If you thought Neil Diamond was just for your grandma, well — well, you might be right. But when it comes down to it, we can all find at least one Diamond song that fits our mood. And Mike and Claire Sardina made a career out of finding whatever that mood may be, launching one of the most iconic tribute bands ever: Lightning and Thunder, the subject of the new movie Song Sung Blue. Now, we have the initial reviews to the movie, which is headed to theaters on December 25th.
Let’s start off with our own JimmyO, a huge fan of music. In his rave, he concluded, “Song Sung Blue is a damn near perfect true story that’s almost impossible to believe it happened. Wonderful performances, classic tunes, and massive heart! Bring tissues for what might be my favorite film of the year.”
Clearly much of the love for Song Sung Blue is going towards the leads, with Kate Hudson apparently giving one of her most worthwhile performances in quite some time. But that doesn’t mean it’s all praise, as many are critiquing it for failing to find a coherent tone, causing it to slip at times during its runtime.
Despite the praise, Kate Hudson is going to have a supremely difficult task turning that into an Oscar nomination, as the Best Actress race is one of the most crowded in years; besides, Cynthia Erivo in Wicked: For Good will likely take care of voters’ musical itch this year. However, I can see her popping in at the Golden Globes, maybe even bringing Hugh Jackman with her (he did, after all, earn nods for Les Miserables and The Greatest Showman as far as musicals go).
Here is the official synopsis for Song Sung Blue — which takes its name from Diamond’s 1972 single — as per Focus Features: “Based on a true story, two down-on-their-luck musicians (Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson) form a joyous Neil Diamond tribute band, proving it’s never too late to find love and follow your dreams.” The supporting cast includes Michael Imperioli, Ella Anderson, King Princess, Mustafa Shakir, Hudson Hensley, Fisher Stevens, and Jim Belushi.
What do you make of the initial reactions to Song Sung Blue? Will you be seeing it this Christmas?
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