Sunshine Cleaning (2008)

Director:

Christine Jeffs

Writer (WGA):

Megan Holley (written by)

Release Date:

27 March 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

life's a messy business.

Plot:

In order to raise the tuition to send her young son to private school, a mom starts an unusual business -- a biohazard removal/crime scene clean-up service -- with her unreliable sister.

Plot Keywords:

Affair | Crime Scene | Biohazard | Sisters | High School Sweetheart

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Amy Adams	...	Rose Lorkowski
Emily Blunt	...	Norah Lorkowski
Alan Arkin	...	Joe Lorkowski
Jason Spevack	...	Oscar Lorkowski
Steve Zahn	...	Mac
Mary Lynn Rajskub	...	Lynn
Clifton Collins Jr.	...	Winston
Eric Christian Olsen	...	Randy
Paul Dooley	...	Sherm
Kevin Chapman	...	Carl
Judith Jones	...	Paula Datzman-Mead
Amy Redford	...	Heather
Christopher Dempsey	...	Gun Shop Suicide
Vic Browder	...	Gun Shop Owner
Ivan Brutsche	...	Above and Beyond Worker

MPAA:

Rated R for language, disturbing images, some sexuality and drug use.

Runtime:

91 min | Germany:102 min (European Film Market)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #44055) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Netherlands:12 | UK:15 | Sweden:7 | Ireland:15A | Germany:12 | Japan:PG-12 | New Zealand:R16 | Australia:M | Singapore:M18 | Hong Kong:IIB | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Finland:K-11 | Singapore:NC-16 (edited for re-rating) | South Korea:15 | Turkey:13+

Filming Locations:

Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Back Lot Pictures

Trivia:

The filmmakers have said in interviews their story is based on a 2001 National Public Radio "All Things Considered" report about two women in the Seattle suburbs who started a biohazard removal/cleaning service. They are best friends, not sisters.

Quotes:

Rose Lorkowski: There's not a lot that I am good at. But I'm good at getting guys to want me. Not date me, or marry me, but want me.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Moviemaking in Virginia: Take 3 (2008) (V)

Soundtrack:

Esperanza

"Sunshine Cleaning" Shines

In confronting her big sister Rose (Amy Adams), emotionally bare Norah (Emily Blunt) declares, "I don't need you to take care of me anymore. It's not your job… It never was." Director Christine Jeffs's "Sunshine Cleaning" is very unexpected, in the best way. It is funny and wonderfully quirky. The surprise is its poignancy and brilliant resolve. Amy Adams and Emily Blunt are amazing, and have a stark chemistry. Their relationship is unquestioned love, and explosive conflict. Meg Holly's screenplay set in Albuquerque, New Mexico follows the unlikely story of Rose and Norah as they pursue their business in the biohazard removal/ crime scene cleaning service. Now that is novel. But "Sunshine Cleaning" is really about touchingly completing Rose and Norah's relationship with their dead mother. Adams balances vulnerability and brave resilience. Blunt is brilliant bravado masking profound suffering. Jeffs and Holly demonstrate a natural compassion and power throughout "Sunshine Cleaning".

Rose is the dedicated single mom raising Oscar (natural Jason Spevack). Oscar is having problems in school, displaying anti-social behavior such as licking his teacher's leg. Oscar requires special schooling, something Rose can't afford with her current cleaning service job. This is a far cry from her glorious cheerleader days. Oh yes, she is having an affair with the former quarterback Mac (jerky good Steve Zahn), who has no intentions of leaving his wife. Rose's life is broken. At one point she breaks down telling Winston (Clifton Collins Jr.), "I was good at getting guys to want me…" But she can't get them to love her.

Younger sister Norah is the smart ass brazen slacker, who can't hold a job. Norah lives with their Dad Joe (wonderful Alan Arkin). Widower Joe, instead of having a real job, always has some sort of business scheme brewing whether it is selling candy pop corn or moving shrimp in bulk. Arkin restrains Joe's idiosyncrasies enough to provoke our compassion. As it turns out his grandson Oscar is really bright, just a victim of the family weirdness, which is not fatal. Spevack has the right charm to carry this off.

At the urging of Mac (Zahn) and using some of his police detective pull, Rose falls into the biohazard removal and crime scene cleaning niche business. Of course she enrolls Norah into the business as well, after all what else is Norah going to do. Rose forms a close bond with Cleaning Supply Owner Winston (compassionate Clifton Collins), but she is too blind to see that he is a decent man, unlike Mac.

The captivating narrative thread involves Norah's obsession to watch their mother's TV movie appearance, where she plays a waitress. Both Rose and Norah deal with the tragedy of their mother differently. And it is not coincidence that their job deals with death and cleaning up all aspects of the aftermath, the physical and the human. It's hysterical as Norah falls into a bloodied mattress. It is touchingly solemn as Rose sits with the elder widow, whose husband killed himself. Jeffs reminds us of our humanity throughout. There is a mesmerizing scene as both Rose and Norah watch TV.

"Sunshine Cleaning" is wonderfully quirky, at times morbid with a twisted sense of humor. "Sunshine Cleaning" also reminds us that sometimes the people we least expect will step up and be great. Adams and Blunt are awesome. Take a chance on "Sunshine Cleaning".