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

2 wins & 6 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:

crime scene cleanup | cb radio | sister sister relationship | bedframe | watching television | 

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

All three leads, Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, and Alan Arkin, were in The Muppets (2011)

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Goofs

When Norah and Lynn are at the party, Norah passes the joint to a guy next to Lynn. She does not get it back, but she can be seen smoking it in the following shots.

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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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Alternate Versions

Amy Adams brief topless scene has been censored in the US home video releases. Those frames are zoomed in slightly to omit the nudity where as the framing is left intact on releases outside of the US.

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Connections

Featured in Angela and Friends: Episode #1.9 (2009)

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Soundtracks

Be on Time
Performed by Paul Trudeau
Written by Paul Lindemulder
Courtesy of Kid Gloves Records

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.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

17 April 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sunshine Cleaning

Filming Locations:

New Mexico, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$219,190, 15 March 2009

Gross USA:

$12,062,558

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$16,580,250

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