‘Song Sung Blue’ is a surprisingly poignant tribute to two tribute performers

By Eva Tweeten

“They call me Lightning.”

So opens Focus Features’ newest film, “Song Sung Blue,” a moving biopic about Mike Sardina, a man who just wants to sing. But instead of standing on a stage, Sardina (Hugh Jackman) turns to face his fellow members of an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. 

“But when the songs are over and the applause stops, I’m not Lightning anymore. I’m just another drunk.” 

Even though Sardina is now 20 years sober, his past still haunts him through his divorce and broken relationships. He wants to start again, but does not know how. 

Enter Neil Diamond. Actually, enter Claire Stengl, a charming fellow impersonator and mother of two who encourages Mike to take on Neil Diamond as his newest act. Claire (Kate Hudson) joins him in this endeavor, and soon they become a couple both professionally and romantically. They get married and form the duo “Lightning and Thunder,” a Neil Diamond tribute. Their group begins to have success, especially after they open for Pearl Jam in 1995. But this joyful season does not last for long. 

Claire is involved in a freak accident that disables her both physically and mentally. Mike’s long-standing heart problems increase, and he cannot keep up with all of the medical bills. To top it all off, Rachel, their teen daughter, announces that she is pregnant. The world seems to be crumbling beneath their feet. 

Despite all of this, love still abounds in their family. Each family member pulls their weight in more ways than one to try and get one another back on their feet. While no one is perfect and there is still more tragedy to come, they make it clear that they will do whatever it takes to stay together. 

“Song Song Blue” really surprised me. Though I had never heard of Mike and Claire Sardina, their story is a beautiful one. Forget the flashy, glamorous lives of celebrities we too often see portrayed in films and the media. This is the story of a middle-class family struggling to fulfill their dreams, take care of one another and make ends meet. Despite all of the hardships they endure in a short amount of time (the whole movie takes place over less than two years), they continue to love one another, even at their ugliest. 

Hugh Jackman was made for the role of Mike Sardina, and his rough, vibrato-heavy voice is perfectly suited to Mike’s country twang. Kate Hudson is utterly charming as Claire Stengl and has a beautiful voice to match, but it is the second half of the movie that establishes her incredible acting ability. Both of them tackle deeply complex, real issues with grace. The actors playing their children are also able to hold their own, and it is Rachel (Ella Anderson) that really shines in the movie’s darkest moments. 

The biggest complaint I have heard about this film is that it has an inconsistent tone. The jumps between joy and tragedy, from brokenness to healing are sudden and sometimes jarring. I personally felt that this actually added to just how real this true story felt. Life is unpredictable, and tragedies like those the Sardina family endured are never expected. 

It is in these tragedies that we witness the movie’s remarkable aspect: the relationship at its core. Mike and Claire, despite both having experienced divorce before, are determined to stay together no matter how much pain they face. Mike takes on Claire’s children as his own, even when they rebel against him. Claire puts Mike’s dreams before her own, and he does the same for her. Their relationship is far from perfect, and they both say things that hurt one another. But they choose each other again and again in a beautiful demonstration of faithful, sacrificial love. 

“Song Sung Blue” was a wonderful movie, and one that I will highly recommend. It may not be for everyone, but its messages of enduring family love, so rare in a Hollywood film, are ones that will always need to be shared. 

In the words of Mike Sardina: “If we can just look out for each other and be strong, and above all, be grateful, maybe…we can make the world a better place.”

“Song Sung Blue” is currently in theaters and available on Amazon Prime.

Eva Tweeten is a Junior Psychology major who loves analyzing books, movies and music. She is also a big animal lover who helps train service dogs in her free time!

Images courtesy of Focus Features