If you’re not watching a movie this festive period that specifically has the word ‘Christmas’ in its title, you’ll likely be debating with family members over whether it’s a Christmas movie, or simply a movie with Christmas in it.
There’s definitely a difference between the two. It’s why Die Hard, Gremlins and Home Alone are could fall into either category, depending on your point of view – and this year we can add Song Sung Blue to the list.
The film tells the real-life story of Milwaukee Neil Diamond tribute-band members Thunder (Hugh Jackman) and Lightning (Kate Hudson), and a sizable chunk of their extraordinary love story takes place during the festive period. So where does the movie sit in the Christmas canon?
Thankfully we have a definitive verdict, courtesy of no less a showbusiness luminary than rapper Snoop Dogg. Why Snoop? Well, he’s the subject of Song Sung Blue director Craig Brewer’s next movie.
“It was not my intent that this would be a Christmas film”
“It’s so interesting you say that, because it’s been the conversation that I’ve been having lately,” Brewer tells me. “It was not my intent that this would be a Christmas film. When we had the first test, I was very nervous going into it, and it tested exceedingly well. It was one of those things where I think the Focus Features was taken aback by how well it was received.
“But I had a meeting the next morning with Snoop Dogg at Universal, and they had heard about the testing. I’m making a movie right now on Snoop’s life. He later called me that day and he goes, ‘Hey, I heard a I heard a rumor that you’re going to be releasing your movie on Christmas.’ And I was like, ‘that’s interesting. I wonder why Christmas.’ And then I kept on hearing from people, ‘that’s really a great date because that’s when all the families are coming together.'”
He continues, “The movie is about, a teenage girl who’s having to take care of her crazy artistic parents. It’s about a marriage. It’s about a family that’s struggling through the good times and the bad. It’s about faith. It may not always be faith in God, but in this movie, it’s actually, in a weird way, faith through Neil Diamond’s music.
“The more I started looking at the movie, the more I realized Lightning did always wear red and Thunder wore blue. I’ve got Christmas lights all through this. There’s even a Christmas scene in it. So I said to myself, ‘Craig, I think you made a Christmas movie.’ It’s a Wonderful Life, Die Hard… there are arguments as to why they are considered Christmas movies. I think we made one.”
Let’s just pause the Xmas chat for a second. I cannot tell you how excited I am for a movie about Snoop’s life from the director who gave us Hustle and Flow.
Stories rooted in hip-hop defined Brewer’s breakout on the international stage, but even though he can tenderly tell stories in any genre – just look at Song Sung Blue for proof – a trip back to where it all started has me very excited. Bonus points if Martha Stewart signs on to play herself.
And yes, Song Sung Blue is most definitely a Christmas movie. You can catch it in cinemas from Christmas Day in the US and New Year’s Day in the UK and Australia.
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