Sunshine Cleaning has that "Sundance" vibe, in that it feels overly developed and tested for a bittersweet 'indie" feel and for maximum quirkiness.
Sunshine Cleaning (2009)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:150
Fresh:108
Rotten:42
Average Rating:6.3/10
Consensus: Despite a sometimes overly familiar plot, Sunshine Cleaning benefits from the lively performances of its two stars.
Rated: 15 [See Full Rating] for language, disturbing images, some sexuality and drug use.
Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:26-06-2009
Synopsis: From the producers of LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE comes the charming Sundance hit SUNSHINE CLEANING, a spirited comedy-drama starring Amy Adams (DOUBT, ENCHANTED) as single-mom Rose Lorkowski, a plucky... From the producers of LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE comes the charming Sundance hit SUNSHINE CLEANING, a spirited comedy-drama starring Amy Adams (DOUBT, ENCHANTED) as single-mom Rose Lorkowski, a plucky ex-cheerleader now cleaning houses and having an affair with her high-school sweetheart, Mac (Steve Zahn). When Mac, a police detective, suggests the lucrative job opportunities in crime-scene cleanup, Rose enlists her sister, Norah (Emily Blunt), to join her in the gory but ultimately fulfilling business enterprise. The sisterly chemistry between Adams and Blunt is impressive and forms the crux of their characters' growth throughout the film: Rose’s optimism--reciting self-affirmations and positive spins on her occupation ("It’s a growth industry")--complements Norah’s cynical, wickedly humorous exterior, which hides her bruised, vulnerable heart. Rounding out this likable cast is Alan Arkin, appearing as Joe, the sisters' lovably grumpy father, and Jason Spevack, who plays Rose’s eight-year-old son, Oscar. SUNSHINE CLEANING has all the familiar ingredients of a small independent feature (dysfunctional family spanning three generations, offbeat comic situations, dark emotional subtext), but thanks to the keen directorial hand of Christine Jeffs (who also directed the Sylvia Plath biopic, SYLVIA), and a smart screenplay from first-time writer Megan Holley, the film manages to transcend indie-film quirkiness, offering a heartfelt story of family bonds and the unexpected curveballs in life’s road. [More]
Starring: Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin, Steve Zahn
Starring: Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin, Steve Zahn, Jason Spevack, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Clifton Collins, Eric Christian Olsen, Kevin Chapman
Director: Christine Jeffs
Director: Christine Jeffs
Screenwriter: Megan Holley
Producer: Glenn Williamson, Marc Turtletaub, Peter Saraf, Jeb Brody
Composer: Michael Penn
Studio: Overture Films
Reviews for Sunshine Cleaning
Shows there's nothing indie dramedies can't turn into faux-regional quirk
Not entirely insubstantial, even as the bulk evaporates from the mind.
The sort of movie you root for, hoping it'll break through to be something special. It never quite does, but it still has the not-insignificant value of two fine actresses cast as sisters. [Blu-ray]
There's close to nothing about this film that isn't contrived, forced and reminiscent of movies that twist themselves into knots to achieve Harold and Maude-like quirky charm.
Everything Amy Adams touches turns to gold, and even here where she is playing a character thoroughly down on her luck, she is luminous.
This film is both funny and moving. It focuses on how families can provide strength in times of need.
It's worthwhile just for Adams and Blunt, a partnership made in movie heaven.
Best to take a page from Rose's métier and bleach this one fully out of sight and mind.
The payoff in this film is nowhere near as schmaltzy as in Little Miss Sunshine, for which I'm grateful. It's not great drama, but it's bittersweet, and diverting.
It's not that Sunshine Cleaning is a bad film, more that it uses the gnarly cleaning matter as bait, and then fails to deliver the goods. What remains is enjoyable, but not so much that you'd want to go back for seconds.
The payoff in this film is nowhere near as schmaltzy as in Little Miss Sunshine, for which I'm grateful. It's not great drama, but it's bittersweet, and diverting.
Occasionally it struggles to walk the line between black comedy and bleak dysfunction. Ultimately, though, this is a fresh and refreshing outing with a surprising amount of heart.
Amy Adams [is] terrific in Sunshine Cleaning but the material lets her down. It’s as if it’s trying to push every indie film button in the book.
Although the film isn't brilliant, the script has its moments and includes some memorable dialogue: "How'd she die?" "It was a do-it-yourself kinda thing."
The irony of the Sunshine named small enterprise specialising in cleaning up post-death mess suggests the filmmakers may be aiming for a tone of dark comic entertainment, but the film does not play out that way.
Surprisingly moving, this subtle black comedy that deals with cleaning up the mess that life dishes out, has plenty more going for it than an unusual premise.
So many things worked so well that you might not expect would %u2013 from the cheery fakery of an awkward high school reunion to the complexities of this line of work.
Taken on its own terms, though, it's a solid indie effort with plenty of nice character strokes by screenwriter Megan Holley and razor-sharp performances by Amy Adams and Emily Blunt.
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