Kate Hudson and Hugh Jackman in 'Song Sung Blue.' Sarah Shatz/Focus Features Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment A sweet serve of feel-sad, feel-glad corn done right, Song Sung Blue tells the remarkable true story of a Milwaukee auto mechanic and his hairdresser wife who face hard knocks together but never let their dream die - even if it's on life support during the toughest times. While that might sound like Hallmark treacle, Craig Brewer's captivating retelling of the triumphs and tribulations of a Neil Diamond tribute act is grounded in real feeling and irresistibly rousing music. Most of all, it's held aloft by winning performances from an ideally paired Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, the latter doing her best work since Almost Famous. Related Stories Hollywoof! Diane Warren: Cat Crusader Lifestyle Blink-182, Avril Lavigne Among Standouts at Politically Charged When We Were Young Festival I'll confess I was an easy mark for this movie. A key childhood memory is sitting on my aunt's living room floor - she was groovy enough to have a "feature wall" of contrast wallpaper - playing the Hot August Night double album from start to finish while everyone else was outside digesting barbecue. By the time I hit high school, Diamond's music had been deemed uncool, so naturally, I disavowed any fondness for it. But decades later, his songs became a time-travel vehicle; I was surprised to find I knew just about every word. I guess it was a given that Song Sung Blue would win me over. Song Sung Blue The Bottom Line A diamond in the rough. Venue: AFI Fest (Closing Night)Release date: Thursday, Dec. 25Cast: Hugh Jackman, Kate Hudson, Michael Imperioli, Ella Anderson, Fisher Stevens, Jim Belushi, King Princess, Mustafa Shakir, Hudson Hensley, John BeckwithDirector-screenwriter: Craig Brewer, based on the documentary by Greg Kohs Rated PG-13, 2 hours 11 minutes There's no denying that this is a bona fide boomer movie, so it prompts questions as to whether that generation can still be nudged toward the multiplex and whether younger audiences will be even remotely curious. But this is the kind of robust entertainment - wholesome though not at all toothless, alternately joyful and heart-wrenching - that doesn't get made much anymore, which should boost word of mouth for the Focus Features Christmas release. It's a family movie in the best sense of the term, a crowd-pleaser with a ton of heart. Jackman plays Mike Sardina, a divorced Vietnam vet marking his 20th anniversary of sobriety in the late '80s when he meets Claire Stengl (Hudson) at a "Legends" gig at the Wisconsin State Fair. The bill includes impersonators doing Elvis, Willie Nelson, Streisand, James Brown and Buddy Holly, the latter the specialty of Michael Imperioli's Mark Shurilla, who is also the show's promoter. Mike, who performs as self-styled rock god "Lightning," backs out after a disagreement with Mark, but not before exchanging some flirty banter with Claire. Just as she's about to go on as Patsy Cline, she tells him he should be doing Neil Diamond. From Hustle & Flow through the brilliant Eddie Murphy vehicle Dolemite Is My Name, writer-director Brewer has shown an affinity for underdogs seeking fulfillment as performers. It's obvious what drew him to Greg Kohs' 2008 documentary of the same name about the husband-and-wife duo. Brewer is working in a more conventional style here than some of his earlier films, but there's sincerity and emotional authenticity to this movie that suggest deep personal investment, not to mention hardcore music fandom. Composer Scott Bomar serves as executive music producer, and song after song is an uplifting knockout. Naturally, "Sweet Caroline" gets the royal treatment, but just as Mike insists there's much more to Neil Diamond than that over-saturated, infernally catchy hit and its singalong chorus, so too does the movie cast a wide net over Diamond's vast catalogue. Some of the more memorable numbers are the romantic ballad "Play Me," the spiritual "Soolaimon," the stirring, gospel-inflected "Holly Holy" and the even more roof-raising "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show." Unlike so many music biopics that shuffle frustrating song fragments just to get through all the greatest hits, Brewer gives the songs space to play out at length, editor Billy Fox's many montages serving both to amplify and advance the narrative. This approach is evident from the first time Mike visits Claire with an album of Neil Diamond sheet music to kick around ideas for his act. By the time that first session is over, he has asked her to be Thunder to his Lightning and the pair have surrendered to their mutual attraction. The chemistry between Jackman and Hudson makes you root for their characters as a couple and as a music act. Scenes that by rights should be eye-roll