Song Sung Blue is not presented as a film based on a true story, but rather as a film based on a true love story. The distinction is crucial because the biopic focuses on two people who—through their love for one another and their shared devotion to music—managed to fulfill their dreams as performers, though not without their fair share of heartbreak and tragedy. At its center are Claire (Kate Hudson) and Mike Sardina (Hugh Jackman), a married couple who, later in their adult lives, decide to present themselves to the world—or more precisely, to the Milwaukee music scene—as Lightning & Thunder, a Neil Diamond cover duo.

They become local legends, opening for Pearl Jam in their home state and selling out a concert as counterprogramming to a Neil Diamond show happening the very same night—the “next best thing” for those who couldn’t get tickets. Written and directed by Craig Brewer, the film stages these two peak moments in the Sardinas’ lives, complete with dramatic turns and reversals of fortune.

Mike is introduced guitar in hand, delivering the kind of speech that signals someone ready to claim a stage as his own. But when the close-up gives way to a wide shot, we discover that Mike is using his speaking turn at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting to celebrate 20 years of sobriety by performing the Neil Diamond song that gives the film its title, “Song Sung Blue.” Later that day, he meets Claire at a concert full of impersonators featuring everyone from “Elvis” to “Barbra Streisand.” Mike is supposed to fill in at the last minute as “Don Ho,” singing “Tiny Bubbles,” but instead insists on doing his own act as Lightning, performing songs he loves (“Eye of the Tiger,” “Suspicious Minds”).

Claire, performing as a Patsy Cline double, is drawn to this rebel who refuses to put on a Hawaiian shirt and pretend to be someone he doesn’t resemble. They interact and sparks fly almost immediately, but on a later date—when they talk about how badly they both want to sing and entertain audiences—something truly clicks. Claire is also a single mother with two teenagers, who greet Mike with a mix of suspicion and weary resignation. You can tell it’s not the first time their mother has brought a boyfriend home, full of hope and prayer that this one might finally be “The One.” As it turns out, Mike is.

Claire tells him that he bears a resemblance to Neil Diamond, but Mike insists he respects the man too much to impersonate him outright. Eventually, they realize he can be a Neil Diamond interpreter and that they could be a team. Together, they could offer a Neil Diamond experience that goes beyond “Sweet Caroline” and its inevitable “bum-bum-bum” singalong. Mike is exasperated that so many of Diamond’s other songs are overlooked. He insists one of his favorites, the exotic “Soolaimon,” must open their act. Don’t worry, though—you’ll get “Sweet Caroline” eventually. It’s unavoidable, and they know it. This film makes you recognize Diamond’s brilliance across many more songs.

While Lightning & Thunder are electrifying onstage, and their careers singing in bars and casinos begin to gain momentum, their personal lives are weighed down by debt and health issues that ground the story firmly in the reality of an ordinary American family. Brewer strikes an effective balance between impressive musical performances and intense drama. For Jackman and Hudson, becoming Lightning & Thunder plays directly to their strengths as gifted performers. Both can sing exceptionally well by contemporary standards, and both possess the kind of stage presence associated more with pop stars than with traditional screen actors. This is hardly surprising—Jackman has long led major Broadway musicals, and Hudson released a music album of her own last year. When the more overtly schmaltzy and melodramatic turns of the material cause the film to stumble occasionally (again, its events actually happened), their shared energy and chemistry prevent it from losing emotional momentum.

On the surface, Song Sung Blue may resemble yet another rise-and-fall music biopic. However, Mike and Claire were not aiming for greatness; they wanted to inhabit a stage together, singing the songs of an artist they revered to offer joy and temporary escape. They performed songs beautifully, and they made people happy. For a time, it was enough. You will cry. You will laugh. You will sing. A not-too-sweet dessert for the holiday season.