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This film presents a startlingly strange, certainly enjoyable true-life story from the heartland of the American entertainment world; an endearing hit whose feelgood flavour won’t prepare you for the way the plot frequently and brutally turns like an unsafe fairground ride. I actually had my eyes closed and mouth open at certain key points, while clutching the chair ahead tightly with my hands.

The Stranger-Than-Fiction Story

The couple Mike and Claire Sardina, superbly portrayed by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, were spouses from Milwaukee 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 opened for Pearl Jam, with the band's guitarist Eddie Vedder amiably accompanied them on stage for an additional song.

But things were far from simple for the pair, and this film broods on how tough it is when misfortune's bolt strikes more than once.

Adapting a Real Story

It is in fact adapted from an existing documentary bearing the identical name created in 2008 from filmmaker Greg Kohs about this stranger-than-fiction world, a film that was heavily reliant on the couple’s family archive of homemade recordings. One could argue that the original documentary puts more emphasis on the unrealistic and ridiculous elements in the lives of Mike and Claire.

But that’s not how taken by this movie from director Craig Brewer reinvents their story. The director and stars turn the laugh-at into shared amusement. Jackman absolutely crushes it portraying a Neil Diamond tribute artist, vocalizing in a remarkably similar manner, and appearing strikingly alike. He’s perfectly plausible as someone who isn’t supposed to be the major leagues but who clearly has the chops (and the vocal cords) to headline a performance.

Notable Acting

Hudson is also excellent, doing her own singing as Claire, who prior to partnering with Mike in the Neil Diamond tribute world had a thriving act performing as Patsy Cline. The film depicts her belting out Cline numbers, even though one particular Cline standard that this film interestingly misses out.

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

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 that the couple themselves would have recognized: the vulnerability and loneliness of trying to make it in the margins of the music business, or for that matter making it anywhere and within any profession.

It is a never-say-die story and its bright hopefulness renders it a calorific Christmas treat.

The film "Song Sung Blue" releases on 25 December in the United States and January 1st in Australia and the UK.