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This film presents a startlingly strange, certainly enjoyable real-life tale emerging from American showbusiness; a lovable crowdpleaser with its uplifting tone won’t prepare you for the way the narrative repeatedly and savagely twists like an unsafe fairground ride. I actually had my eyes closed 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, terrifically played by Jackman and Hudson, were a Milwaukee married couple who had children from prior unions who in the 90s formed a cheesy Neil Diamond tribute act called Lightning and Thunder; they became an underground sensation within their state and even opened for Pearl Jam, whose guitarist Eddie Vedder good-naturedly joined them on stage for an additional song.

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

The film is actually based on a prior documentary film of the same title created in 2008 by Greg Kohs about this stranger-than-fiction world, a movie that relied extensively on the couple’s family archive of homemade recordings. It’s fair to say 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 director Craig Brewer reinvents their story. The director and stars turn the laugh-at into laugh-with. Jackman delivers a masterful performance portraying a Neil Diamond tribute artist, sounding almost like him, and looking almost like him. He’s perfectly plausible as an individual not destined for the major leagues but who undoubtedly possesses the talent (and the pipes) to headline a performance.

Notable Acting

Hudson likewise shines, performing her own vocals in the role of Claire, who before she joined Mike in the Neil Diamond tribute world had a thriving act as Patsy Cline. She is shown powerfully singing Cline's songs, although there is one Cline standard is curiously omitted from this movie.

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

The Core Narrative

Sarcasm and mockery have been meticulously excised from the account of Mike and Claire's dramatically packed life stories, and replacing them Brewer installs those attributes which the pair personally would have been aware of: the fragility and isolation of trying to make it in the margins of the music business, or for that matter succeeding in any field and in any business.

It is a never-say-die story and its bright hopefulness makes it a rich holiday delight.

The film "Song Sung Blue" is out on 25 December in the US and 1 January in Australia and the United Kingdom.