'Song Sung Blue' Captures Resilience and Romance in True-Life Musical Tribute

Director Craig Brewer’s captivating film, Song Sung Blue, chronicles the remarkable true story of a working-class couple whose enduring love and shared commitment to their musical dream sustain them through a series of profound personal setbacks. Far from being mere sentimental melodrama, this retelling of the journey of a Neil Diamond tribute act is grounded in authentic emotion and uplifted by an irresistible score. The film’s success hinges on the magnetic chemistry and winning performances delivered by its perfectly matched leads, Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, with the latter offering what is considered her finest work since Almost Famous.

The story begins in the late 1980s in Milwaukee, where Mike Sardina (Jackman), a divorced Vietnam veteran celebrating his twentieth anniversary of sobriety, encounters Claire Stengl (Hudson), a local hairdresser. Their meeting occurs at a "Legends" gig at the Wisconsin State Fair, an event populated by a mix of celebrity impersonators, including Elvis, James Brown, and the Buddy Holly act of promoter Mark Shurilla (Michael Imperioli).

Mike, an existing performer known as "Lightning," backs out of the show after a disagreement with Mark, but not before Claire—who is preparing to perform as Patsy Cline—encourages him to channel his talents into a Neil Diamond tribute. Writer-director Brewer, whose filmography includes acclaimed underdog stories like Hustle & Flow and Dolemite Is My Name, demonstrates a clear, deep personal investment and affinity for performers seeking fulfillment, an interest initially sparked by the 2008 documentary of the same name about the real-life duo.

Mike and Claire’s professional collaboration quickly sparks a mutual attraction. Their first session, where Mike visits Claire with sheet music to explore the Neil Diamond catalog, culminates in Mike asking her to be Thunder to his Lightning, sealing their future both as a couple and as a musical act. The tangible chemistry between Jackman and Hudson is instrumental in making the audience wholeheartedly root for their partnership.

The film is a robust, wholesome crowd-pleaser that successfully revitalizes the musical biopic structure. Executive music producer Scott Bomar ensures that the soundtrack is an uplifting knockout. The film consciously gives ample space to Diamond’s extensive catalog, moving beyond the ubiquitous "Sweet Caroline" to feature memorable, full-length performances of songs such as the spiritual "Soolaimon," the romantic "Play Me," and the gospel-inflected "Holly Holy" and "Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show." This approach allows editor Billy Fox to use montages to both amplify the musical power and efficiently advance the narrative.

Even moments that could easily descend into cliché are disarming. An early rehearsal in Mike’s garage—with his longtime associates The Esquires on horns and keys, and Mark Shurilla on guitar—as they rip through “Crunchy Granola Suite,” is depicted with such contagious gusto that even a cynical neighbor is won over.

While Claire is a refugee from a broken marriage prone to depression, singing and Mike’s exuberant optimism act as mood elevators. Her tween son Dayna (Hudson Hensley) quickly bonds with his new stepdad, and her initially resistant teenage daughter Rachel (Ella Anderson) is eventually won over after forming a fast friendship with Mike’s visiting daughter, Angelina (King Princess).

Success finds the duo when Mike’s manager, dentist Dr. Dave Watson (Fisher Stevens), links them with low-rent casino booker Tom D’Amato (Jim Belushi). Though an early gig goes awry—D’Amato mistakenly promises a motorhome convention crowd but delivers a biker club—the event ends with a marriage proposal, and soon after, Lightning and Thunder become a local Milwaukee sensation. Their biggest break occurs when they are called upon to open for Pearl Jam—a real-life event woven into the movie's narrative.

Just as the couple achieves success, the film introduces significant conflict. Tragedy strikes, sidelining Claire and sending her into a deep spiral of severe depression and anger. Performing loses its magic for Mike without her presence, despite his best efforts to stay positive, such as hosting karaoke nights at a family-run Thai restaurant. The narrative threads of repeat misfortunes, including Rachel’s unplanned pregnancy, inject resonant notes of pathos, ensuring the film is never "sickly" or overly sentimental.

The film successfully keeps the audience engaged through these spiraling lows and resilient highs, largely due to the sheer charisma of the lead actors. Jackman embodies the showman dreamer perfectly, channeling his natural humor and exuberant personality into Mike’s stage presence, whether practicing moves in his underwear or belting out hits in flashy satin ‘70s attire. However, he is careful not to shortchange the deep soulfulness of the character.

The true revelation is Hudson, who delivers a vanity-free performance as the Midwestern hairdresser and loving mother. Her infectious happiness when performing and her heartbreaking devastation when sidelined are entirely believable. She excels not only in her warm, full-bodied versions of Patsy Cline evergreens like "Walkin’ After Midnight" but also matches Jackman’s energy in their performance duets, with their radiating mutual love making the concert scenes wonderful interludes. Hudson also delivers a powerful solo on Diamond’s ballad “I’ve Been This Way Before.”

With an appealing ensemble—ably led by Imperioli, Anderson, Stevens, and Belushi—the film maintains its sincerity. Brewer’s direction is polished and fuss-free, wisely trusting the strength of the characters and their "stranger-than-fiction" story to carry the narrative. While the film has multiple concluding moments where fewer might have sufficed, Song Sung Blue is a crowd-pleasing Christmas release that, despite bordering on schmaltz, remains anchored in bittersweet, real-life experience.