In Song Sung Blue, we meet Mike Sardina, a recovering alcoholic trying to turn his life around and make a name for himself as a musician, but who is stuck doing gimmicky sets at the fairgrounds in between an Elvis impersonator and a James Brown look-alike. As Mike threatens to walk from the gig, Claire, another performer in the group, catches his eye. She’s enamored by Mike’s ambition and an idea quickly forms for the two of them to start their own act, covering Neil Diamond songs as the duo “Lightning and Thunder.” Their romance blossoms as their star continues to rise, but when a freak accident leaves Claire unable to perform, the two have to figure out how to navigate the long road to recovery together. Based on a true story, Song Sung Blue is written and directed by Craig Brewer and stars Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson.
Throughout the ’80s and ’90s, the Neil Diamond tribute band Lightning and Thunder became something of an institution in the upper midwest. A regular fixture at state fairs and music festivals and, occasionally, as the opening act for bigger bands like Pearl Jam. The story of Lightning and Thunder came to a tragic end in 2006 following the death of Mike Sardina, but the band’s journey was captured in a 2008 documentary by Greg Kohs, which served as the inspiration for the narrative feature Song Sung Blue from writer/director Craig Brewer.
Though not a musical in the traditional sense, music is still a driving force in Song Sung Blue, as are the pair of powerhouse performances by the film’s stars Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson. To learn more about what went into shooting this film, Camera Operator reached out to A camera and Steadicam operator Dave Thompson, SOC.
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