🔗 Share this article

This film presents a startlingly strange, undeniably entertaining real-life tale emerging from American showbusiness; an endearing hit whose feelgood flavour does little to warn you for the way the plot repeatedly and savagely twists similar to a precarious carnival attraction. Personally, I found my eyes closed with my jaw agape at certain key points, and was grabbing the seat in front of me with both fists.

The Stranger-Than-Fiction Story

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

But things were not easy for them, and this film broods on the difficulty that arises when the lightning of ill fortune strikes more than once.

From Documentary to Drama

It is in fact adapted from an existing documentary bearing the identical name from 2008 by Greg Kohs concerning this surreal reality, a movie that relied extensively on the couple’s family archive of homemade recordings. It’s fair to say that the documentary focuses more intently on the delusional and absurd aspects in the lives of Mike and Claire.

But that’s not how this film from writer-director Craig Brewer reimagines their tale. The director and stars turn the laugh-at into laugh-with. Jackman absolutely crushes it as a Neil Diamond impersonator, sounding almost like him, and appearing strikingly alike. He’s perfectly plausible as an individual not destined for the major leagues but who clearly has the chops (and the pipes) to headline a performance.

Notable Acting

Hudson likewise shines, performing her own vocals in the role of Claire, who prior to partnering with Mike in the world of Neil Diamond homage enjoyed a successful career as Patsy Cline. She is shown powerfully singing Cline's songs, even though one particular Cline standard that this film interestingly misses out.

Actor Michael Imperioli portrays a Buddy Holly impersonator called Mark, while Mustafa Shakir appears as a James Brown act known as Sex Machine. The role of Claire's teenage daughter Rachel is played by Ella Anderson, and King Princess portrays Mike’s daughter Angelina of about the same age – and their burgeoning friendship serving as another subtle element of the film’s likability.

The Heart of the Story

Irony and satire have been meticulously excised from Mike and Claire’s heart-stoppingly eventful 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 in the margins of the music business, or indeed succeeding in any field and within any profession.

This is a never-say-die story and its cheerful optimism renders it a rich holiday delight.

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