeeding in any field and in any business.

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

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