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Sunshine Cleaning
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Sunshine Cleaning (2008) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 100 | slideshow) Videos (see all 16)
Sunshine Cleaning (2008) -- This is the theatrical trailer for Sunshine Cleaning, directed by Christine Jeffs.
Sunshine Cleaning (2008) -- Clip: A business lie
Sunshine Cleaning (2008) -- Trailer for this film about a family business that cleans up after dead people
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.
Sunshine Cleaning (2008) -- Clip: Oscar´s birthday

Overview

User Rating:
7.3/10   3,853 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 35% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Christine Jeffs
Writer (WGA):
Megan Holley (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Sunshine Cleaning on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
27 March 2009 (USA) more
Genre:
Comedy | Drama more
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 synopsis
Awards:
1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
(163 articles)
134 New Names Invited to Join the Academy
 (From Rope Of Silicon. 1 July 2009, 1:08 AM, PDT)

Emily Blunt wants to be a gay icon
 (From AfterEllen.com. 30 June 2009, 2:00 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
A Blunt Ray of Sunshine through the Darkness more

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
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for language, disturbing images, some sexuality and drug use.
Runtime:
Germany:102 min (European Film Market) | USA:91 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
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
Filming Locations:
Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

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. more
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. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Moviemaking in Virginia: Take 3 (2008) (V) more

FAQ

Does the actor playing Winston really only have one arm?
Is there an official website?
What does the title mean?
more
29 out of 31 people found the following comment useful:-
A Blunt Ray of Sunshine through the Darkness, 22 March 2009
8/10
Author: David H. Schleicher from New Jersey, USA

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.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Sunshine Cleaning (2008)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Should Rose have gone to the baby shower anyway? clive-ihd
Emily's American Voice heatherjenae
Liked it, But I'm Confused kmahoney326-1
watch this movie here. smilegurl11
Should I have asked for a refund? clive-ihd
Where it should have ended. ***spoiler**** clive-ihd
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