Directed by Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow (2005); Black Snake Moan (2006); Dolemite Is My Name (2019); Coming 2 America (2021)) and starring Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables (2012); The Greatest Showman (2017); X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009); Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014)), Kate Hudson (Almost Famous (2000); Fool's Gold (2008); How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003); Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)), King Princess (Nine Perfect Strangers (tv series, 2025); Crush (2022)), Ella Anderson (The Glass Castle (2017); Henry Danger (tv series, 2014-20)), Hudson Hensley (The Wildman of Shaggy Creek (2025)) and Fisher Stevens (The Cove (2019); Short Circuit (1986); Super Mario Bros. (1993)).

Drama; 132 mins; 12+

Based on the documentary film of the same name by Greg Kohs, Song Sung Blue can probably best be described as a love story between Mike Sardina (Hugh Jackman) and Claire (Kate Hudson) set in the 1980s and 90s in and around Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.

Both have addiction issues; he served in the Vietnam War and is a recovering alcoholic but has been dry for 20 years, with a daughter Angelina (King Princess) who lives most of the time with her mother in Florida; and she from a dependency on prescription drugs, with her two children who live with her, Rachel (Ella Anderson) and Dana (Hudson Hensley).

With both struggling financially having had multiple part-time jobs to satisfy their passion of singing, albeit to small audience numbers, they meet at a "Legends" concert at a Wisconsin State Fair where he stands up to his principles and does not go on stage, and she dons a wig to perform a number of Patsy Cline. Something clicks, as they say, and they explore how they could perform together and hit on the songs of Neil Diamond. Interestingly, they are adamant they are not a tribute act, a Neil Diamond impersonator, but rather a Neil Diamond interpreter in which they perform many of his other songs rather than just the crowd-pleasers such as Sweet Caroline, Song Sung Blue, etc. With his stage name being Lightning, they decide on Lightning and Thunder as the name of their act…

While the opening sequences give the aura of a feel-good film - and it is certainly that, but so much more - it is their first practice in his garage that elevates this film to another height, such is the on-screen, on-stage chemistry between the two leads. And then there are his visits to his dentist, Dr. Dave Watson (Fisher Stevens), another two-jobber who also happens to be his manager…

With interwoven storylines including daily life struggles in the mid-West, practical issues such as him teaching her daughter car mechanics, a blended family and what that entails..., addiction and more, this is a film that tugs at the heartstrings as it also touches on heartbreak. It is not a musical, yet the film is interlaced with so many song performances, music (the music of Neil Diamond and more) is the recurrent strand that ties everything together.

The set design, including both the house interiors and exteriors with car models from that period and also exteriors of buildings, as well as wardrobe are all on the money, that together contribute to make this one of the most watchable and enjoyable films for a while. Even the casting directors got it spot on, with the couple's three children all making their mark individually on the film, but it is the two leads, both Kate Hudson and Hugh Jackman (who rose up through the ranks of musical theatre) who quite rightfully steal the show - with the awards season coming up, watch out for nominations for both in the acting categories. While the storyline is really not that in-depth, and we see the characters for what they are with only occasional glimpses of what they used to be like, it is told with a touch that is both sensitive and passionate at the same time.

Song Sung Blue is very much a family film, with the director Craig Brewer pitching it perfectly to the audiences, both inspiring and harrowing in (almost) equal measure, with admiration thrown in too. If you don't know about the couple's incredible true story, the recommendation is not to do any research before you see the film, as the less you know the better…

Song Sung Blue is currently screening in Luxembourg at Kinepolis and CiNextDoor.

ED