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Here is a startlingly strange, undeniably entertaining true-life story emerging from American showbusiness; a lovable crowdpleaser with its uplifting tone does little to warn you for how the plot frequently and brutally turns like an unsafe fairground ride. I actually had myself shutting my eyes with my jaw agape during several crucial moments, while clutching the chair ahead with both fists.

The Stranger-Than-Fiction Story

Mike and Claire Sardina, terrifically played by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, were a Milwaukee married couple who had children from prior unions that during the 1990s formed a kitschy homage performance to Neil Diamond called Lightning and Thunder; they grew into a cult hit within their state and even performed before Pearl Jam, with the band's guitarist Eddie Vedder good-naturedly joined them during their performance for an encore.

But things were far from simple for the pair, and this film broods on the difficulty that arises when the lightning of ill fortune strikes more than once.

Adapting a Real Story

It is in fact adapted from a prior documentary film of the same title created in 2008 by 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 focuses more intently on the delusional and absurd aspects of Mike and Claire’s life.

But that’s not how this film from writer-director Craig Brewer reimagines their tale. He, Jackman and Hudson transform the mockery into laugh-with. Jackman delivers a masterful performance as a Neil Diamond impersonator, 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 vocal cords) to carry a show.

Notable Acting

Hudson is also excellent, performing her own vocals in the role of Claire, who before she joined Mike in the Neil Diamond tribute world enjoyed a successful career as Patsy Cline. She is shown powerfully singing Cline's songs, even though one particular 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 known as Sex Machine. Ella Anderson plays Claire’s teen daughter Rachel, and King Princess is Mike's daughter Angelina of about the same age – and their burgeoning friendship serving as another subtle element of the film’s likability.

The Heart of the Story

Irony and satire have been surgically removed from Mike and Claire’s heart-stoppingly eventful life experiences, and in their place Brewer substitutes those qualities which the pair personally would have been aware of: the fragility and isolation of trying to make it on the fringes of the music industry, or indeed succeeding in any field and within any profession.

This is a tale of relentless perseverance and its cheerful optimism renders it a rich holiday delight.

Song Sung Blue is out on 25 December in the United States and January 1st in Australia and the United Kingdom.