Based on the documentary by Greg Kohs, Song Sung Blue (2025) is written & directed by Craig Brewer. It stars Hugh Jackman, Kate Hudson, Ella Anderson, King Princess, Hudson Hensley, Michael Imperioli, Fisher Stevens, Jim Belushi, Mustafa Shakir, John Beckwith, Jayson Warner Smith, Cecelia Riddett, and Sean Allan Krill. The film tells the story of Mike (Jackman), a struggling musician who meets and eventually falls in love with a like-minded artist named Claire (Hudson). Due to their shared love of his music, the couple decides to form a Neil Diamond tribute band known as “Lightning & Thunder.” Over the course of their loving, decades-long marriage, the couple experiences triumph, tragedy, and everything in between. Along the way, they prove that no matter how small your life might be, your dreams are always within your grasp.

The lead performances from Hudson and Jackman are easily the film’s top reason for working as well as it does. This is the kind of cliché, rise and fall stardom story you’ve seen countless times before, but featuring protagonists that are far more relatable, and thus, likable. Instead of wanting to become famous and make millions of dollars, they just want to spread the joy of their favorite music to anyone and everyone. They’re extremely joyous people who tend to look on the bright side of life—a breath of fresh air compared to the typical tortured artist/musician archetype. Mike and Claire are well-written, but the performances by Jackman and Hudson make them truly memorable. The two share great romantic and comedic chemistry, but also provide a general sense of hyper energy that’s consistently engaging. The only thing missing is an occasional sense of conflict between the two. They rarely lie, fight, or meaningfully disagree, so the script never establishes how they might differ in personality or morality. Some may say this would undercut the idea that these two are near-perfect soulmates, but I’d argue that displaying their ability to successfully resolve disagreements actually further supports that idea. I’d bet that any couple who says that they never disagree is definitely hiding something. 

Despite hitting nearly every beat typically featured in this kind of rags-to-riches musician story, the film remains compelling due to its almost anti-underdog angle. Instead of, for the billionth time, telling the audience that if they work hard and dream big, they can reach the top, Song Sung Blue reminds the viewer that it’s ok to dream small, as long as it’s the dream that makes you happy. Claire and Mike don’t want to be Neil Diamond; they simply want to spread their love of his music—nothing more, nothing less. It may seem silly to some, but so do most dreams. Sure, they kind of seem like underdogs, but clearly aren’t when considering their actual goals. Their dreams aren’t far off from where they begin, so it’s tough to consider them underdogs. Instead of being underdogs for something bigger, they choose to be the best at something small. In life, we always desire more, no matter what we tend to have, which can be a profoundly effective motivator, but also a source of consistent discontent. Sometimes, breaking the cycle and telling oneself that you’re satisfied can be liberating. It reminds me of a particular Jim Carrey quote from a few years back, “I have enough. I’ve done enough. I am enough.”

The film leaves the viewer singing several iconic Neil Diamond tunes as they walk out the door. Even for a cynical guy like me, whose opinion of Diamond’s music is pretty much neutral, I couldn’t help but hum his songs incessantly for the next two days. The music is well-implemented, but it begins to overstay its welcome during the climax. In its final minutes, we’re subjected to the longest musical number, which, unfortunately, falls flat because it’s a song that plays heavily throughout previous portions of the film. SPOILER INCOMING. On top of this, the choice to have Mike’s character die of a heart attack literally seconds before he meets his hero, Neil Diamond, feels a tad too contrived. Fitting, yes—but also predictable and emotionally manipulative. 

Overall, this is a formulaic but well-executed musical biopic that features great lead performances, catchy songs, and a unique character perspective. Despite its genre cliches and other various flaws, the film permeates a fun-loving sense of joy that’s truly infectious. It’s heartwarming and inspirational, and my parents loved it (I often struggle to discern how they genuinely feel about a film, so their reaction says a lot here). It’s not winning any Oscars, and most film buffs will just shrug their shoulders, but it should be more than enough to satisfy anyone who’s just looking for an effective, family-centric tear-jerker. B-