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Here is a startlingly strange, certainly enjoyable real-life tale from the heartland of the American entertainment world; an endearing hit with its uplifting tone won’t prepare you for the way the plot repeatedly and savagely twists similar to a precarious carnival attraction. Personally, I found my eyes closed and mouth open at certain key points, and was grabbing the chair ahead with both fists.

The Stranger-Than-Fiction Story

The couple Mike and Claire Sardina, superbly portrayed by Jackman and Hudson, were spouses from Milwaukee with kids 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 in their home state and even performed before Pearl Jam, whose guitarist Eddie Vedder good-naturedly joined them on stage for an additional song.

But things were not easy for them, and this movie contemplates how tough it is when misfortune's bolt hits repeatedly.

Adapting a Real Story

The film is actually based on a prior documentary film of the same title from 2008 by Greg Kohs about this stranger-than-fiction world, a film that was heavily reliant on the couple’s family archive of home video. It’s fair to say that the original documentary puts more emphasis on the delusional and absurd aspects in the lives of Mike and Claire.

Yet this is not the approach this film from writer-director Craig Brewer reinvents their story. He, Jackman and Hudson turn the laugh-at into shared amusement. Jackman absolutely crushes it as a Neil Diamond impersonator, 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 undoubtedly possesses the talent (and the pipes) to headline a performance.

Notable Acting

Hudson likewise shines, doing her own singing as Claire, who before she joined Mike in the world of Neil Diamond homage had a thriving act as Patsy Cline. She is shown belting out Cline numbers, although there is one Cline standard that this film interestingly misses out.

Michael Imperioli plays a Buddy Holly impersonator named 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 portrays Mike's daughter Angelina of about the same age – with their developing friendship is another underplayed aspect contributing to the movie's charm.

The Core Narrative

Sarcasm and mockery have been meticulously excised from Mike and Claire’s dramatically packed life experiences, and in their place Brewer substitutes those attributes which the pair personally would have recognized: the fragility and isolation of trying to make it on the fringes of the music business, or indeed making it anywhere and within any profession.

This is a never-say-die story and its cheerful optimism makes it a calorific Christmas treat.

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