Hugh Jackman's Song Sung Blue Was Actually Supposed To Have Even More 'Sweet Caroline'

I’m a fan of Song Sung Blue. Though I’m not the biggest fan of Neil Diamond, I do dig a few of his songs, some of which are featured prominently in the film, which you can now watch with a Peacock Subscription. I love “Cracklin’ Rosie,” for example. I also have a soft spot for “Forever in Blue Jeans.” On the other hand, I can’t stand “Sweet Caroline.” I wrote about my distaste for the song when the movie came out, and now I’ve learned things could have been much worse.

The Digital Extras Include More Of The Wedding Scene With The Dreaded Song

In the movie, “Sweet Caroline” is featured prominently, of course. It starts as a performance by Mike (Hugh Jackman) and Claire (Kate Hudson) at their wedding and extends to a couple of different performances in their regular bar sets. I cringed the whole time. I don’t need to get into why, I’ve done that already. However, it could have been in multiple places in the movie.

In the digital extras, if you purchase the movie with an Apple TV subscription, there is an extended cut of the wedding scene featuring the whole song. It’s a fun scene, sure, but ugh, the song feels like an eternity to me. If the director (Craig Brewer) had included that whole scene and cuts of the other performances in the movie, I don’t think I would’ve walked out of the theater liking the movie as much as I did. What I’m saying is that I understand why the song had to be in the movie, but I’m thrilled there wasn’t more of it, especially because people can't help but yell the “bom, bom, bom,” during the chorus.

You Don’t Have To Love Neil Diamond To Love The Movie

While Bill Murray’s character, Bob Wiley, says in What About Bob, “There are two types of people in this world: Those who like Neil Diamond, and those who don't. My ex-wife loves him.” I actually fall in between, as I said, I don’t love him or hate him, but I do love this movie despite my ambivalence towards the crooner. It’s not about him; it’s a wonderful story about two local musicians. The kind of musicians that make up most of the world, in all honesty.

And let me just get this out of the way: it’s been popular with critics to crow about Kate Hudson earning an Academy Award nomination for her role as Claire Sardina in the incredible (and true) story in Song Sung Blue. I’m not one of those critics. While I love Chase Infinite in One Battle After Another (the most commonly cited snub), I think Hudson is wonderful in this movie and deserves the recognition. I also just love the movie overall. It’s a different kind of music biopic, which makes it refreshing.

I don’t expect Hudson to take home the Oscar next month; that’s almost certainly going to go to Jessie Buckley for her incredible performance in Hamnet, but I’m psyched she got the nomination, and that Song Sung Blue is getting some recognition, because while it’s not a “serious” movie like Hamnet, it is a wonderful one. Check it out, just please don’t sing along to “Sweet Caroline.” Ever.