Joyce Glasser reviews Song Sung Blue (January 1, 2026) Cert 12A, 132 mins.
Just under the wire, a film about a Milwaukee-based Neil Diamond tribute act with the unlikely pairing of Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson might just be one of the best films of 2025. Released for Christmas in the USA and New Year’s Day here, this double biopic, based on Greg Kohs 2008 documentary about Mike and Claire Sardina is that rare treat: a family movie that makes you smile, laugh and cry without resorting to sentimentality, clichés or manipulative heart-string pulling.
The plot, though unpredictable, is straightforward, but not so the seemingly invisible touch of musical-focused director Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow, Footloose) or his script. Song Sung Blue is so fluid and credible that you feel you are in the movie living with the Sardina’s and not watching it.
Mike Sardina (Hugh Jackman), a middle-aged recovering alcoholic, war veteran and divorcé, makes a living as a Don Ho (‘Tiny Bubbles’) impersonator in amusement parks. Claire Stingl (Kate Hudson) is a thirty-something widow and single mother who loves singing and enjoys her career as a Patsy Cline impersonator.
An aside. If Kate Hudson never registered as a major actress, this might be her breakthrough. Her performance is so natural and effortless, it’s as if she is not acting or playing a character but letting her off-screen personality take over: and it’s a personality we never expected from Hollywood Royalty.
During an argument with the management about his act, Mike spots Claire, dressed up in country western attire with a smile on her attractive face and a sparkle in her eye. For Mike, at least, the attraction is instantaneous, so much so that when Claire suggests he’d have more luck with Neil Diamond – it’s the 1980’s – he goes home and sings to a Diamond record in front of the mirror.
Mike doesn’t look like Neil Diamond, but he’s around Diamond’s age, and with his thick dark hair, dark sideburns, flashy clothes and distinctive, deep, rich voice, his renditions of Diamond’s songs are nothing if not convincing. It seems 84-year-old Diamond approved. Social media followers might know that after the production wrapped, Diamond and Jackman sang karaoke together at Diamond’s home in Colorado.
When Mike visits Claire to discuss his progress, they decide to join forces as Lightning and Thunder and recruit a band. The chemistry between the two entertainers is such that neither the couple themselves, nor the audience, is surprised when they join forces as husband and wife.
Rachel Cartwright ( Ella Anderson), Claire’s daughter from her first marriage. is initially wary of her unconventional new step-dad. Rachel’s kid brother, Dayna (Hudson Hensley) enjoys having a man in the house, especially one as fun and laid-back as Mike.
While Mike is the big draw, he’s not the headliner. Claire’s singing (she also plays instruments), especially as a real-life partner, adds something special to the act, taking it beyond a mere Neil Diamond impersonation. She also has a flair for business. While Mike wants to focus on the lessor known Diamond songs, Claire knows they have to satisfy their audience and lead with the inevitable Sweet Caroline singalongs.
As the couple reach a crossroads, they are supported by manager Tom D’Amato (a fitting cameo from Jim Belushi) who aims to expand their demographic and box office. Meanwhile, the new family settle into a warm, open and upbeat homelife, albeit centred around the band. Mike’s estranged daughter Angelina (King Princess) hits it off with the rebellious Rachel and she supports her father when tragedy strikes, ensuring he does not seek comfort in the bottle.
Brewer does not have to embellish the truth when it comes to the tragedy that jolts us out of a fairy tale. In addition to dealing with the repercussions of Claire’s accident, Mike has the medical bills to pay (insurance is slow and bureaucratic) and half-heartedly searches for a new source of income while singing in a restaurant to make ends meet. He also has to take on the role of single parent when Rachel tells him she’s pregnant.
It’s a credit to Brewer and the fine cast that we feel as displaced and disorientated as the family when their ideal lifestyle changes so suddenly. It is rare that you are feeling the loss, disruption and the pain as participants, as opposed to simply understanding it on an intellectual level.
But this isn’t a doom and gloom story of the break-up of a band. It’s a love story. The tragedy shows both Claire and Mike to what extent they need one another on stage and in the marriage.
This isn’t the end of the highs and lows that make Song Sung Blue so real. While we are enjoying the singing (who knew Hudson could sing?) and the children’s pride when their parents enjoy a moderate success, there’s another tragedy in store for us. And here, the movie seems to stop with the shock.
A feeling of emptiness overcomes us, one that is deeper than a character’s absence from the screen. This is no mean accomplishment. In most films you struggle to match your emotional response to that of the characters because their tragedy, even if it’s not taking place off-screen or long ago, is usually one step removed. We understand the loss but cannot feel it ourselves.
But not here. So how do you make movie loss this relatable? Give the character a slightly off-key, but winning personality. Make him an integral part of a family. And cast an actor who is so charismatic that you can’t imagine life, let alone the film, without him.
