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Here is a startlingly strange, certainly enjoyable real-life tale emerging from the American entertainment world; an endearing hit whose feelgood flavour does little to warn you for the way the plot repeatedly and savagely twists like an unsafe fairground ride. I actually had my eyes closed and mouth open during several crucial moments, while clutching the seat in front of me with both fists.

The Stranger-Than-Fiction Story

Mike and Claire Sardina, superbly portrayed by Jackman and Hudson, were spouses from Milwaukee who had children from prior unions that during the 1990s created a kitschy Neil Diamond tribute act named Lightning and Thunder; they grew into an underground sensation in their home state and even opened for Pearl Jam, with the band's guitarist Eddie Vedder good-naturedly joined them on stage for an encore.

But things were not easy for them, and this film broods on how tough it is when misfortune's bolt strikes more than once.

From Documentary to Drama

The film is actually based on a prior documentary film of the same title from 2008 from filmmaker Greg Kohs concerning this surreal reality, a film that was 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.

Yet this is not the approach this film from director Craig Brewer reinvents their story. The director and stars transform the mockery into laugh-with. Jackman absolutely crushes it as a Neil Diamond impersonator, sounding almost like him, and appearing strikingly alike. He is entirely believable as an individual not destined for in the big league but who clearly has the chops (and the vocal cords) to carry a show.

Notable Acting

Hudson is also excellent, doing her own singing in the role of Claire, who before she joined Mike in the world of Neil Diamond homage enjoyed a successful career performing as Patsy Cline. She is shown belting out Cline numbers, even though one particular Cline standard is curiously omitted from this movie.

Actor Michael Imperioli portrays a Buddy Holly tribute artist called Mark, while Mustafa Shakir appears as a James Brown act known as Sex Machine. The role of 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 is another underplayed aspect of the film’s likability.

The Heart of the Story

Sarcasm and mockery have been meticulously excised from Mike and Claire’s dramatically packed life stories, and in their place Brewer substitutes those attributes that the couple themselves would have been aware of: the fragility and isolation of trying to make it in the margins of the music industry, or indeed succeeding in any field and within any profession.

It is a tale of relentless perseverance and its cheerful optimism makes it a rich holiday delight.

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