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Here is a startlingly strange, certainly enjoyable true-life story emerging from American showbusiness; a lovable crowdpleaser with its uplifting tone does little to warn you for how the plot 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 tightly with my hands.

The Stranger-Than-Fiction Story

Mike and Claire Sardina, terrifically played by Jackman and Hudson, were a Milwaukee married couple who had children from previous relationships that during the 1990s formed a cheesy Neil Diamond tribute act named Lightning and Thunder; they grew into an underground sensation within their state and even performed before Pearl Jam, with the band's guitarist Eddie Vedder good-naturedly joined them on stage for an encore.

However, life was not easy for them, and this film broods on the difficulty that arises when misfortune's bolt hits repeatedly.

Adapting a Real Story

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 family's personal collection of home video. It’s fair to say that the 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. The director and stars transform the mockery 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 someone who isn’t supposed to be the major leagues but who undoubtedly possesses the talent (and the vocal cords) to headline a performance.

Standout Performances

Hudson is also excellent, performing her own vocals in the role of Claire, who prior to partnering with Mike in the Neil Diamond tribute world enjoyed a successful career as Patsy Cline. The film depicts her powerfully singing Cline's songs, although there is one Cline standard is curiously omitted from this movie.

Actor Michael Imperioli portrays a Buddy Holly impersonator called Mark, and Mustafa Shakir is a James Brown performer called Sex Machine. Ella Anderson plays Claire’s teen daughter Rachel, and King Princess is Mike’s daughter Angelina who is around the same age – and their burgeoning friendship serving as another subtle element 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 stories, and in their place Brewer installs those attributes that the couple themselves would have recognized: the fragility and isolation of trying to make it on the fringes of the music industry, or indeed making it anywhere and within any profession.

It is a tale of relentless perseverance 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 UK.