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This film presents a startlingly strange, certainly enjoyable real-life tale emerging from the American entertainment world; an endearing hit with its uplifting tone won’t prepare you for the way the narrative frequently and brutally turns similar to a precarious carnival attraction. I actually had my eyes closed and mouth open at certain key points, while clutching 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 spouses from Milwaukee who had children from prior unions that during the 1990s formed a kitschy homage performance to Neil Diamond called Lightning and Thunder; they grew into an underground sensation within their state and even performed before Pearl Jam, whose guitarist Eddie Vedder good-naturedly joined them during their performance for an encore.

However, life was far from simple for the pair, and this movie contemplates the difficulty that arises when misfortune's bolt strikes more than once.

From Documentary to Drama

It is in fact adapted from an existing documentary of the same title created in 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 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 as a Neil Diamond impersonator, sounding almost like him, and looking almost like him. 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 as Claire, who before she joined Mike in the Neil Diamond tribute world enjoyed a successful career performing as Patsy Cline. The film depicts her belting out Cline numbers, even though one particular iconic Cline tune is curiously omitted from this movie.

Actor Michael Imperioli portrays a Buddy Holly impersonator named Mark, while Mustafa Shakir appears as a James Brown act known as Sex Machine. Ella Anderson plays Claire’s teen daughter Rachel, and King Princess portrays Mike's daughter Angelina who is around the same age – and their burgeoning friendship is another underplayed aspect contributing to the movie's charm.

The Heart of the Story

Irony and satire have been meticulously excised from Mike and Claire’s heart-stoppingly eventful life stories, and replacing them Brewer installs those qualities that the couple themselves would have been aware of: the vulnerability and loneliness involved in striving for success on the fringes of the music industry, or for that matter making it anywhere and in any business.

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

The film "Song Sung Blue" releases December 25th in the US and January 1st in Australia and the UK.