I’m shocked and astounded that it took this long for Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson to headline a film together. Remember when they both had their crappy romcom phase back in the ’00s? Sure seems like it would’ve happened then. But no, it took another 20 years for the both of them to star in Song Sung Blue, and we’re all better off for it.

This is the true (but lightly fictionalized) story of Mike Sardina, a Milwaukee native here immortalized by Jackman. He was a Vietnam veteran, a recovering alcoholic, and an auto mechanic, though his real passion was in music. Specifically, Sardina had crafted a “Lightning” persona, modeled after the larger-than-life rock personas of the mid-60s. Trouble is, his solo act never really picked up, so he got stuck playing in other people’s cover bands, impersonating other musicians and playing other people’s music.

Enter Claire Stingl (Hudson), a hairdresser who expresses her own musical ambitions as a Patsy Cline tribute singer. She and Mike aren’t going anywhere on their own, so they get the bright idea of forming a Neil Diamond cover band. Because Mike happens to bear a strong resemblance to Diamond, and Mike himself is a superfan who leaned heavily on Diamond’s songs while getting sober.

Mike adds Claire to his established brand, so now they’re “Lightning and Thunder.” The two fall madly in love and start performing as a happily married couple. And that’s where things really get interesting.

The film makes a big deal about how this is based on a true story, but of course there were some obvious liberties taken. The big one is that the film starts just before Mike and Claire meet, and it ends just after… well, even though all of this history is on the public record, I’m loathe to spoil exactly what happens at the end. Suffice to say that the movie should’ve began somewhere around 1987 and ended in 2006. As presented in the film, those two decades of history are compressed into two years. It’s a great credit to the filmmakers that the characters all look and act like they’ve known each other for that long.

This movie is heavily focused on the theme of identity, in myriad ways. For instance, we’ve got all the different and clever ways that the characters blend and separate their professional and artistic lives. Mike’s manager (Dave Watson, played by Fisher Stevens) is also his dentist. The tour manager (Tom D’Amato, played by Jim Belushi) runs an actual tour bus ferrying people between casinos, so he leverages those connections to find casino gigs for musicians. And of course we get the classic dilemma of artists taking whatever gigs and jobs they can — the gigs aren’t always glamorous, but it’s a living. More importantly, it’s time performing for an audience.

Importantly, Mike makes a big deal about the lines he won’t cross as an artist. Everything has to be on his own terms, according to his own brand and his vision for the show. This despite the fact that his brand is all about singing someone else’s songs. He’s a celebrity impersonator who owes his entire career to Neil Diamond. How could he possibly have an artistic identity that’s uniquely his own?

Claire, that’s how.

Lightning and Thunder are an adorable married couple obsessively in love with each other. They’re two local musicians playing to local crowds, making ends meet and making crowds happy any way they can. There’s a scrappy moonstruck charm to them that midwest audiences respond to, and it’s something they deliver in a way that the real Diamond can’t. Without Lightning, there is no Neil Diamond on the stage. But without Thunder, there’s no Neil Diamond on the stage worth watching.

It’s worth stressing emphatically that this is so much more than a sappy feel-good romcom. Remember, our male lead is a recovering alcoholic. And both romantic leads have their own kids from their own previous failed marriages. There is loss in this movie. There’s trauma. There’s a mental breakdown, there’s an unexpected pregnancy, and there’s the constant reminder that our leads are getting older. It’s not clear how long they can keep this up — hell, the very first time Mike tries performing like Neil Diamond, he fucks up his knee.

Funny enough, my favorite example comes from Michael Imperioli, here playing a Buddy Holly impersonator who comes on to be the lead guitarist for Thunder and Lightning. As the character so aptly puts it, “Buddy Holly died at 22. I’m 52 now.” There comes a point when you have to hang it up and move on, you know?

This movie lives and dies on the chemistry of its cast, and everyone is rock-solid from top to bottom. Hudson and Jackman both turn in dynamic performances, and they light up the screen together. They sell the romance hard enough to keep the whole movie from falling apart, which was a mighty tall order.

Even so, the true unsung stars of this cast are the daughters.

Ella Anderson plays Rachel, Claire’s daughter from her first marriage. King Princess (stage name) plays Angelina, Mike’s daughter from his first marriage. When we first meet these two, they’re your typical moody and disaffected teenagers who don’t want anything to do with their respective parents’ latest fling. But then they actually start talking, and something magical happens.

Rachel and Angelina bond over their respective family drama. They talk about their respective parents, which in turn helps them bond with their respective step-parents. We get to watch these two girls become steadfast sisters in a way that binds the new family together, maybe even more than the Mike/Claire marriage. And as the plot unfolds, we see Mike, Rachel, and Angelina all help each other through unthinkably harsh times. There’s a bond between these three that’s thicker than blood, and it’s beautiful to watch.

And of course we can’t forget Dayna (Hudson Hensley), Rachel’s little brother. He’s too young to impact the plot in any major way, but he still puts in his best effort to do what good he can. It’s endearing.

The bottom line is that this is very much a film about family. We’ve got family by blood, family by marriage, chosen family onstage, and all manner of combinations between them. And one way or another, in every last scene, it all comes back to family helping each other through hard times and sharing in the good times. All set to spirited performances of Neil Diamond songs. What’s not to love?

So, are there any nitpicks? Well, Jim Belushi is an unfunny stain on an otherwise brilliant cast, but I’m happy to say he’s only in a minor supporting role. I was more perturbed by all the extreme close-up shots, we did not need so many of those. And sure, the film could’ve gone farther in calling out “Lightning” as an egomaniacal diva, even though he’s a cover artist with no musical identity of his own. Then again, the filmmakers chose wisely in putting a heavier emphasis on the family angle and helping Mike grow past his own ego.

Overall, I had a good time with Song Sung Blue. It’s a sweet little feel-good movie powered by phenomenal chemistry and a surprisingly deft script. That said, I don’t agree that this should’ve been a big awards-season release. If this gets any Oscar nods, it’ll be because the film is charismatic and inoffensive and well-crafted (aside from those extreme close-ups), and not because it’s some industry-shaking masterpiece.

That said, this does feel like the kind of movie that would be fun for the family to go out and enjoy for the holidays. Either that or the kind of cinematic comfort food to watch at home on a hard day. On those terms, I can easily give this a recommendation.