Song Sung Blue

Director Craig Brewer has been a relatively overlooked filmmaker in the time since his debut film Hustle and Flow emerged to commercial and critical acclaim back in 2005. Despite somewhat flat lining with the uninspired comedy sequel Coming 2 America, Brewer’s track record has always been strong, whether it’s his provocative 2007 film Black Snake Moan or his far better-than-expected 2011 Footloose remake, Brewer has a specific eye for bringing authenticity to his films and their settings. His latest film, focusing on the true story of Milwaukee local legends “Lightning and Thunder”, two Neil Diamond cover performers, is far from his best, but one that fits in with his greater ouvre. Inspired by a 2008 documentary of the couple, his newest film about dream-chasing artists is a much lighter touch than Brewer’s previous work, feeling like a big warm hug.

Courtesy Focus Features

Mark (Hugh Jackman) is a Milwaukee entertainer who goes by the stage name “Lightning”. A recovering alcoholic, Vietnam War vet and divorced dad, Mike travels around the state doing low-rent performing gigs in hopes of catching his big break. During an impersonator show where he refuses to portray Don Ho, he meets Claire (Kate Hudson), a divorced mother of two, who performs as Patsy Cline. The two performers have an immediate spark with one another, which leads Mike to the idea of forming a Neil Diamond tribute act. As their romance blossoms, these two performers connect through their shared love of performing, feeding that into their act “Lightning and Thunder”. Billed as a “Neil Diamond Experience”, Mike and Claire take the local Milwaukee scene by storm, even opening up for Pearl Jam. However, their lives are completely disrupted when a tragic accident shatters their lives and their marriage. In the face of tragedy, they attempt to mend their wounds and regain whatever hope they have left so that they can get back on stage and perform.

Written and directed by Craig Brewer, Song Sung Blue operates within a familiar narrative framework, but it’s such an effective and well-made piece of entertainment. Like he did in Dolemite Is My Name and Hustle and Flow, Brewer finds the immediate humanity of these extravagant dreamers. While this film follows somewhat of a typical biopic formula, Brewer is more interested in the day-to-day lives of his characters, rather than focusing on their little-known stardom. Both Mike and Claire are single parents, struggling to pursue their dreams while maintaining a consistent household. When they marry, their households combine, offering a stronger foundation in their home lives. Claire’s eldest daughter Rachel (Ella Anderson) and Mike’s daughter Angelina (King Princess) become friends and Mike bonds with Claire’s young son Dana (Hudson Hensley). Yet, as Lightning and Thunder take the stage, jamming out to Diamond hits such as “Cracklin’ Rosie” and “Cherry Cherry” and deep cuts such as “Soolaimon”, a fire ignites in them; showing their true purpose as entertainers.

Courtesy Focus Features

The performances from both Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson are tremendously moving. Hudson, in particular, is just dazzling. Likely her best showcase since Almost Famous, Hudson, sporting a cute Wisconsin accent, is so wholesome in her portrayal of Claire that her yearnings of wanting to sing and dance in front of large crowds feels so rewarding when she’s finally able to do so. Jackman humanizes Mike’s strong determination to succeed and be a better man. Mike has been sober for 20 years and lives his life trying to atone for best regrets. Yet, being the showman that Jackman inherently is, brings out the swaggering bravado that made Lightning such a draw in the first place. Mike and Claire bring out the best in each other, portrayed beautifully in an early scene where the two rehearse in Claire’s living room.

Brewer, who brought to life the iconic “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” sequence in Hustle and Flow, brings a similar sense of vibrancy to the musical numbers here. “There is more to Neil Diamond than Sweet Caroline”, Mike says to most people who ask him to play it, but when Brewer actually gets to the moment when Lightning and Thunder perform it, you simply cannot resist its infectious charms. He captures the joyous sense of dreaming in these two characters and how they feel truly alive when performing on stage. Brewer is also deft in his ability to capture a period and culture of a specific setting. That sense of tacticity comes in handy when portraying the authenticity of the Midwestern entertainment scene. The dream Mike and Claire are pursuing isn’t some impossible achievement. They simply want to pour their heart and souls out on stage for a room full of people. Together, their dreams are amplified and even though they themselves are not songwriters, they believe in the power of music and want to share that with the world. The dramatic detours the film takes in its second half do not always feel tonally apiece with the rest of the film, leaving a sense of unevenness in tonal shifts. If you are also someone who shuns in the face of sentimentality, Brewer’s film likely won’t hit as his earnestness is on full display.

Courtesy Focus Features

Song Sung Blue is a sweet, irresistible film about dreamers and the love of performing. Writer/director Craig Brewer brings great humanity to the true story of Milwaukee-based entertainers Lightning and Thunder. Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson are stellar anchors for a film that is undeniably schmaltzy and tear-jerking, but like a Neil Diamond song you’ve heard over one hundred times, Song Sung Blue is just too joyous and charming to resist.

Song Sung Blue is now playing in theaters.