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Here is a remarkably odd, certainly enjoyable real-life tale from the heartland of American showbusiness; a lovable crowdpleaser with its uplifting tone won’t prepare you for how the narrative repeatedly and savagely twists like an unsafe fairground ride. Personally, I found my eyes closed and mouth open at certain key points, and was grabbing the chair ahead 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 prior unions who in the 90s formed a kitschy homage performance to Neil Diamond called Lightning and Thunder; they became a cult hit within their state and even performed before Pearl Jam, whose guitarist Eddie Vedder good-naturedly joined them during their performance for an encore.

But things were not easy for them, and this movie contemplates the difficulty that arises when misfortune's bolt hits repeatedly.

From Documentary to Drama

The film is actually based on an existing documentary bearing the identical name from 2008 by Greg Kohs concerning this surreal reality, a film that was extensively on the family's personal collection of home video. It’s fair to say that the original documentary puts more emphasis on the delusional and absurd aspects in the lives of Mike and Claire.

Yet this is not the approach this film from director Craig Brewer reimagines their tale. The director and stars 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 pipes) to headline a performance.

Notable Acting

Hudson is also excellent, doing her own singing in the role of Claire, who before she joined Mike in the Neil Diamond tribute world enjoyed a successful career as Patsy Cline. The film depicts her powerfully singing Cline's songs, although there is one iconic Cline tune that this film interestingly misses out.

Michael Imperioli plays a Buddy Holly impersonator named Mark, while Mustafa Shakir appears as a James Brown performer called Sex Machine. Ella Anderson plays Claire's teenage daughter Rachel is played by Ella Anderson, and King Princess portrays Mike's daughter Angelina of about the same age – and their burgeoning friendship is another underplayed aspect of the film’s likability.

The Heart of the Story

Irony and satire have been surgically removed from Mike and Claire’s dramatically packed life experiences, and replacing them Brewer substitutes those qualities which the pair personally would have been aware of: the vulnerability and loneliness involved in striving for success on the fringes of the music business, or for that matter making it anywhere and within any profession.

This is a tale of relentless perseverance and its cheerful optimism renders it a calorific Christmas treat.

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