Writer-director Craig Brewer has created a masterful music-drama based on 2008 documentary about an unlikely duo between Hugh Jackman as Mike Sardina and Kate Hudson as Clair Stengl as Lightning and Thunder respectively--two singers who become a Neil Diamond tribute band and who encounter numerous trials and tribulations on their way to success.
Kate Hudson and Hugh Jackman in Song Sung Blue (2025)
From Documentary to Drama: The True Story Behind Song Sung Blue
Craig Brewer’s new film adapts its story from Greg Kohs’s 2008 award-winning documentary, which chronicled the true story of “Lightning and Thunder,” a Neil Diamond tribute band that performed in the Milwaukee area for nearly two decades.
A Fateful Meeting: The Birth of Lightning and Thunder
Song Sung Blue begins in 1989 when Mike Sardina (Lightning) meets Claire Stengl (Thunder) at an amusement park. He has just refused to perform as a Don Ho impersonator, and she has just finished a set of Patsy Cline hits. Both struggling singers are desperate to make a living performing anywhere that will pay them. Mike (Hugh Jackman) is a recovering alcoholic, sober for 20 years. Both are also divorced parents—Mike has a daughter, Angelina (King Princess), and Claire (Kate Hudson) has a daughter, Rachel (Ella Anderson), and a younger son, Dayna (Hudson Hensley).
Rise, Tragedy, and Struggle
After a disastrous first gig as the new “Lightning and Thunder” duo, Mike and Claire marry. They find success in Milwaukee, even opening for Pearl Jam with Eddie Vedder (John Beckwith). This ascent halts abruptly when Claire is hit by a car in her front yard and loses the lower half of her left leg. The aftermath includes Claire’s addiction to opiates, inpatient psychiatric care, and a further complication when Rachel reveals she is pregnant and gives her baby up for adoption.
The Climactic Performance and a Bittersweet Dream
After Claire regains her mobility, she and Mike are invited to perform at Milwaukee’s Ritz Amphitheater on the same night Neil Diamond plays a sold-out show in the city. Following their onstage triumph, they earn an invitation to meet Diamond in person—a meeting tragically sidetracked by a devastating event.
Kate Hudson in Song Sung Blue (2025)
Kate Hudson and Hugh Jackman in Song Sung Blue (2025)
Kate Hudson and Hugh Jackman in Song Sung Blue (2025)
Song Sung Blue (2025)
Standout Performances and Supporting Cast
Song Sung Blue is an unqualified success, powered by the palpable chemistry between Jackman and Hudson. While Hudson is the stronger singer, Jackman does a credible job as the duo’s lead vocalist. The film foreshadows future tragedy in an early scene where Mike clutches his chest while starting a lawnmower. The supporting cast is an embarrassment of riches, featuring Jim Belushi as the group’s manager, Tom D’Amato; Michael Imperioli as Buddy Holly impersonator Mark Shurilla; and Mustafa Shadir as James Brown impersonator “Sex Machine,” who infuses the group with R&B energy.
Verdict: A Poignant Triumph Over Reality
Writer-director Brewer creates many heart-rending moments in this film about real-life people emulating their pop icons. While some liberties are taken with the timing of events in the Sardina family’s life, it in no way detracts from the power of the story or the ability of Jackman and Hudson to portray singing idols. Sometimes fiction surmounts reality, and having seen the documentary, I can unequivocally state that this film achieves that goal. In the words of Neil Diamond himself, “pack up the babies and get the old ladies,” and go see this film. Highly recommended.
Song Sung Blue is currently screening in theaters and streaming on various digital VOD services
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Writer-director Craig Brewer has created a masterful music-drama based on 2008 documentary about an unlikely duo between Hugh Jackman as Mike Sardina and Kate Hudson as Clair Stengl as Lightning and Thunder respectively--two singers who become a Neil Diamond tribute band and who encounter numerous trials and tribulations on their way to success. Song Sung Blue Review: Hugh Jackman & Kate Hudson Shine in Poignant True Story
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