- Content: “Holly Holy Love”
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Watch:
What You Need To Know:
Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson are decidedly more glamorous than the real Mike and Claire. However, SONG SUNG BLUE has some of the most joyous and most powerful dramatic scenes celebrating and honoring God, faith, family, and love. The musical performances take full advantage of the spiritual and emotional content in Neil Diamond’s songs, which often include references to God. However, SONG SUNG BLUE has some foul language (including three strong profanities), scenes of personal tragedy and brief marijuana use in one scene. So, MOVIEGUIDE® advises extreme caution.
Content:
Strong Christian, moral worldview with positive references to God, faith, prayer, true love, holy matrimony, and family;
Six obscenities, one strong profanity mentioning the name of Jesus, two GD profanities, and 13 light profanities, such as OMG;
A drunk driver hits a woman in her front yard, man has some heart episodes, man accidentally hits his head on a bathroom sink during one such episode but covers up his bloody injury to hide it from his family;
Implied marital sex when man passionately kisses his wife in her underwear in their bathroom and then carries her into their bedroom off screen, a teenager gets pregnant but gives the baby up for adoption, romantic couple share a passionate kiss;
Some upper male nudity and woman in her underwear;
Male lead attends AA meetings, but other people drink alcohol;
Some smoking, two older female teenagers smoke marijuana in one scene, and female lead must overcome an addiction to pain medicine, which causes an hallucination in one scene; and,
Male lead keeps his heart problems secret from his family.
More Detail:
SONG SUNG BLUE stars Hugh Jackman as Mike Sardina, an Elvis impersonator from Milwaukee who can also do Neil Diamond. He meets a Patsy Cline impersonator, Claire Stingl, on the state and county fair circuit in 1988. A divorced recovering alcoholic and Vietnam vet, Mike works as a mechanic when he’s not performing. As divorced mother, Claire works as a hairdresser.
Mike and Claire have a date and discover they both have a passion for music. They soon form a Neil Diamond tribute band under the names Lightning & Thunder. Mike calls the band’s performances an “experience.” Claire tells Mike he’s not a Neil Diamond impersonator. He’s a Neil Diamond interpreter.
The band has trouble getting off the ground and finding the right venue, giving their first performance in a biker bar expected hard rock and roll. However, Lightning & Thunder being soon finds their niche in the local music scene. They even perform as the opening act for Pearl Jam in 1994. Tragedy strikes, however, when a car swerves off the road and hits Claire while she’s in the front yard doing some gardening work.
Claire loses part of her left leg and becomes despondent and addicted to pain pills. Mike refuses to perform without her, but will Claire ever pull out of her depression and mental fog, much less be able to perform on stage?
Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson are decidedly more glamorous than the real Mike and Claire Sardina. Watching SONG SUNG BLUE is often a glorious experience, however. The movie has some of the most joyous and most powerful dramatic scenes celebrating and honoring God, faith, family, and love. The musical performances in SONG SUNG BLUE take full advantage of the spiritual and emotional content in Neil Diamond’s songs, which often refer to God and love between a man and a woman in the same breath, with gospel music undertones. As always, Hugh Jackman is great, but Kate Hudson delivers one of the best female performances in many years and has garnered a Golden Globe nomination.
However, SONG SUNG BLUE has some foul language (including three strong profanities), scenes of tragedy and brief marijuana use in one scene. Also, the lead female character must overcome an addiction to pain medicine after she suffers a terrible physical injury. So, MOVIEGUIDE® must advise extreme caution.
