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Here is a startlingly strange, undeniably entertaining true-life story from the heartland of American showbusiness; 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 myself shutting my eyes with my jaw agape during several crucial moments, while clutching the chair ahead tightly with my hands.

The Stranger-Than-Fiction Story

The couple Mike and Claire Sardina, superbly portrayed by Jackman and Hudson, were spouses from Milwaukee with kids from previous relationships that during the 1990s created a cheesy Neil Diamond tribute act named Lightning and Thunder; they became an underground sensation within their state and even opened for Pearl Jam, whose guitarist Eddie Vedder amiably accompanied them during their performance for an additional song.

But things were far from simple for the pair, and this movie contemplates how tough it is when misfortune's bolt hits repeatedly.

From Documentary to Drama

The film is actually based on a prior documentary film bearing the identical name created in 2008 by Greg Kohs concerning this surreal reality, a movie that relied heavily reliant on the family's personal collection of home video. It’s fair to say 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 this film from director Craig Brewer reinvents their story. The director and stars turn the laugh-at into laugh-with. Jackman absolutely crushes it portraying a Neil Diamond tribute artist, 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 headline a performance.

Notable Acting

Hudson is also excellent, performing her own vocals in the role of Claire, who before she joined Mike in the Neil Diamond tribute world had a thriving act as Patsy Cline. She is shown powerfully singing Cline's songs, even though one particular Cline standard is curiously omitted from this movie.

Actor Michael Imperioli portrays a Buddy Holly impersonator called Mark, while Mustafa Shakir appears as a James Brown performer called 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 – and their burgeoning friendship serving as another subtle element contributing to the movie's charm.

The Heart of the Story

Sarcasm and mockery have been meticulously excised from Mike and Claire’s heart-stoppingly eventful life stories, and in their place Brewer substitutes those attributes that the couple themselves 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 in any business.

It is a tale of relentless perseverance and its cheerful optimism makes it a calorific Christmas treat.

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