‘Song Song Blue’ Review: More than the sum of its parts
“Who doesn’t like Neil Diamond?”
That’s the question asked by Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder when he meets Mike (Hugh Jackman), who is unsure if fans who came to see Pearl Jam would be receptive to a Neil Diamond tribute experience band.
And perhaps that’s a good metaphor for how this movie got made. Who is going to care about a Neil Diamond cover band? In the film, Mike comes up with an innovative idea - he has Eddie join him on stage to get his fans excited to see the opening act - by having two Hollywood A-listers as reassurance that you’re in for a worthy two hours.
If you look at the individual components of the film - the acting, directing, cinematography, pacing, or any other facet, there’s no clear standout. But when you look at the film as a whole, you can’t help but root for it even after it breaks your heart, puts it back together only to break it again.
Early in the film, Mike meets Claire (Kate Hudson) who quickly introduces Mike to her family including her teenage daughter Rachel (Ella Anderson). At first, Rachel doesn’t even want to meet Mike, let alone go to one of his gigs. Rachel represents the audience, and it doesn’t take long for Mike to win her over.
When tragedy strikes in the second act, Hugh Jackman effortlessly channels the husband who is trying to hold it together for the sake of his marriage, kids, livelihood and home. Claire is bedridden for months after dealing with the loss of her foot, and the home quickly devolves into a non-functioning family unit barely hanging on by a thread. Rachel becomes pregnant, Mike loses the one job he was passionate about, and Claire loses touch with her family and reality, and begins to lash out.
During a conversation with Rachel about her pregnancy, Mike shares a military technique that helped him make hard decisions called SMEAC.
Situation - what is happening?
Mission - what do you want to do about it?
Execution - how can you get it done?
Administration - what steps are involved?
Command - who do you want to be in charge, or to help you?
Rachel has a clear idea of what she wants for the first four, but she really needs her mom for support with her command. This is the turning point for the film, and what separates Song Sung Blue from other films where tragedy strikes. Mike and Claire can’t just get better with time, they need each other and they’re better together.
“I don’t want to be Lightning without my Thunder.”