'Song Sung Blue' Review: Craig Brewer Finds Heart and Humanity in a Neil Diamond Tribute Story

Song Sung Blue

Directed by: Craig Brewer

Written by: Craig Brewer

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Kate Hudson

Release Date: December 25, 2025

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5)

Neil Diamond and the Fine Line Between Reverence and Ridicule

Neil Diamond occupies a strange and contradictory place in modern popular culture. On one hand, he’s a revered songwriter with undeniable longevity and a massive, devoted fanbase. On the other, there’s an unavoidable kitsch factor to his persona—an ironic appreciation that pokes fun at the hairy-chested earnestness and near-total lack of self-awareness.

Diamond’s music itself reflects that duality. It ranges from enduring pop craftsmanship to drowsy ballads to the kind of overwrought love songs that teeter on the edge of cringe. He demands respect, yet somehow invites mockery. Any filmmaker tackling Neil Diamond is walking a tonal tightrope.

Craig Brewer makes that walk even more perilous by not focusing on Neil Diamond himself, but on the even more mockable subculture of people whose lives revolve around being Neil Diamond.

Tribute Acts and the Risk of Easy Irony

If Neil Diamond invites ironic distance, a Neil Diamond tribute artist is operating on an entirely different level of potential embarrassment. Some impersonators are fully aware of the strangeness of their devotion and lean into it with a wink. Others are so sincere that their self-importance becomes a spectacle of its own.

Diamond was still filling arenas well into the 21st century. His impersonators perform at county fairs, dive bars, and—perhaps most damningly—cruise ships.

So how do you approach something this ripe for parody and strip away the easy irony?

Craig Brewer Nails the Tone

Against long odds, Craig Brewer absolutely pulls it off. Song Sung Blue is warm, funny, melancholy, and unexpectedly generous. Inspired by a true story, the film walks the line between comedy and tragedy without ever sneering at its characters.

Hugh Jackman commits fully as Mike Sardina, a struggling performer and Vietnam veteran, 20 years sober and still chasing the dream of life on stage. Kate Hudson plays Claire, a suburban mother with big dreams, unshakable optimism, and a heart larger than her circumstances.

Together, they form Thunder and Lightning—a full-scale Neil Diamond tribute act that treats every performance, whether in a dive bar or at a county fair, like Madison Square Garden.

From Wisconsin Obscurity to Unexpected Fame

Mike’s career had stalled, bouncing between impersonations of legendary singers, when Claire suggested he focus exclusively on Neil Diamond. Their romantic chemistry quickly turned into a stage partnership—and eventually a marriage.

What begins as an eccentric hustle grows into something real. Thunder and Lightning develop a loyal fanbase in Wisconsin, earning a surprisingly solid living on the tribute circuit. Mock it if you want, but their sincerity connects.

So much so, in fact, that when Pearl Jam came through Wisconsin, Eddie Vedder invited Thunder and Lightning to open for them—then joined them onstage in a moment that went viral before “viral” was even part of the cultural vocabulary.

From Documentary to Narrative Film

That rise was originally chronicled in Greg Kohs’ documentary Song Sung Blue, which includes actual footage of the Eddie Vedder performance. Brewer smartly uses the documentary as a foundation rather than a blueprint, dramatizing events to create moments of real emotional weight.

This is not journalism—it’s narrative storytelling—and Brewer understands when to dress up the facts for cinematic impact. The changes never feel exploitative, just purposeful.

Tragedy Without Exploitation

If you know the story of Thunder and Lightning, you know it’s marked by tragedy. Claire is nearly killed in a freak accident while gardening, losing part of her leg and almost ending both their marriage and their act just as momentum was building.

A second, deeper tragedy follows—one that Brewer and Jackman handle with real restraint and compassion. The film never wallows, never weaponizes suffering for cheap emotion.

A Film That Refuses to Sneer

I may be generous toward Song Sung Blue, but that generosity comes from genuine admiration. Brewer achieves something rare: a film that acknowledges the absurdity of tribute culture without ever belittling the people inside it.

Many directors would mine easy sympathy from poverty or mock these characters for mistaking small victories for big ones. Song Sung Blue does neither. There’s no sneering here. No ironic distance. Just an honest appreciation for people chasing joy in the only way they know how.

In a culture that often mistakes cynicism for intelligence, Song Sung Blue feels quietly radical in its kindness.

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Song Sung Blue review, Craig Brewer, Hugh Jackman, Kate Hudson, Neil Diamond tribute, music biopic, true story films, 2025 movies, drama comedy film, film review