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Here is a startlingly strange, undeniably entertaining real-life tale emerging from American showbusiness; an endearing hit with its uplifting tone does little to warn you for how the plot repeatedly and savagely twists like an unsafe fairground ride. Personally, I found my eyes closed with my jaw agape at certain key points, while clutching the seat in front of me with both fists.

The Unbelievable True Tale

The couple Mike and Claire Sardina, terrifically played by Jackman and Hudson, were spouses from Milwaukee who had children from previous relationships that during the 1990s created a kitschy homage performance to Neil Diamond called Lightning and Thunder; they became an underground sensation within their state and even performed before Pearl Jam, with the band's guitarist Eddie Vedder amiably accompanied them during their performance for an encore.

However, life was not easy for them, and this film broods on the difficulty that arises when the lightning of ill fortune strikes more than once.

Adapting a Real Story

The film is actually based on an existing documentary of the same title created in 2008 by Greg Kohs about this stranger-than-fiction world, a movie that relied extensively on the couple’s family archive of home video. One could argue that the documentary puts more emphasis on the unrealistic and ridiculous elements of Mike and Claire’s life.

Yet this is not the approach taken by this movie from writer-director Craig Brewer reimagines their tale. The director and stars turn the laugh-at into laugh-with. Jackman delivers a masterful performance portraying a Neil Diamond tribute artist, sounding almost like him, and looking almost like him. He’s perfectly plausible as an individual not destined for in the big league but who clearly has the chops (and the pipes) to headline a performance.

Standout Performances

Hudson is also excellent, performing her own vocals in the role of Claire, who before she joined Mike in the world of Neil Diamond homage had a thriving act as Patsy Cline. She is shown belting out Cline numbers, even though one particular Cline standard is curiously omitted from this movie.

Michael Imperioli plays a Buddy Holly tribute artist called Mark, while Mustafa Shakir appears as a James Brown act called Sex Machine. The role of Claire's teenage daughter Rachel is played by Ella Anderson, and King Princess portrays Mike’s daughter Angelina of about the same age – and their burgeoning friendship serving as another subtle element of the film’s likability.

The Heart of the Story

Sarcasm and mockery have been meticulously excised from Mike and Claire’s heart-stoppingly eventful life experiences, and replacing them Brewer installs those qualities which the pair personally would have been aware of: the fragility and isolation of trying to make it in the margins of the music industry, or for that matter succeeding in any field and in any business.

It is a tale of relentless perseverance and its cheerful optimism makes it a calorific Christmas treat.

The film "Song Sung Blue" releases on 25 December in the United States and January 1st in Australia and the United Kingdom.