“Insurance? Miss, do you know any musicians? We’re broke as a joke.”

Story: In Milwaukee, a man and woman meet. Sparks fly, and they get together. And they also decide to form a Neil Diamond cover band, which gets pretty darn popular. But then tragedy strikes, and things look insurmountable. But as they try to put themselves back together, music, and love, is always there.

Genre I’d put it in: Heart-wrenching Musical Biopics
Release Date: 2025
Remake, Sequel, Based-On, or Original: Based on the real life Neil Diamond cover band Lightning and Thunder (Mike Sardina, and his wife Claire), and the documentary of the same name based on their life.

Gotta say: When John Beckwith’s Eddie Vedder says “who doesn’t like Neil Diamond?” Truer Words. The singer has something for everybody, and it’s all good. From young horror nerds (see: Mike Flanagan’s Midnight Mass, which uses Diamond exclusively) to Boomers who were at OG concerts back in the day. Blue may not have that same irresistible pull as Neil, but it’s got moments of heart and bittersweet beauty that tug on the same heartstrings.

This is a film that rests entirely on the leads; Hugh Jackman is decent enough, but Kate Hudson is incredible. There’s fantastic chemistry between Jackman and Hudson, which mirrors the absolutely electric connection Mike and Claire shared. Honestly; get you somebody who looks at you like Claire looked at Mike. Goals. Damn.

Hudson deserves all the awards buzz she’s getting for her portrayal of Claire. She runs the gamut of emotions, and has killer pipes? Again, damn. Jackman’s Mike is more laid back, but the weight of his emotional pain as he tries to hold everything together is a subtle but wonderful performance that many may overlook.

A double shout out to Fisher Stevens as Mike’s original manager (and dentist) Dave, and Jim Belushi as manager Tom D’Amato. They’ve got an almost Abbot and Costello cameraderie onscreen that lightens up things when it gets too tragic.

An early montage of Lightning and Thunder starting up their band, with cuts to real news clips about the real life band, blends real life and biopic nicely. There’s a gritty, documentary style vibe in the look of the Blue, so when the film cuts to archival footage, it blends well.

As the film makes it’s way to the climax, director Craig Brewer mixes emotional beats like a master. (No wonder; he’s done amazing work with 2005’s Hustle and Flow and 2019’s Dolemite is My Name.) The joy of their ultimate performance is cut with foreboding and dramatic irony. It’s amazing, and is the payoff this story requires.

I have to admit Blue didn’t have me at first. The film doesn’t really break the chains of it’s conventional biopic style til Claire’s moment in front of her garden almost halfway through. But then, the film takes off. In this story, Clair says “…there’s so much more to Neil Diamond’s music”, and there’s more to Blue than it’s opening act. So stick around and let yourself feel it.

#Protip: Claire did get to Neil Diamond. I love that.