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Here is a startlingly strange, undeniably entertaining real-life tale from the heartland of American showbusiness; an endearing hit whose feelgood flavour won’t prepare you for the way the plot repeatedly and savagely twists similar to a precarious carnival attraction. I actually had myself shutting my eyes and mouth open 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, superbly portrayed by Jackman and Hudson, were spouses from Milwaukee who had children from prior unions that during the 1990s formed a cheesy homage performance to Neil Diamond 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 during their performance for an encore.

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

From Documentary to Drama

It is in fact adapted from a prior documentary film bearing the identical name created in 2008 from filmmaker Greg Kohs about this stranger-than-fiction world, a film that was extensively on the family's personal collection of home video. It’s fair to say that the original documentary focuses more intently on the unrealistic and ridiculous elements of Mike and Claire’s life.

Yet this is not the approach taken by this movie from director Craig Brewer reinvents their story. The director and stars turn the laugh-at into laugh-with. Jackman delivers a masterful performance as a Neil Diamond impersonator, vocalizing in a remarkably similar manner, and looking almost like him. He’s perfectly plausible as an individual not destined for in the big league but who clearly has the chops (and the pipes) to carry a show.

Standout Performances

Hudson likewise shines, performing her own vocals in the role of Claire, who before she joined Mike in the world of Neil Diamond homage enjoyed a successful career as Patsy Cline. The film depicts her belting out Cline numbers, although there is one iconic Cline tune that this film interestingly misses out.

Michael Imperioli plays a Buddy Holly impersonator named Mark, and Mustafa Shakir is a James Brown performer 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 who is around the same age – with their developing friendship serving as another subtle element contributing to the movie's charm.

The Core Narrative

Irony and satire have been surgically removed from Mike and Claire’s dramatically packed life experiences, and in their place Brewer substitutes those qualities which the pair personally would have been aware of: the fragility and isolation involved in striving for success in the margins of the music business, or for that matter succeeding in any field and within any profession.

This is a tale of relentless perseverance and its bright hopefulness renders it a calorific Christmas treat.

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