Final Rating: 3.5/5
Blu-Ray Recommendation: Recommend
Song Sung Blue is the latest film from Craig Brewer who has made a career out of musical films with past credits including the Footloose remake and Hustle & Flow. The film is based on a true story, being adapted from a Greg Kohs documentary of the same name that was originally released in 2008.
Song Sung Blue is the story of Mike and Clair Sardina, part time musical impressionists who teamed up to make a Neil Diamond tribute act that saw them reach high levels of fame within the Milwaukee area. Mike (Hugh Jackman), 20 years sober sings the titular song by Neal Diamond at an AA meeting, something he does every “sober birthday” as it reflects where he is at his life and his admiration for Diamond. He goes by the stage name of Lightning, which includes a lighting pendant he wears as a necklace, his denim jacket studded with a lightning bolt and his manager/dentist even gives him a crown tooth with a lightning bolt carved into it.
When he refuses to perform as Don Ho at a county fair, he gets fired by Buddy Holly impersonator Mark (Michael Imperioli), but not before meeting Patsy Cline aka Claire (Kate Hudson). The two connect over the idea that they could do something bigger, with Mark’s true passion being Neil Diamond and Claire loving the song Sweet Caroline.
The duo instantly clicks both musically and romantically, adding in to the mix that they are single parents having kids from previous marriages. It seems like nearly instantly the duo, now known as Lightning and Thunder, become a hot ticket on the county fair and casino circuit. The group even gets asked to open for Pearl Jam when they play in Milwaukee, a great moment occurs when Mike has a conversation on the phone with someone named Eddie (Veddar the lead singer of PJ), not knowing who he is while the duo’s three children are losing their minds in the background.
But right as they seem to be on the precipice of something truly magical, a tragic accident that nearly kills Claire removes her ability to perform. Between the medication she is on and the huge blow to her self worth and confidence, she becomes a shell of her former ray of sunshine self. In a heartbreaking scene Claire’s daughter Rachel (Ella Anderson) tries to drag her mom out of bed to attend a doctor’s appointment but is unable to, a moment later her son Dana (Hudson Hensley) knocks on her bedroom door inviting her to dinner, confused at how several hours had passed.
Mike is unable to perform his act because he views it as a duo and without Thunder, there is no point to being Lightning. He struggles to find work, eventually settling as a karaoke host at a Thai restaurant. The film switches from a simple success story to one that is much more complex, dealing with issues of working class struggles to create art, overcoming trauma and rebuilding oneself.
Eventually Claire finds the strength to perform again and urges Mike to reform the band, a passion he thought he had lost. Unfortunately a return to glory would be short lived as tragedy once again befalls the duo.
The film seems to be one that should be a simple paint by numbers one, but instead is deeply emotional with some surprising twists and turns that will catch viewers off guard. It is easy to shrug off the idea of a Neil Diamond tribute band as something that isn’t artistically fulfilling, but the passion and commitment from Mike and Claire is undeniable and infectious.
The film is stolen by Kate Hudson, now an Oscar nominee for Best Actress, as she charms in the early part of the film but grounds the film with hard hitting reality in the second half. We get to see Claire struggle with depression, the mood swings that medication brings on and the zombie-like nature it makes her out to be. Watching Hudson in these scenes is nothing short of heartbreaking. We buy her long time crush on Mike and when she kisses him for the first time after he suggests that she is the Thunder to his Lightning will make anyone’s heart jump for joy. Hudson also sports a pitch perfect mid-west accent.
Despite the musical abilities of both Jackman and Hudson, Michael Imperioli shines as being the only actor in the Lightning and Thunder band with shown musical chops as most of the actors are shot from the waist up while Imperioli gets wider angles. The two leads do provide their own singing as Jackman has a long and storied career on Broadway and Hudson released her debut album in 2024, and they add plenty of texture and emotion to their performances.
The film has some uneven pacing during some scenes and the band’s rise in fame seems to come a little too easily and quickly with them opening for Pearl Jam after only a few shows. Jackman is also outshined by Hudson, which is a bit tricky when ostensibly we should be rooting for him just as much.
On the Collector’s Edition physical release there are two full performances of songs including Crunchy Granola Suite that takes place in the pairs garage the first time they rehearse as a full band and Sweet Caroline which they perform at their own wedding reception.
On top of those there are three featurettes ranging between four and ten minutes highlighting the intense chemistry Jackman and Hudson put on display, capturing the unique dynamic of adapting a non-conventional biopic and the stylings that help inform the characters and setting. This along with an audio commentary from director Craig Brewer, makes the bonus content a little on the lighter side, but still worthy inclusions.
Thank you to Universal Pictures and Mandy Kay Marketing for the screener.
