Song Sung Blue
January 6, 2026 at 4:16 p.m.
NEW YORK OSV News – There is not one ounce of cynicism in "Song Sung Blue" (Focus), the fact-based tale of a Neil Diamond cover band from Milwaukee. And therein lies immense power.
The example set by Mike Sardina (Hugh Jackman) and his wife Claire (Kate Hudson), both of whom struggle with the legacy of a difficult past, is one of unswerving perseverance. Nor are they grimly stoic about their situations. Instead, their shared love of music and desire to give happiness to their audiences not only sustains them but gives them a kind of nobility.
Writer-director Craig Brewer has written a deeply heartfelt love letter to show business using a dozen songs from the Diamond catalogue. These numbers are performed nearly continuously, not to advance the plot but rather to underline emotions.
Brewer's dramatization is adapted from Greg Kohs' 2008 documentary about the Sardinas, who performed their tribute act – Mike preferred to call it "The Neil Diamond Experience"– from 1989 to 2006. Over that time, the duo became regulars at the Wisconsin State Fair as well as casinos, music festivals and bars across much of the Upper Midwest.
Cover bands occupy a little-heralded strata of show business, providing the connection of live entertainment along with the comfort of familiar music from big stars and famous bands at an affordable cost. No one becomes super-rich doing it, but the work can be extremely steady.
Mike, a divorced Vietnam veteran and recovering alcoholic with a bad heart, works day jobs as an auto mechanic. He doesn't like performing as Don Ho, but Diamond's power ballads – the heart of the singer-songwriter's catalog from the mid-1960s into the 1970s – hold deep appeal.
He meets preternaturally cheerful hairdresser Claire while she's performing as country music icon Patsy Cline. She says she knows "nostalgia pays" but adds "I just enjoy entertaining people."
In spite of a bumpy start, performing under the name Lightning & Thunder, they eventually catch on, marry and have their initial peak when asked to open for Pearl Jam. With triumph, however, comes tragedy. Claire is struck by a drunk driver while gardening in her front yard, resulting in her left leg being amputated below the knee.
This leads her into depression and self-doubt. For his part, Mike resists the temptation to fall back into addiction and finds ways to take care of everyone. Eventually, Claire's love of music leads to her emotional healing and a return to the stage.
Mike is equally solicitous when Claire's single daughter Rachel (Ella Anderson) announces that she's pregnant. He tells her to construct a plan, and she decides to give the baby up for adoption.
Although, like many other movies of its ilk, "Song Sung Blue" lapses into maudlin sentimentality at points, its lesson about overcoming adversity remains forceful and affecting. As a result, it can be endorsed not only for grown-ups but for mature teens as well.
The film contains mature themes, including addiction, mental health, out-of-wedlock pregnancy and divorce, as well as at least one profanity. The OSV News classification is A-II – adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 – parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
Kurt Jensen is a guest reviewer for OSV News.
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NEW YORK OSV News – There is not one ounce of cynicism in "Song Sung Blue" (Focus), the fact-based tale of a Neil Diamond cover band from Milwaukee. And therein lies immense power.
The example set by Mike Sardina (Hugh Jackman) and his wife Claire (Kate Hudson), both of whom struggle with the legacy of a difficult past, is one of unswerving perseverance. Nor are they grimly stoic about their situations. Instead, their shared love of music and desire to give happiness to their audiences not only sustains them but gives them a kind of nobility.
Writer-director Craig Brewer has written a deeply heartfelt love letter to show business using a dozen songs from the Diamond catalogue. These numbers are performed nearly continuously, not to advance the plot but rather to underline emotions.
Brewer's dramatization is adapted from Greg Kohs' 2008 documentary about the Sardinas, who performed their tribute act – Mike preferred to call it "The Neil Diamond Experience"– from 1989 to 2006. Over that time, the duo became regulars at the Wisconsin State Fair as well as casinos, music festivals and bars across much of the Upper Midwest.
Cover bands occupy a little-heralded strata of show business, providing the connection of live entertainment along with the comfort of familiar music from big stars and famous bands at an affordable cost. No one becomes super-rich doing it, but the work can be extremely steady.
Mike, a divorced Vietnam veteran and recovering alcoholic with a bad heart, works day jobs as an auto mechanic. He doesn't like performing as Don Ho, but Diamond's power ballads – the heart of the singer-songwriter's catalog from the mid-1960s into the 1970s – hold deep appeal.
He meets preternaturally cheerful hairdresser Claire while she's performing as country music icon Patsy Cline. She says she knows "nostalgia pays" but adds "I just enjoy entertaining people."
In spite of a bumpy start, performing under the name Lightning & Thunder, they eventually catch on, marry and have their initial peak when asked to open for Pearl Jam. With triumph, however, comes tragedy. Claire is struck by a drunk driver while gardening in her front yard, resulting in her left leg being amputated below the knee.
This leads her into depression and self-doubt. For his part, Mike resists the temptation to fall back into addiction and finds ways to take care of everyone. Eventually, Claire's love of music leads to her emotional healing and a return to the stage.
Mike is equally solicitous when Claire's single daughter Rachel (Ella Anderson) announces that she's pregnant. He tells her to construct a plan, and she decides to give the baby up for adoption.
Although, like many other movies of its ilk, "Song Sung Blue" lapses into maudlin sentimentality at points, its lesson about overcoming adversity remains forceful and affecting. As a result, it can be endorsed not only for grown-ups but for mature teens as well.
The film contains mature themes, including addiction, mental health, out-of-wedlock pregnancy and divorce, as well as at least one profanity. The OSV News classification is A-II – adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 – parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
Kurt Jensen is a guest reviewer for OSV News.