Warning: Spoilers for Song Sung Blue lie ahead, so read on accordingly.
Song Sung Blue is one of the latest titles to arrive amid the 2025 movie schedule, and it’s a truly eclectic kind of flick. The film, which is directed by Craig Brewer, is a musical story about a couple who worked together to form a Neil Diamond tribute band. All the while, they also experience highs and lows in their personal lives. Oh, and did I mention this is all based on a true story? To some, that fact may seem hard to believe and, as Brewer himself told CinemaBlend that he can understand any sense of disbelief.
When it comes to a film like Song Sung Blue, it’s probably best for audience members to go in as cold as possible. That could make their viewing all the more unique and surprising. During CinemaBlend’s interview with Brewer, he admitted that the plot of his latest movie could be seen as “outrageous” in some respects. From there, the Black Snake Moan helmer spoke about why his movie doesn’t go where audiences might expect it to:
Outrageous, right? Unbelievable. …. I think what it is, is probably what people are experiencing is that there's a little bit of a twist. I think people think after about, you know, 40 minutes that this is like a fantastic ride where, like, you know, what could possibly go wrong? And then something does go wrong and something definitely, you know, tragic happens to this family and to this couple. And they have to, they have to get through it.
In the film, Hugh Jackman (who sports some serious hair) and Kate Hudson play Mike and Claire Sardina, respectively, who form the Neil Diamond tribute band, Thunder & Lightning. The movie starts off with plenty of optimism and romance, though it does indeed take a tragic turn, when Claire is run over by a car and has to have her leg amputated. Finding a balance between hope and tragedy is tough when it comes to storytelling, and I understand why that was hard for Brewer. Of course, he also didn’t want sadness to win out here:
And I think that that was probably the hardest thing, for me, to go, ‘How can I explore this in a way that's really going to make people feel that it's true and that it's grounded in a reality but, at the same time, get what I got out of their story, which I felt very inspired by their love and their commitment to each other and how music ultimately rescued them. And so, you know, how long do we stay in that place? You know, the tone in terms of being able to have, like, inspiration but also comedy and then also some moments that are going to make people cry, you know, without people feeling that they've been led down a road of depression.
Of course, with any kind of biopic, it's also common for creative liberties to be taken when it comes to specific details. Brewer explained whether he did that while telling the story of Claire and Mike (who passed in 2006):
Not really. I mean, if anything, I just had to kind of, like, collapse certain things. And I was very open with Claire Sardinia and the kids when I talked to them about making a movie of their life. I said, you know, ‘You've lived an opera. I need to make a pop song that's about three minutes and nine seconds.’ You know?' But give me everything you can, like, tell me all of your experiences. Give me little details that you may think are inconsequential in your life, but I promise you, I'm going to be able to put it all into this movie and try to tell the best story I can with it.
Creating a great music biopic is no small feat under normal circumstances, but creating one that threads the needle between sheer optimism and legitimate tragedy is particularly hard. Based on critics’ responses to Song Sung Blue, though, it would seem Craig Brewer managed to thread the needle in a solid way. Of course, Brewer is also no stranger to biopics and musical films, as he also directed 2005’s Hustle & Flow as well as the critically acclaimed Dolemite Is My Name. So he knows how to blend tones and evoke varied emotional responses from his audiences.
Following his latest film, Brewer also has an upcoming musical biopic in the works, as he’s set to direct the Snoop Dogg biopic, which originally had Allen Hughes attached as director. That film could also feature some tales that may seem “unbelievable,” and I’m curious to see it. At present, though, let’s just appreciate how Brewer was able to tell Sardinas’ unconventionally sweet love story. On that note, check out Song Sung Blue, which is playing in theaters now.
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