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Here is a startlingly strange, undeniably entertaining true-life story from the heartland of the American entertainment world; a lovable crowdpleaser with its uplifting tone does little to warn you for the way the narrative repeatedly and savagely twists like an unsafe fairground ride. Personally, I found myself shutting my eyes 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

The couple Mike and Claire Sardina, terrifically played by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, were a Milwaukee married couple with kids from prior unions who in the 90s formed a cheesy homage performance to Neil Diamond named Lightning and Thunder; they grew into an underground sensation within their state and even opened for Pearl Jam, with the band's guitarist Eddie Vedder good-naturedly joined them during their performance for an encore.

However, life was not easy for them, and this film broods on how tough it is when the lightning of ill fortune hits repeatedly.

From Documentary to Drama

It is in fact adapted from an existing documentary of the same title from 2008 from filmmaker Greg Kohs concerning this surreal reality, 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 of Mike and Claire’s life.

Yet this is not the approach taken by this movie from writer-director Craig Brewer reinvents their story. The director and stars turn the laugh-at into shared amusement. Jackman delivers a masterful performance 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 the major leagues but who clearly has the chops (and the vocal cords) to carry a show.

Standout Performances

Hudson likewise shines, doing her own singing as Claire, who before she joined Mike in the world of Neil Diamond homage had a thriving act 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 tribute artist called Mark, and Mustafa Shakir is a James Brown act 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 – with their developing friendship serving as another subtle element of the film’s likability.

The Core Narrative

Irony and satire have been meticulously excised from Mike and Claire’s heart-stoppingly eventful life experiences, and in their place Brewer substitutes those qualities that the couple themselves would have been aware of: the fragility and isolation involved in striving for success on the fringes of the music industry, or for that matter making it anywhere and within any profession.

It 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 United Kingdom.