City Cinema: Song Sung Blue

Music/Drama/Biography. PG.
Dir: Craig Brewer, US, 2025, 132 min.
Hugh Jackman, Kate Hudson, Michael Imperioli. 

Heartland Film Festival Winner, Truly Moving Picture Award

“Sometimes you just need a feel-good movie and a good tearjerker, and writer/director Craig Brewer delivers both… Brewer explores the power of Neil Diamond’s music through the stranger-than-fiction story of the tribute band known as Lightning and Thunder. Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson star as this musical married couple, known offstage as Mike and Claire Sardina… Fitting, then, that their breathtaking story is full of the emotional highs and lows of some of his most beloved songs. In Milwaukee, they are working as celebrity impersonators for state fairs and dive bars… One good date spirals into a jam session, a marriage, and a creative partnership that lasts the rest of their lives. Song Sung Blue charts their story through their musical courtship, co-parenting their kids from past relationships, and building a tribute band that makes them feel like rock stars as they bring unique life to Diamond’s discography. The movie focuses mostly on Mike and Claire, their romantic highs and their tragic lows… Beyond that, Lightning and Thunder’s family and story grow to envelope their collaborators and bandmates, allowing for a rich tapestry of characters to bring light and humor to the movie’s darkest corners… Through thoughtful storytelling, an impeccable cast, and a smartly chosen soundtrack that places the performances of Diamond’s songs thematically, Brewer creates a drama that is uplifting, heart-wrenching, and wondrous all at once. Bring tissues. Bring friends.” —Kristy Puchko, Mashable