India, Jan. 9 -- Adapted from a real-life story that once lived as a modest documentary, Song Sung Blue finds writer-director Craig Brewer returning to familiar terrain: underdogs chasing dignity through performance.

Set against the distinctly American world of tribute acts and county fairs, the film follows Mike and Claire Sardina (Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson respectively), a blended-family couple in late-80s Milwaukee who stumble into local fame by forming a Neil Diamond tribute act called Lightning and Thunder.

Mike, a Vietnam veteran navigating sobriety, and Claire, a hairdresser with a strong voice and a fragile inner life, find purpose and connection through performance. Their act catches on, opening doors they never expected - i...