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Sunshine Cleaning (2008)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer (WGA):
Megan Holley (written by)
Release Date:
27 March 2009 (USA)
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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. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
1 nomination
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NewsDesk:
(224 articles)
Scripts for 'Moon,' 'An Eduction' and 'Parnassus' Brings the Total to 19
(From Rope Of Silicon. 23 November 2009, 2:47 PM, PST)
This Weeks DVD/Blu-Ray/Cinema Releases
(From HeyUGuys. 15 November 2009, 9:59 PM, PST)
(From Rope Of Silicon. 23 November 2009, 2:47 PM, PST)
This Weeks DVD/Blu-Ray/Cinema Releases
(From HeyUGuys. 15 November 2009, 9:59 PM, PST)
User Comments:
A Blunt Ray of Sunshine through the Darkness
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Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | 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 |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated R for language, disturbing images, some sexuality and drug use.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
91 min | Germany:102 min (European Film Market)
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
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:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Amy Adams played the girlfriend of John Krasinski's character Jim Halpert on "The Office" (2005) during parts of the first and second seasons. Emily Blunt is Krasinski's girlfriend in real life.
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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.
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Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
Esperanza
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FAQ
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?Is there an official website?
Is "Sunshine Cleaning" based on a book?
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A struggling single mom named Rose (Amy Adams in her comedy/drama wheelhouse) gets tired of working for a maid service and boldly decides to branch out into crime scene clean-up with her lay-about sister Norah (Emily Blunt, ironically named) in Christine Jeffs' observant and easy-going "Sunshine Cleaning".
Although it has been marketed as one of those quirky dramedies the studios love to shove down our throats every year, Jeffs' film (from a solid screenplay from Megan Holley) is more in tune with somber yet hopeful indie character studies. The film deals with some dark subject matter and poignantly explores grief and family dysfunction but maintains a positive outlook and contains some solid situational laughs. The combination of an interesting set-up, smart writing, likable characters and winning performances make the film, even when it teeter-totters from dark to sappy, go down smooth. None of the characters seem forced upon us, unlike the overtly quirky family from "Little Miss Sunshine" or the stylized dialog spewing teens from "Juno". These characters talk and interact like real people and there's a naturalism in the way their relationships develop.
It makes for engaged viewing when a film like this doesn't feel the need to explain every detail or tie up every loose end so nicely. Some subplots involving Norah taking a personal interest in one of the clean-up jobs that leads to an awkward friendship with a blood-bank worker (Mary Lynn Rajskub of "24" fame) or a one-armed supply store guy (Clifton Collins Jr.) who takes a shine to Rose aren't resolved in a typical fashion, and some things are never made known or left open-ended. It makes the film feel truer to life. Even when Rose's precocious kid (Jason Spevack) tries to talk to heaven on a CB radio in what would normally be considered a contrived and cutesy moment, you feel like you've grown to know the character and it's just something he would do. Likewise, Alan Arkin as the sisters' scheming entrepreneurial father behaves and acts like a real guy who's had to struggle raising two girls alone and is just trying to help them catch a break.
Amy Adams, of course, is an absolute delight. Something about her girl-next-door good looks combined with her innate talents as a comedienne and her theatrical background that produces some of the best facial expressions and crying-on-cue you'll ever see make her the perfect choice for this type of role. While it's easy to sing the praises of Adams, and she's never been more endearing or relatable than here, Emily Blunt proves to be an excellent foil. It's Blunt's sharp portrayal and her character's story arc that provide the film its emotional weight. Both actresses deserve to be remembered come awards season, and "Sunshine Cleaning" is that rare spring-time bird: a film worthy of buzz.