They got the way to groove you.
I mostly heard the trailers for “Song Sung Blue,” and I thought it would be a Neil Diamond biopic. But I was wrong. It’s not a biopic on him, but rather a tribute band to him. The singers were Mike and Claire Sardina and their tribute name was Lighting and Thunder.
Directed by Craig Brewer (“Hustle and Flow”), the movie is based on the 2008 documentary of the same name. You can find that film on YouTube and I have the link below me. But try not to get confused. In the meantime, the Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson vehicle has plenty of Neil Diamond spirits, sad moments, and a great appreciation for tribute bands.
Jackman plays Mike, a recovering alcoholic of 20 years and tribute singer, who celebrates his “sober birthday” by playing Neil’s “Song Sung Blue” at his AA meeting. He gets gigs at state fairs with a Don Ho appearance, which he dislikes, and has the nickname Lightning. Even his dental implant has the symbol on it, kudos to his dentist best friend Dave (Fisher Stevens). Then, he meets and falls for Claire (Hudson), who is also a tribute singer, but as Patsy Cline. And finally, they get the idea to sing Neil Diamond songs in their tribute band. He wouldn’t be a lookalike or an impersonator, but an interpreter.
Their collaborators include a Buddy Holly performer named Mark Shurilla (Michael Imperioli) and their manager Tom D’Amato (Jim Bleushi) This is when they start performing, although Mike prefers “Sweet Caroline” to be the last song of the night, because he wants people to know Neil sang more than just that hit. But after a brawl at an event, that’s when they start singing “Sweet Caroline” at the beginning of their shows.
Mike and Claire both have kids from previous marriages. Mike’s daughter is Angelina (King Princess), while Claire’s kids are her teenage daughter Rachel (Ella Anderson) and preteen son Dayna (Hudson Henley). A cliche is that Rachel has to disapprove of her mother dating Mike in her first encounter, and have those obligatory teenage stages, but eventually she warms up to him.
Then, the film grows darker, as Claire gets run over by a car in her front yard, and has her leg amputated, while Mike has been having heart issues without talking to her about it. He only admits that to her daughter, but that’s all there is to it. And regarding Claire’s injury, she deteriorates to the point of Mike interrupting her dream stage performance of Cline’s “Sweet Dreams (Of You).”
My parents got to see the Bruce Springsteen biopic “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,” and my dad was disenchanted by the fact that it told Bruce’s sad story, instead of much of his uplifting moments. This indicates that fans of any musician can even dislike certain movies that tell or try to tell their story. I think despite some of the pathos, maybe “Song Sung Blue” would be right up his alley, and he does sing “Sweet Caroline” practically all the time.
Other than the teenage daughter cliche I mentioned above, this dramatization allows Jackman and Hudson to merge into these real life characters and their past experiences in music films helps things out a bit. In fact, to me, this is how Hudson makes it up to me for appearing in Sia’s awful autism movie “Music” four years ago. But I haven’t held a grudge against, either way.
The singer himself couldn’t make himself an actor in films like the remake of “The Jazz Singer” or “Saving Silverman,” but he could make something of himself. A singer with a legacy and fans, who should give him tribute bands. And I also appreciate how this true story also shares its appreciation for Patsy Cline. No need to be self-congratulatory about it.
Here is the link to see the 2008 documentary if you’re having trouble finding it.
