‘Song Sung Blue’ Review – Jackman and Hudson Can’t Save This Emotionally Shallow Musical Biopic

Music biopics are all the rage these days, with Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), Rocketman (2019), and A Complete Unknown (2024) being successful versions of the genre over the past several years. Craig Brewer’s Song Sung Blue gives us an unorthodox music biopic, following a real-life couple who form a Neil Diamond tribute band known as Thunder & Lightning. Starring Hugh Jackman as Mike Sardina and Kate Hudson as his eventual wife, Claire, the film takes us on a less glamorous ride through fame and performance.

Brewer’s dramatized adaptation of the 2008 documentary about Mike and Claire is a compelling way to get some of the most famous people on the planet to sing beloved songs loud and proud, but the real story behind the duo subverts even the most unconventional biopic tropes. The film is equally about class and hardship as it is about music and seeking notoriety. 

The strongest thing going for Song Song Blue is the performances at its center. Jackman and Hudson give it their all, providing both heartfelt moments and strong vocal performances, particularly renditions of the fan favorite “Sweet Caroline.” While Hudson gets the meatier role, Jackman still has his moments to shine. 

Outside of the performances and a few good musical performances, the movie struggles to find its emotional footing. The writing behind what are meant to be powerful scenes falls incredibly flat, eliminating the intended effect on the audience. It’s a shame such strong turns from the leads are made obsolete by the dialogue that they’re forced to deliver.

Despite the failings of the script, I can appreciate what Brewer and team are trying to tackle here. This is less about the perils of becoming famous and more about the plights of the lower middle class, especially when hardships come. Both Mike and Claire pursued music as a career to varying success, making enough of a living to get by in addition to some extra jobs. Together, though, they created a more meaningful and propulsive group that created more stability than they’d seen in years. After years of trying, they’d finally made it in some small way. 

Despite this being based on a true story, I won’t give too many specifics of what befalls the Sardina family, but they experience some of the most tragic and difficult things one can imagine a family can go through. This majorly changes the financial outlook of their family and moves them out of the performance game for a long time. There’s something inspiring about seeing them handle adversity over time like this, and the different ways each member of the family is affected by what happens to them. But, like the performances, the writing fails to generate any emotional momentum naturally brought on by the story.

Another aspect of the film, primarily in Mike’s character, that is intriguing is the notion that every artist has much more to them than just their biggest hit. It’s often played for laughs, but Mike truly believes there’s more to Neil Diamond than “Sweet Caroline.” Each artist has more depth than we think about, and Mike is adamant about exploring Diamond’s deepest tracks. 

The film does have a couple of fun supporting performances, especially Fisher Stevens and Jim Belushi, folks on the business side of “Lightning and Thunder.” Their roles are small and primarily used to be the biggest encouragers of Mike and Claire, but they do seem to be having a good time in this movie.

Song Song Blue is certainly a passable outing for Brewer, Jackman, Hudson, and all involved, but it lacks the emotional punch it so desperately needs to be effective. If you like the broader tunes of Neil Diamond or the actors at its center, then you’ll likely have a decent time watching.

Song Sung Blue is currently playing in theaters courtesy of Focus Features.