🔗 Share this article The Song Sung Blue Review: An Musical Homage Story Gets a Heartwarming Boost of Movie Magic Thanks to Jackman and Hudson This film presents a remarkably odd, certainly enjoyable true-life story from the heartland of American showbusiness; a lovable crowdpleaser with its uplifting tone won’t prepare you for how the narrative repeatedly and savagely twists like an unsafe fairground ride. I actually had my eyes closed with my jaw agape during several crucial moments, and was grabbing the seat in front of me with both fists. The Unbelievable True Tale The couple Mike and Claire Sardina, superbly portrayed by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, were spouses from Milwaukee who had children from previous relationships who in the 90s formed a kitschy homage performance to Neil Diamond called Lightning and Thunder; they grew into a cult hit within their state and even performed before Pearl Jam, whose guitarist Eddie Vedder amiably accompanied them during their performance for an encore. But things were far from simple for the pair, 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 by Greg Kohs about this stranger-than-fiction world, a film that was extensively on the couple’s family archive of home video. One could argue that the documentary focuses more intently 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. He, Jackman and Hudson turn the laugh-at into shared amusement. Jackman absolutely crushes it as a Neil Diamond impersonator, sounding almost like him, and appearing strikingly alike. He’s perfectly plausible as someone who isn’t supposed to be in the big league but who clearly has the chops (and the vocal cords) to carry a show. Notable Acting Hudson is also excellent, doing her own singing in the role of Claire, who before she joined Mike in the Neil Diamond tribute world enjoyed a successful career as Patsy Cline. The film depicts her powerfully singing Cline's songs, even though one particular Cline standard is curiously omitted from this movie. Michael Imperioli plays a Buddy Holly impersonator named Mark, while Mustafa Shakir appears as a James Brown performer 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 Heart of the Story Irony and satire have been surgically removed from the account of Mike and Claire's dramatically packed life stories, and in their place Brewer substitutes those qualities which the pair personally would have recognized: the fragility and isolation of trying to make it in the margins of the music business, or indeed making it anywhere and in any business. It is a tale of relentless perseverance and its cheerful optimism makes it a calorific Christmas treat. Song Sung Blue releases on 25 December in the United States and January 1st in Australia and the UK.