Song Sung Blue is the best unexpected film of the year.
From the trailer, you might expect a blasé music biopic. Or something hokey. But it’s an incredible combination of kitschy and horrific.
Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson star as local musicians who form a rickety tribute band that rockets them to small-town stardom. Jackman and Hudson are like twin flames, ignited by each other’s talent. And their chemistry is only broken by wild, tragic twists of fate that at times feel biblical.
I sat down with writer/director Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow, Footloose, Dolemite Is My Name), who shared:
“Music, especially in Song Sung Blue, is almost a spiritual element. It's almost like a faith-based movie, but you could take God or religion out of it and just put in Neil Diamond.”
That’s a little tongue-in-cheek, of course. But who hasn’t sung along to Diamond’s Sweet Caroline?
Brewer continued:
“The characters in the movie really put a lot of their identity into wanting to be this Neil Diamond cover band. And when they experience pain and trauma in their life, they get a little lost and then they turn away from it because it's too painful.”
Without the band, the foundation on which Jackman and Hudson built their love starts to buckle. This series of tragedies strips them of their ability to make music and, in doing so, hollows out their souls.
Brewer expanded:
“Art or music may exalt you to this place of fame or success, but there will be a toll. If you're really good, it's going to extract that pound of flesh and it might even kill you.”
Song Sung Blue understands that creative expression in its purest form is a sacrifice. Because to resonate, you must scrape the depths of your experiences. The miracle is that Brewer keeps the film measured, exacting, and continually joyous, even when the story turns brutal.
For More:
Here are three clips. One during the genesis of Jackman and Hudson’s band. One during their ascent. One during their fall.
Genesis:
Ascent:
Fall:
The Brewer interview is a must-watch for any filmmaker.
He describes his process of making his sophomore feature film, Hustle & Flow, overcoming rejection from every studio and production company. He talks about the tricky adaptation process for Song Sung Blue and working with the real-life people on which the film is based to create scenes.
He also shares some wisdom about being more open as a director to input and gives a great story about how Kate Hudson re-staged a scene for him.
Song Sung Blue is now in theaters.
