He was a mechanic and a recovering alcoholic who played rock guitar. She was a hairdresser and a single mom who sang Patsy Cline songs. Together, Mike Sardina (Hugh Jackman) and Claire Stengl (Kate Hudson) became Lightning & Thunder, and then husband and wife. Their specialty was performing Neil Diamond songs at a variety of venues in their hometown of Milwaukee, especially in the 1990s. This movie is a succinct telling of their true story.

Naturally, we witness them facing the usual challenges confronted by local musicians. How, when and where to rehearse and to perfect their performances. How to book gigs. How to figure out their signature looks, i.e. costumes. At the same time, these people have real-life issues to deal with, away from the stage. For the Sardina family, there are dramatic ups and downs. DRAMATIC. Scenes can switch from heartwarming to heart-wrenching in a matter of minutes. Be prepared. And even if we think that we know how things will turn out, we may still be surprised. We can be amazed at the resiliency of certain folks. The show must go on.

I'm an East Coast person who lived in the Midwest for nine years. And I sure recognized the regional voices of these characters. I was fascinated by the fact that Kate Hudson perfected a Wisconsin accent. It was charming! (I wonder how difficult it was for her to shake it off, afterward?) Then again, Australian actor Hugh Jackman took on a deliberately American accent.

Somehow, the first time around, I missed the fact that the part of Tom D'Amato, Mike's promotional agent, is played by Jim Belushi. Hah! No wonder he has such a good Chicago accent. Let's credit dialect coach Jess Platt for helping to create realistic conversations.

The rest of the characters are wonderfully cast, too. Fisher Stevens is Dr. Dave Watson, a dentist who is also Mike's manager, of sorts. Claire's daughter and son, Rachel and Dana, are aptly portrayed by Ella Anderson and Hudson Hensley. The role of Mike's daughter, Angelina, is played by King Princess. Kudos to all of the younger ones, for they are often called upon to show a range of emotions. Sometimes they are also called upon to be the adults in the room.

Of course, this movie is filled with music, at every turn. You'll hear such great songs as "Cherry Cherry," "Holly Holy," "Forever in Blue Jeans," "Sweet Caroline" and more. If one of these tunes doesn't get stuck in your head for the rest of the week, then you really weren't listening or paying attention.

We probably all know musicians like these folks. They're people who have day jobs to pay the bills, and then they go out at night to play in the clubs and bars. On a good day, they might get a chance to play at a bigger venue, like the state fair or a mid-sized theater. I've met guys like Mike Sardina. Heck, I was even married to one for a while. (Although mine was a drummer.) This story could have taken place in ANY community, anywhere. A lot of us have been there and done that.

In 2008, a documentary was released about the real-life duo, Lightning & Thunder, aka Mike and Claire Sardina. It too is called Song Sung Blue, and it can be viewed for free online. I recommend that you watch it only AFTER you see the feature film with Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson. The new movie condenses their lives into what appears to be a brief span of time, seemingly for only a few years. In actuality, they performed together for more than 17 years, from 1989 and into the mid-2000s. Still, it's good to know the background and to see the real Mike and Claire in person.

Song Sung Blue takes a regional story and shows us that it is a universal one. It's about the power of music, the power of love, and the power of people to connect with one another through one or both. Any local musician – whether amateur or professional, whether solo artist or garage band member -- will find themselves and/or their friends here.

If you haven't thought about Neil Diamond and his songs in a long while, then you can quickly find new appreciation for his extensive catalogue here. This movie is indeed so good, so good, so good. I serve up no apologies from this end, to say it. It had to be said. And it happens to be true.