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Here is a startlingly strange, undeniably entertaining real-life tale from the heartland of American showbusiness; an endearing hit with its uplifting tone does little to warn you for the way the narrative frequently and brutally turns like an unsafe fairground ride. Personally, I found my eyes closed and mouth open during several crucial moments, while clutching the seat in front of me tightly with my hands.

The Unbelievable True Tale

The couple Mike and Claire Sardina, terrifically played by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, were a Milwaukee married couple with kids from previous relationships that during the 1990s created a kitschy homage performance to Neil Diamond called Lightning and Thunder; they became an underground sensation within their state and even performed before Pearl Jam, whose guitarist Eddie Vedder amiably accompanied them on stage for an additional song.

But things were not easy for them, and this movie contemplates the difficulty that arises when the lightning of ill fortune hits repeatedly.

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 couple’s family archive of homemade recordings. It’s fair to say that the documentary puts more emphasis on the unrealistic and ridiculous elements in the lives of Mike and Claire.

Yet this is not the approach taken by this movie from writer-director Craig Brewer reinvents their story. The director and stars turn the laugh-at into laugh-with. Jackman absolutely crushes it 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 the major leagues but who clearly has the chops (and the vocal cords) to carry a show.

Notable Acting

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

Michael Imperioli plays a Buddy Holly impersonator called Mark, while Mustafa Shakir appears as a James Brown act called 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

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 attributes that the couple themselves would have been aware of: the fragility and isolation involved in striving for success in the margins of the music business, or indeed making it anywhere and in any business.

It is a tale of relentless perseverance and its cheerful optimism makes it a calorific Christmas treat.

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