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Here is a startlingly strange, certainly enjoyable true-life story emerging from the American entertainment world; an endearing hit with its uplifting tone does little to warn you for the way the plot frequently and brutally turns like an unsafe fairground ride. I actually had my eyes closed and mouth open at certain key points, and was grabbing the chair ahead tightly with my hands.

The Stranger-Than-Fiction Story

The couple Mike and Claire Sardina, terrifically played by Jackman and Hudson, were a Milwaukee married couple with kids from previous relationships that during the 1990s created a kitschy homage performance to Neil Diamond named Lightning and Thunder; they became an underground sensation in their home 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 not easy for them, and this film broods on how tough it is when the lightning of ill fortune hits repeatedly.

Adapting a Real Story

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 film that was heavily reliant on the couple’s family archive of home video. It’s fair to say that the documentary puts more emphasis on the delusional and absurd aspects of Mike and Claire’s life.

But that’s not how this film from writer-director Craig Brewer reinvents their story. He, Jackman and Hudson turn the laugh-at into laugh-with. Jackman absolutely crushes it as a Neil Diamond impersonator, vocalizing in a remarkably similar manner, and appearing strikingly alike. He is entirely believable as someone who isn’t supposed to be in the big league but who undoubtedly possesses the talent (and the pipes) to headline a performance.

Standout Performances

Hudson is also excellent, 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, although there is one iconic Cline tune is curiously omitted from this movie.

Michael Imperioli plays a Buddy Holly impersonator named Mark, and Mustafa Shakir is a James Brown act called Sex Machine. Ella Anderson plays Claire’s teen daughter Rachel, and King Princess portrays 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 Heart of the Story

Sarcasm and mockery have been surgically removed from the account of Mike and Claire's heart-stoppingly eventful life experiences, and replacing them Brewer substitutes those attributes which the pair personally 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.

This is a never-say-die story and its cheerful optimism 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.