Sunshine Cleaning (2008)

Director: Christine Jeffs

Cast: Amy Adams as Rose Lorkowski, Emily Blunt as Norah Lorkowski, Alan Arkin as Joe Lorkowski, Jason Spevack as Oscar Lorkowski, Steve Zahn as Mac, Mary Lynn Rajskub as Lynn, Clifton Collins Jr. as Winston, Eric Christian Olsen as Randy, Paul Dooley as Sherm, Kevin Chapman as Carl, Judith Jones as Paula Datzman-Mead, Amy Redford as Heather, Christopher Dempsey as Gun Shop Suicide, Vic Browder as Gun Shop Owner, Ivan Brutsche as Above and Beyond Worker

Greetings again from the darkness. Ahhh, the first 2009 script (by
Megan Holley) that has the depth, nuances and multiple sub-plots that
keep me addicted to movies. Sure one can view this as a simple story of
the emotionally struggling sisters who start a bio-hazard clean-up
company to connect not just with each other, but also with those who
have been the victim of a profound event involving a loved one. It
works just fine on that level.

Of course, I never make things that easy. For this viewer, I was
absorbed in the connection the sisters had to their dead mother. The
quest for a glimpse of her one movie of the week performance as a
waitress had the sisters trained to stop in their tracks whenever a
"waitress" scene appeared on TV. The sisters are played exceedingly
well by the extraordinarily talented Amy Adams and Emily Blunt. Their
performances lift a really good script to greatness.

For most movies, that would be plenty. Not here. Director Christine
Jeffs ("Sylvia") gets to play with Alan Arkin as the always scheming
father, a quick commentary on the disgusting "solution" of public
schools tendency to require medication on less than robotic kids,
emotionally empty relationships, and the absolute need of people to
connect with others.

The fine acting continues with Steve Zahn as the former high school
hero turned local cop, whom Adams' character has maintained a long term
"bond". Trouble is Zahn's character picked someone else to marry.
Clifton Collins Jr adds a wonderful dimension as Adams' possibly new
prospect. Mary Lynn Rajskub is just plain fascinating as the lonely
lady Blunt thinks she is helping.

Being promoted as from the creators of "Little Miss Sunshine", this one
offers up a nice story complimented by many quirks that make it stand
apart from the masses. Hopefully it will find wider distribution as we
can never have enough top notch story telling.