SONG SUNG BLUE Reviewed by GREG KING
Director: Craig Brewer
Stars: Hugh Jackman, Kate Hudson, Michael Imperioli, Fisher Stevens, Jim Belushi, King Princess, Ella Anderson, Hudson Hensley, Cecilia Riddett, Jayson Warner Smith, Mustafa Shakir.
Song Sung Blue is a real emotional rollercoaster that moves from feel good to feel bad and back again, and it ends on a bittersweet note.
Set in 1987, the film follows Mike Sardinia (Hugh Jackman), a divorced former Vietnam vet and recovered alcoholic, who performed on stage in tribute bands and sideshows in Milwaukee. But he is struggling both personally and professionally. Then he meets Claire Stengle (Kate Hudson), a hairdresser who was also performing Patsy Cline covers on the state fair circuit. He is bored with playing Don Ho covers and wants to be himself.
Claire gives him the idea to perform by covering the songs of the legendary singer/songwriter Neil Diamond. Rather than being a Neil Diamond impersonator he brands himself as a Neil Diamond interpreter. Billed as Thunder and Lightning, their Neil Diamond tribute act became very popular in the local area, leading to them opening a gig for none other than Pearl Jam in 1995. They performed their Neil Diamond tribute shows in bars and smaller venues from 1989 through until 2006.
Gloria has two children – teenaged daughter Rachel (Ella Anderson) and son Dayna (Hudson Hensley) – while he has a teenaged daughter Angelina (King Princess) from his previous marriage. But this is not your standard, straight forward romantic musical drama, as there are lots of heartbreaks and personal setbacks along the way as the film explores issues including alcoholism, addiction, the dynamics of blended families, financial pressures, even a life-threatening accident, resilience, and loss and dependency. It’s also about the healing power of music.
A genuine crowd-pleaser, Song Sung Blue is loosely based on an award winning 2008 documentary of the same name from filmmaker Greg Kohs (Alpha Go, etc), which profiled the loving duo of Mike and Claire and their musical journey. Diamond approved the use of many of his hit songs, and this film benefits enormously from Jackman’s vocalising some of his biggest hit songs with gusto.
Writer/director Craig Brewer (the 2011 remake of Footloose) has obviously taken some liberties with the material for dramatic effect but that doesn’t detract from the entertainment delivered by this biopic that celebrates the music of Neil Diamond. He treats the central characters with respect and even empathy. There is even a great deal of warmth and humour throughout the film.
There is superb chemistry between Jackman and Hudson that elevates the material and grounds the film with its emotional core. This is the first time Jackson has sung on screen since The Greatest Showman (2017) and he revels in belting out the superb Neil Diamond hits. He has an easy-going charisma, but he also captures Mike’s feeling of vulnerability and uncertainty. I was even quietly singing along and tapping my feet as he belted out those classic Diamond tunes. Hudson has mostly appeared in a succession of formulaic romantic comedies, but her superb performance here hits some dramatic and grittier notes and reveals different rarely seen aspects to her screen persona. This is, arguably, the best performance of her career.
Anderson and Princess are also solid as the two teenage girls who bond and form a genuine sense of love and respect.
The support cast also includes Fisher Stevens (Short Circuit, etc) as Dave Watson, Mike’s dentist and manager; Jim Belushi brings some comic relief to his role as Tom D’Amato, the band’s tour manager; Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos, etc) as Mark, a Buddy Holly impersonator who becomes the tribute band’s lead guitarist; and John Beckwith appears as Eddie Vedder.
★★★★☆
