From director Craig Brewer comes a film that details the story of a tribute act to Neil Diamond that captured the hearts of many Neil Diamond fans, but there is much more to their story than I had anticipated. I was pleasantly surprised by the story behind Lightning & Thunder, a Neil Diamond tribute group that achieved a strong level of success.
Hugh Jackman stars as Mike Sardina, a former alcoholic who has decided to become the leader of a Neil Diamond tribute group that includes Mike’s wife Claire (Kate Hudson), the Thunder of Lightning & Thunder. The film follows their story, how they met, and also how they worked to make their marriage and career goals work to a certain degree. However, they would eventually face some tremendous challenges in their life. The film follows their journey as they try to get back on track and achieve some semblance of their original goals.
I had never previously heard their story, nor was I familiar with the documentary of the same title by Greg Kohs, which inspired this movie. Nevertheless, writer/director Craig Brewer has made a solid feature film about their story, delivering some compelling, riveting moments I did not expect at all. This film has lots of baggage and new adjustments that must be made on the part of its protagonists, involving trauma, drug addiction, and the recovery process. Though the movie rushes through the material, it works well enough to have an indelible impact on its audience.
The performances of Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson make this movie work tremendously. The characters are written very well and are brought to life by both Jackman and Hudson. Hudson is the real standout, though, as her character’s journey is arduous. A lot of this story involves a tragedy involving Claire’s character and how she and her family cope with the recovery process. Kate Hudson is so damn good in this role, and she is the main reason to watch this film.
Obviously, fans of Neil Diamond will appreciate this movie and the performances by the cast, who perform his songs quite well. Song Sung Blue is not exactly feel-good entertainment, though it does have its moments. Still, Song Sung Blue is a movie I would recommend moderately, but not necessarily for the holiday season.