Inspired by a true story, “Song Sung Blue” tells how music and make believe can be healing. This isn’t about Neil Diamond or being Neil Diamond. This is about being Neil Diamond adjacent and bringing joy to one’s own life and sharing it with others.

Musicians have a gift but it’s not always a gift that can make money. Sometimes, musicians can be driven by obsession and one has to be a little obsessed to become an impersonator. In the film, Mike Sardina, has been hired to perform at an amusement park as Don Ho, but in this group of impersonators, he decides he needs to start being himself. And that’s a good thing because for those who are unfamiliar with Don Ho, that man, best known for “Tiny Bubbles,” was part Native Hawaiian and Chinese as well as Portuguese, Dutch and German, but he really looked very Pacific Asian. I’m glad that writer/director Craig Brewer decided not to show us Jackman as Ho. That might have been cringy.

Mike can sing. He can play. He has stage charisma (because this is Hugh Jackman who has performed on Broadway). But Mike knows, “I’m not a songwriter; I’m not a sex symbol;  I just want to entertain people.” He wants to be “Lightning” and has a lightning bolt on the back of a jacket. This riles up the official Elvis Presley impersonator of the group, Earl (Jayson Warner Smith): But that’s Elvis’ logo for ‘Taking Care of Business in a Flash.’ That’s me! That’s my handle: TCB. I’m taking care of business. I’m the one and only Elvis impersonator in Milwaukee.”

Also back stage is Claire who does Patsy Cline. She’s the one who eventually leads Mike to do Neil Diamond.  Mike has an enormous admiration for Diamond and finds it a bit intimidating. Claire tells him, “You don’t want to be a Neil Diamond impersonator, you want to be a Neil Diamond interpreter.”

Claire also has dreams, “I don’t want to be a hairdresser. I want to sing. I want to dance. I want a garden; I want a cat.”

The two come with baggage. Mike is a vet and has some bad memories that he once drowned with alcohol. He, like Claire, is a divorcé.  In the film, they both have daughters who are roughly the same age. Claire’s daughter Rachel Cartwright (Ella Anderson) and Mike’s daughter Angelina Sardina (King Princess) bond. Claire also has a son, Dayna (Hudson Hensley).

Mike and Claire form a band that includes some of the people they knew such as Mark Shurilla, a Buddy Holly impersonator who one of the band’s guitarists. After a shaky start, they begin to find success. But then come the hardships: Claire is struck by a car while gardening in her front yard. She loses a leg and struggles to walk again. Mike lets the stress get to him, but eventually, he and Claire are back and want to begin making music again.

“I can’t thank Neil ’cause every think you I got belongs to you, doll. You’re my August Night, my September Morn. You’re my Cracklin’ Rosie.”  “Song Sung Blue” is the love story of Mike and Claire, of two people and how music unites them and how music can unite strangers and bring joy. Mike and Claire did bring joy to people and were admired by other musicians such as Eddie Veder.

Jackman and Hudson give winning performances and have real chemistry on stage and off. The casting allows for diversity including a nod to Asian karaoke culture. Through this film, I learned more about Diamond and his large catalog of hits, some that he wrote for other people such as The Monkees. And, I also gained respect for tribute bands.

The film is based on and inspired by Greg Kohs’s 2008 documentary on Mike and Claire Sardina.  Brewer had seen the documentary at the 2008 Indie Memphis Film Festival. Things happened a little different in real life. Claire was a fan of Mike’s band Positive Traction for which she auditioned. Mike then started Lightning & Thunder with Claire in 1989.  They became well-known in the Midwest, performing covers of Neil Diamond songs along with Blondie, ABBA and Patsy Cline covers. In 1995, they performed “Forever in Blue Jeans” on stage with Pearl Jam during their Milwaukee performance.  Mike did fall and hit his head, but he was at home. He ignored it because of a performance.  When he finally went to the hospital, the doctors performed surgery, but he died.

“Song Sung Blue” had its premiere at AFI FEST in October 2025. It was released in the US by Focus Features on 25 December 2024.