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Craig Brewer<\/strong>\u2019s Song Sung Blue<\/em> is striking a chord \u2014 and a few sour notes \u2014 with critics following its AFI Fest bow ahead of its Dec. 25 release. The true-story dramedy about Milwaukee Neil Diamond<\/strong> tribute duo Lightning & Thunder, led on screen by Hugh Jackman<\/strong> and Kate Hudson<\/strong>, is being hailed by some as a rousing crowd-pleaser and dismissed by others as overstuffed schmaltz.<\/p>\n At Awards Radar<\/a>, Joey Magidson<\/strong> says the Focus Features\u2019 sincerity sneaks up on you: \u201cI suspect I won\u2019t be alone in rolling a tear or two before all is said and done.\u201d He praises Brewer\u2019s balance of humor and heartbreak and calls Hudson \u201cbest in show,\u201d even floating her as \u201ca factor in the Best Actress race,\u201d while labeling the movie \u201ca mainstream crowd-pleaser with real tearjerker elements.\u201d<\/p>\n More from Gold Derby<\/strong><\/p>\n Pete Hammond<\/strong> of Deadline<\/a> lauds the high-wire tone: \u201cIf Song Sung Blue<\/em> weren\u2019t a true story, no one would have the nerve to make it,\u201d crediting Brewer for never losing \u201cthe delicate tone\u201d between joy and tragedy. He raves that Hudson is \u201csimply sensational\u201d in her best role since Almost Famous<\/em> and says Jackman\u2019s Diamond vocals are \u201cflawless,\u201d arguing the film is \u201creal, emotional, and unpredictable.\u201d<\/p>\n For Variety<\/a><\/em>, Owen Gleiberman<\/strong> frames it as a kind of secular devotional: \u201cThis is a faith-based movie rooted in the holly holy dream of devotion to the church of Neil Diamond.\u201d He likens Brewer\u2019s approach to a \u201cjukebox Jonathan Demme,\u201d calling Jackman\u2019s numbers \u201ctranscendent\u201d and praising Hudson\u2019s \u201clet-it-rip acting with the fussiness burned off,\u201d contending the film could bridge blue-and-red-state audiences through its \u201cecstatic sincerity.\u201d<\/p>\n The Hollywood Reporter\u2019s<\/a><\/em> David Rooney<\/strong> embraces the corn with caveats: \u201cA sweet serve of feel-sad, feel-glad corn done right.\u201d He calls the Christmas release \u201ca crowd-pleaser with a ton of heart,\u201d anchored by \u201cwinning performances from an ideally paired Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson,\u201d and suggests the robust entertainment value and rousing music could fuel strong word of mouth, even if it\u2019s \u201ca bona fide boomer movie.\u201d<\/p>\n The sharpest pan comes from Kristen Lopez<\/strong> at The Film Maven<\/a>, who argues the second-half tragedies tip into exploitation. She calls the movie’s overall themes \u201coverwrought and irritating,\u201d labeling the film \u201cwhite trash Hustle & Flow<\/em>,\u201d and lands on a grade of D-, quipping that audiences might be better off \u201cdrunkenly\u201d belting \u201cSweet Caroline\u201d at a bar.<\/p>\n Splitting the difference, Christian Zilko<\/strong> at IndieWire<\/a> finds the movie \u201coverstuffed and too melodramatic for its own good\u201d but \u201chard to look away from the silly sincerity that powers the film.\u201d Grading it a B-, he notes that Jackman and Hudson \u201cpour everything they have into their characters\u201d and appreciates how the film defends \u201cthe kind of life that seems average and unremarkable,\u201d treating karaoke-level dreams with genuine respect.<\/p>\n Bottom line: like Neil Diamond\u2019s greatest hits, Song Sung Blue<\/em> wears its heart on its sequined sleeve. Whether that plays as a \u201cwinning love story\u201d or a \u201cwhite trash Hustle & Flow<\/em>,\u201d the movie is already inspiring spirited sing-alongs \u2014 and spirited arguments \u2014 ahead of its holiday run.<\/p>\n Best of Gold Derby<\/strong><\/p>\n Sign up for Gold Derby’s Newsletter<\/a>. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n