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Here is a startlingly strange, certainly enjoyable real-life tale emerging from American showbusiness; an endearing hit with its uplifting tone won’t prepare you for how the plot frequently and brutally turns similar to a precarious carnival attraction. Personally, I found myself shutting my eyes and mouth open during several crucial moments, while clutching the seat in front of me with both fists.

The Stranger-Than-Fiction Story

The couple Mike and Claire Sardina, terrifically played by Jackman and Hudson, were spouses from Milwaukee who had children from previous relationships that during the 1990s formed a cheesy homage performance to Neil Diamond called Lightning and Thunder; they became a cult hit in their home state and even performed before Pearl Jam, whose guitarist Eddie Vedder good-naturedly joined them during their performance for an additional song.

But things were not easy for them, and this film broods on the difficulty that arises when the lightning of ill fortune hits repeatedly.

From Documentary to Drama

The film is actually based on an existing documentary bearing the identical name created in 2008 by Greg Kohs concerning this surreal reality, a movie that relied extensively on the family's personal collection of homemade recordings. It’s fair to say that the documentary focuses more intently on the delusional and absurd aspects of Mike and Claire’s life.

But that’s not how taken by this movie from director Craig Brewer reinvents their story. He, Jackman and Hudson turn the laugh-at into laugh-with. Jackman absolutely crushes it as a Neil Diamond impersonator, sounding almost like him, and appearing strikingly alike. He is entirely believable as someone who isn’t supposed to be in the big league but who clearly has the chops (and the pipes) to carry a show.

Standout Performances

Hudson is also excellent, doing her own singing as Claire, who prior to partnering with Mike in the Neil Diamond tribute world enjoyed a successful career as Patsy Cline. She is shown belting out Cline numbers, although there is one iconic Cline tune that this film interestingly misses out.

Michael Imperioli plays a Buddy Holly impersonator called Mark, and Mustafa Shakir is a James Brown act known as Sex Machine. The role of Claire's teenage daughter Rachel is played by Ella Anderson, and King Princess portrays Mike's daughter Angelina who is around the same age – and their burgeoning friendship is another underplayed aspect of the film’s likability.

The Heart of the Story

Sarcasm and mockery have been meticulously excised from Mike and Claire’s heart-stoppingly eventful life experiences, and replacing them Brewer substitutes those qualities which the pair personally would have recognized: the fragility and isolation involved in striving for success in the margins of the music business, 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.

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