Sunshine Cleaning (2008)

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.

Director:

Christine Jeffs

Writer:

Megan Holley

Stars:

Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Amy Adams	...	Rose
Emily Blunt	...	Norah
Alan Arkin	...	Joe
Jason Spevack	...	Oscar
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

Storyline

A family. Rose and Norah, in Albuquerque, lost their mother when they were young. Rose is responsible - a housecleaner, raising her seven-year-old son Oscar. She's also having an affair with Mac, a married cop, her high-school sweetheart. Norah can't hold a job. Their dad, Joe, is quirky. When Oscar is expelled for odd behavior, Rose wants to earn enough to send him to private school. Mac suggests she clean up after crime scenes, suicides, and deaths that go undiscovered for awhile. Rose enlists Norah, and Sunshine Cleaners is born. Norah bonds with the dead, Rose finds out that it's a regulated business, and complications arise. Can a family marked by tragedy sort things out?

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Plot Keywords:

private school | school | business | death | crime scene | 

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Taglines:

life's a messy business.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Germany] Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

27 March 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Günisigi temizleme sirketi

Filming Locations:

Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£125,795 (UK) (26 June 2009)

Gross:

$12,055,108 (USA) (3 July 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Overture Films, Big Beach Films, Back Lot Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Amy Adams played the girlfriend of John Krasinski's character Jim Halpert on The Office during parts of the first and second seasons. Emily Blunt is Krasinski's girlfriend in real life.

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Goofs

When Norah chases after the kitten, there is a small table and a cat statue on the porch. Later, when the house is burning at night, the table and statue are gone. A subsequent scene of the porch in flames has the table and cat statue back again.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Talking Deer Head: Attention all fellow deer. If you find deer feed in the middle of the forest, be a bit suspicious.

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Connections

Referenced in Moviemaking in Virginia: Take 3 (2008)

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Soundtracks

"Esperanza"
Performed by Xocoyotzin Herrera
Written by Daniel Indart and María Amparo Escandón (as M.A. Escandón)
Courtesy of Latin Music Specialists

User Reviews

Underdog

I watched this movie in a sneak Preview, so I had no idea, what I had to expect from this. The title is not giving away too much, which I will respect, so if you want to read something about the story, read the summary here on this site.

The acting in this is really great, but some might have a problem with the pace of the movie. It moves along slowly and it's not "in your face" funny, but more a subtle kind of humor (most of the times). It's actually more a drama than a comedy. And Alan Arkin is exceptional as ever, even if he's not the main role here. With a few up and downs, this nice little film has a winning charm, that is worth a view.