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This film presents a startlingly strange, certainly enjoyable true-life story from the heartland of American showbusiness; a lovable crowdpleaser whose feelgood flavour 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 with my jaw agape during several crucial moments, while clutching 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 who had children from previous relationships who in the 90s created a kitschy Neil Diamond tribute act named Lightning and Thunder; they became a cult hit in their home state and even performed before Pearl Jam, whose guitarist Eddie Vedder good-naturedly joined them on stage for an additional song.

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

Adapting a Real Story

The film is actually based on a prior documentary film of the same title from 2008 by Greg Kohs concerning this surreal reality, a movie that relied extensively on the couple’s family archive of home video. One could argue that the documentary puts more emphasis on the unrealistic and ridiculous elements of Mike and Claire’s life.

But that’s not how this film from director Craig Brewer reinvents their story. He, Jackman and Hudson transform the mockery into laugh-with. Jackman delivers a masterful performance as a Neil Diamond impersonator, vocalizing in a remarkably similar manner, and appearing strikingly alike. He’s perfectly plausible as an individual not destined for in the big league but who clearly has the chops (and the vocal cords) to headline a performance.

Notable Acting

Hudson is also excellent, performing her own vocals in the role of Claire, who prior to partnering with 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.

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

The Heart of the Story

Sarcasm and mockery have been meticulously excised from the account of Mike and Claire's dramatically packed life experiences, and in their place Brewer substitutes those qualities that the couple themselves would have recognized: the fragility and isolation involved in striving for success in the margins of the music industry, or for that matter making it anywhere and within any profession.

It is a never-say-die story and its cheerful optimism makes it a calorific Christmas treat.

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