It’s been a long time since it was cool to like Neil Diamond and actually say so. Yet his actual popularity has stayed remarkably strong, with “Sweet Caroline” giving his music its most recent lease of life. And it’s more than likely that Song Sung Blue will follow very much in his footsteps. Like him, it’s not cool, but a crowd pleaser and a heart warmer it most certainly is.

A biopic of a tribute band, rather than the man himself, this is essentially a love story, but it’s not all about romance. As well as the love between the two main characters, Mike (Hugh Jackman) and Claire (Kate Hudson), there’s their mutual passion for music and his adoration of Neil Diamond, with the loyalty of their close group of friends added to a warmly nostalgic mix. When Mike and Claire first meet, they’re both impersonators, playing the Milwaukee circuit, and although life has delivered some hard knocks, they’re still enthusiastic about what for both of them is a hobby. Their attraction is almost instant, and, as well as forming their own Diamond tribute act, they marry. Local audiences take their shows to their hearts, but just as things seem to be on the way up, life gets in the wa,y and everything grinds to a halt. The road to recovery is long and painful, but the combination of their own strength and the group of friends behind them puts them back on track until, once again, life intervenes.

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Director and co-writer Craig Brewer took his inspiration for the film from the 2008 documentary about the couple, and held on to Song Sung Blue for the title. He delivers a pleasantly old-fashioned movie, one that will especially appeal to anybody who remembers the 80s. As a piece of nostalgia, it’s an affectionately created wander down memory lane full of images that will ring multiple bells. Mike’s extensive collection of vinyl and his much-loved stereo, an indestructible Sony television (were they ever anything else?), the clothes, the make-up, the furniture, the cars… they’re all there to enjoy. And, of course, the appeal for Neil Diamond fans is just as strong, with Jackman and Hudson belting out some of his biggest numbers, “Sweet Caroline” included.

There’s a simplicity and sincerity about the film that contradicts the accusations of awards bait that have come its way. That said, Hudson delivers her best performance in some time. She glows on screen, but her positive attitude owes nothing to Pollyanna: her approach to life has been tempered by experience, her feet are firmly on the ground, yet she never stops hoping. Jackman’s role plays to his swaggering showman strengths and, together, the pair make an endearing couple and a genuine partnership, both on and off stage. You genuinely want them to do well, even if they aren’t quite good enough for the big time. Not everybody is destined for superstardom, but they can still fulfill their dreams.

Brewer has also pulled together an impressive supporting cast, from Ella Anderson as Claire’s oldest child – a recognizably truculent teen who grows up into very much her mother’s daughter – to the cluster of friends played by Jim Belushi, Fisher Stevens and Michael Imperioli who are often in the background, but always there when Mike and Claire – and, indeed, the film itself – needs them. They make it even easier to be entertained and carried along by Song Sung Blue’s warmth, even if it isn’t necessarily cool to admit it. And, while it may not be a great film, it’s exactly the type of inspirational crowd-pleaser we need to kick off the New Year, especially after the past twelve months.

★★★ 1/2

In cinemas from January 1st / Hugh Jackman, Kate Hudson, Ella Anderson, Michael Imperioli, Fisher Stevens, Jim Belushi and King Princess / Dir: Craig Brewer / Universal Studios / 12A

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