- Craig Brewer’s Song Sung Blue follows a real couple who formed a Neil Diamond cover band.
- Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson play Mike and Claire Sardina, bringing oddball charm to the story.
- The Washington Post review calls the film weirder than a typical biopic and rates it 2.5 stars.
Film avoids biopic traps by leaning into the strange
Song Sung Blue, directed by Craig Brewer, resists the usual biopic formula by focusing not on Neil Diamond himself but on a real-life married couple who performed his songs in a Milwaukee cover band. The Washington Post review by Sonia Rao describes the movie as “weirder” than the standard music biopic and gives it a 2.5-star rating.
Cast and real-life roots
Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson star as Mike and Claire Sardina, a pair who fell for each other and for performing Neil Diamond covers. The fact that the premise is based on actual people gives the film an odd authenticity: it’s a tribute to Diamond’s music, and also an intimate portrait of two fans who found one another through song.
What makes it different
Rather than attempting a straight, reverent retelling of a famous musician’s life, Brewer’s film leans into eccentricity. The narrative centers on small-town devotion and the offbeat rituals of tribute-band culture. That choice helps Song Sung Blue avoid heavy-handed mythmaking and keeps the story focused on character moments instead of career milestones.
Performances and tone
Jackman and Hudson bring warmth to the Sardinas, anchoring the film’s oddball tone with believable chemistry. The movie’s tonal risks — equal parts affection and awkward humor — are what the Washington Post review highlights as the most interesting aspect. Viewers should expect a film that’s as much a character study as it is a music-driven piece.
Not a Neil Diamond biopic
It’s important to note that Song Sung Blue is not a biopic of Neil Diamond. The film uses Diamond’s songs and the idea of a tribute band to tell a different story: about fandom, marriage, and performance. For audiences searching for a definitive Diamond life story, this film offers instead a quirky detour into how his music lives on in unlikely places.
Who will enjoy it
Fans of character-driven indie movies, viewers curious about tribute-band culture, and anyone who remembers the pull of Diamond’s catalog may find Song Sung Blue appealing. The film’s strange, affectionate approach will likely divide audiences — some will appreciate its specificity, others may prefer a more conventional musical biography.
Song Sung Blue arrives as a reminder that not every music movie needs to mythologize its subject; sometimes the most revealing stories come from the fans who keep a songwriter’s music alive.
Review reference: Sonia Rao, The Washington Post (Dec. 25, 2025).
Image Referance: https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/movies/2025/12/25/song-sung-blue-review/