THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS.

Just kidding about the “last theater visit of 2025” thing from before! With an abundance of time in Kansas City before the Roos basketball game this evening, half of our group ventured to Screenland in Kansas City (by the way, one of the coolest theaters I’ve ever been to, and with a great chicken bacon grilled cheese to boot!) to see Song Sung Blue, which was as shockingly good as the theater we saw the movie in.

So much of the story and allure of Song Sung Blue was new to me, from the music (I’m one of those casuals who only knows “Sweet Caroline”) to the heartbreakingly true story of Mike and Claire Sardina. The biggest surprise for me was the emotional whiplash in the story. The first act had me convinced that this movie was going to be two hours of nothing but good times, but when the bad times hit, this movie made sure they hit. The Sardina family had tons of mountains to climb, and the way they braved it through all of them was admirable.

It was so interesting to read about the Sardinas’ story as we left the theater, because clearly Craig Brewer insisted on this movie being pretty true to real life. From the two cars that hit the Sardina house to Eddie Vedder being a huge fan of Lightning & Thunder, the Sardinas’ story was twisty and engaging and sad and uplifting all at once. I’m especially impressed that so little had to be changed to result in such an emotionally impactful movie, even if it was a bit cheesy.

The music, as was to be expected, was also stellar, and I liked how many of the songs the film showcased in full. I feel like some of the recent music biopics either cut short their performances or use their artist’s songs in passing, but Song Sung Blue really milked their musical numbers, and as someone who didn’t know most of these songs, I really enjoyed that. There are definitely a few songs I’ll be saving to my library, namely “Forever in Blue Jeans” and “Song Sung Blue”. Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson also brought the thunder (and lightning) in both the musical numbers and their dramatic scenes, and I’d say at least Hudson could find herself in the Oscars conversation if the category wasn’t already so crowded.

While Song Sung Blue was exceedingly cheesy at times, it was fun to go to a movie and enjoy that cheesiness. When those cliché beats come together to form a heartwarming story—a story underscored by some great music—their played-out nature becomes less of a problem. Song Sung Blue was such a fun way to end my moviegoing year, and as I mentioned before, the Screenland Armour Theater in Kansas City was so cool! I haven’t been to a lot of local theaters, but this one was so cozy and fun and had some great food, too. It’s the kind of theater that I see myself opening in retirement. Until then, happy New Year!