Film Review – Song Sung Blue (2025)

      **Song Sung Blue, 2025.**

      *Written and Directed by Craig Brewer.*

      *Cast: Hugh Jackman, Kate Hudson, Michael Imperioli, Fisher Stevens, Jim Belushi, Ella Anderson, King Princess, Mustafa Shakir, Hudson Hensley, Shyaporn Theerakulstit, John Beckwith, Cecelia Riddett, Jayson Warner Smith, Sean Allan Krill, Kena Anae, Darius Rose, Chacha Tahng, Faye Tamasa, Carey Van Driest, and Tom O’Keefe.*

      **SYNOPSIS:**

      Lightning and Thunder, a couple from Milwaukee performing Neil Diamond covers, navigate the highs and lows of their musical career together.

      The first half of Craig Brewer’s biopic *Song Sung Blue*, featuring a Neil Diamond tribute duo played by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, stumbles through familiar musician tropes with a slight twist: they are cover artists. This is disappointing enough on its own, but the movie's second half veers into a different kind of disaster, packing in heavy surprises and side plots that lack finesse. It’s hard to categorize the film’s emotional responses as manipulative, given its clumsy execution; the only reaction it invokes is confusion. A major character suffers a tragic accident that leaves them disabled, yet the film glosses over this; for about 30 minutes, it grows overly sentimental before being largely disregarded. At times, it’s easy to forget what happened to this character.

      Based on Greg Kohs' documentary, the issues arise not just from Brewer's inability to approach certain narrative elements with needed sensitivity and depth. The film grapples with themes like alcoholism, heart issues, tragedies, and family conflicts through insipid scenes, devoid of any authentic emotion or honesty. Even the character's triumphs come across as forced and artificial (the introduction of a young Eddie Vedder is genuinely amusing). Additionally, some tragic moments are predictably signposted. Overall, *Song Sung Blue* is a painfully embarrassing attempt at award recognition (and I say this as someone who has supported Craig Brewer in the past), but it could serve as an amusing parody of *Walk Hard*. The jokes related to vehicle accidents in the finale practically write themselves.

      Veteran Mike (Hugh Jackman) has been sober for 20 years. While celebrating his sobriety, he insists on performing Neil Diamond’s famous song. However, at a small venue where he’s barred from singing Neil’s songs, he walks out in protest. Later, he meets Claire (Kate Hudson), a Patsy Cline tribute performer, and they share a mutual attraction. When he visits her home, he struggles to bond with her rebellious teenage daughter, Rachel (Ella Anderson). In an effort to bridge the gap, he brings in his estranged daughter Angelina (King Princess), hoping that she and Rachel can become friends. Meanwhile, Claire’s younger son Dayna (Hudson Hensley) supports their romance and even fosters their on-stage chemistry.

      With charming dialogue that lends credibility to their evolving relationship, Mike and Claire eventually form Lightning and Thunder. Despite Mike's irritation over crowds only wanting “Sweet Caroline” or their misunderstanding that leads them to perform at a biker bar uninterested in Neil's music, they experience some success. Eventually, they attract the attention of Eddie Vedder, which persuades Rachel that her future rocker stepfather might not be so bad.

      While these plot points are already cliched, they pale in comparison to the disarray and tonal inconsistencies that plague the family and band as their journey unfolds. There are poorly managed time jumps that disrupt the pacing and tension of various subplots, leaving one to wonder if this might have originally been intended as a 3-hour film before being trimmed to just over 2 (though I wouldn’t want to endure an extended version). Mike experiences heart palpitations, repeatedly signaling impending tragedy. However, what stands out is how jarring and awkwardly the film incorporates its darkest moments.

      Even if these events were to have transpired similarly in real life, the cinematic execution feels emotionally contrived and hollow, as if Brewer prioritizes hitting key narrative milestones rather than developing the characters. The performances (both in acting and music) and costumes are the only aspects of *Song Sung Blue* that remain unaffected.

      **Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★**

      *Robert Kojder*