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This film presents a startlingly strange, certainly enjoyable true-life story from the heartland of American showbusiness; a lovable crowdpleaser with its uplifting tone does little to warn you for how the plot frequently and brutally turns similar to a precarious carnival attraction. Personally, I found myself shutting my eyes and mouth open 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, superbly portrayed by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, were spouses from Milwaukee who had children from prior unions that during the 1990s formed a cheesy Neil Diamond tribute act named Lightning and Thunder; they grew into an underground sensation in their home state and even opened for Pearl Jam, with the band's guitarist Eddie Vedder good-naturedly joined them during their performance for an additional song.

But things were not easy for them, and this movie contemplates how tough it is when the lightning of ill fortune strikes more than once.

Adapting a Real Story

The film is actually based on an existing documentary bearing the identical name from 2008 from filmmaker Greg Kohs about this stranger-than-fiction world, a movie that relied heavily reliant on the family's personal collection of home video. One could argue that the original documentary puts more emphasis on the unrealistic and ridiculous elements of Mike and Claire’s life.

But that’s not how this film from writer-director Craig Brewer reimagines their tale. He, Jackman and Hudson transform the mockery into laugh-with. Jackman delivers a masterful performance portraying a Neil Diamond tribute artist, sounding almost like him, and appearing strikingly alike. 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.

Standout Performances

Hudson likewise shines, doing her own singing in the role of Claire, who before she joined Mike in the world of Neil Diamond homage had a thriving act 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 tribute artist called Mark, and Mustafa Shakir is a James Brown performer known as Sex Machine. Ella Anderson plays Claire’s teen daughter Rachel, and King Princess is Mike's daughter Angelina of about the same age – and their burgeoning friendship serving as another subtle element contributing to the movie's charm.

The Heart of the Story

Sarcasm and mockery have been meticulously excised from Mike and Claire’s dramatically packed life experiences, and replacing them Brewer substitutes those qualities that the couple themselves would have recognized: the vulnerability and loneliness 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 makes it a calorific Christmas treat.

Song Sung Blue is out December 25th in the United States and January 1st in Australia and the United Kingdom.