Sunshine Cleaning
| Sunshine Cleaning | |
|---|---|
 Promotional film poster | |
| Directed by | Christine Jeffs |
| Written by | Megan Holley |
| Produced by | Jeb Brody Peter Saraf Marc Turtletaub Glenn Williamson |
| Starring | Amy Adams Emily Blunt Jason Spevack Mary Lynn Rajskub with Steve Zahn and Alan Arkin |
| Cinematography | John Toon |
| Edited by | Heather Persons |
| Music by | Susan Jacobs Michael Penn (score) |
| Distributed by | Overture Films |
Release dates | Sundance Film Festival January 18, 2008 United States March 13, 2009 |
Running time | 91 minutes |
| Country | Template:FilmUS |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $5 million |
| Box office | $15,476,862 (worldwide)[1] |
Sunshine Cleaning is a 2009 dramedy film starring Amy Adams and Emily Blunt. Directed by Christine Jeffs and written by Megan Holley, the film premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2008. It was purchased by Overture Films for distribution and opened in limited release in the United States on March 13, 2009. The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on August 25, 2009.
Plot
Rose Lorkowski is a thirty-something single mother, working full-time as a maid. Her underachieving, good-for-nothing sister Norah lives with their father Joe, and is fired from her job as a waitress. After the school expels Rose's son Oscar for his erratic behavior, she is told she must put him on Attention Deficit Disorder medication or send him to a private school. Unable to make enough money with her current job, Rose asks Mac, her ex-boyfriend during their high school years and her married lover, for advice. Mac recommends a crime scene cleanup job, and with his connections as a police officer, he gets Rose and Norah into the business.
At first, the sisters poorly perform their job; carelessly handling the hazardous materials by throwing them into dumpsters instead of properly disposing of them in an incinerator. They then get the necessary tools from Winston, a one-armed storekeeper of a shop for cleanup material. The sisters name their cleanup business "Sunshine Cleaning" and they start making progress with their business reputation growing. The sisters begin to find meaning in their function to "help" in some way in the aftermath of a loss, just as the job stirs up memories of their own mother's suicide. At the same time, the members of the family deal with their individual problems. Rose encounters some of her former high school classmates and is embarrassed by the state of her position in life. After an encounter with Mac's pregnant wife in a gas station, Rose realizes that Mac will never leave his marriage, and ends their relationship. Norah meets and has a possible lesbian relationship with Lynn, the daughter of a woman whose house she and Rose cleaned up, unbeknown to Lynn. Joe begins to sell shrimp, hoping to get enough money to buy a pair of expensive binoculars that Oscar wants for his birthday.
One day, an insurance company calls for "Sunshine Cleaning's" presence, giving "Sunshine Cleaning" the potential to obtain a breakthrough reputation. Unfortunately for Rose, a baby shower is on the same day, with all of her high school classmates attending. She asks Norah to clean the house alone until she can catch up. Norah's attempt to clean the house brings up a disastrous result as she accidentally burns down the house. The burning of the house tarnishes "Sunshine Cleaning"'s reputation and the cleanup business is forced to pay a debt of 40,000 dollars. With "Sunshine Cleaning" out of business, Rose is forced to go back to being a maid. Meanwhile, Joe's shrimp plan goes awry as all the stores he approaches refuse to buy his shrimp. Norah reveals to Lynn about her mother being dead, and Lynn becomes frustrated as she realizes that Norah was not "interested" in her. At Oscar's birthday party, Norah apologizes to Rose, and despite still being mad at her, Rose forgives her. The family and Winston then celebrate Oscar's birthday.
Sometime later, Rose visits her father and he reveals to her that he sold his house. He then shows that with the money, he started a new cleanup business called "Lorkowski Cleaning" with Winston's help. Norah goes on a road trip to find her new self, while Rose starts working with her father at "Lorkowski Cleaning."
Cast
- Amy Adams as Rose Lorkowski
- Emily Blunt as Norah Lorkowski
- Alan Arkin as Joe Lorkowski
- Mary Lynn Rajskub as Lynn
- Eric Christian Olsen as Randy
- Jason Spevack as Oscar Lorkowski
- Kevin Chapman as Carl Swanson
- Steve Zahn as Mac
- Clifton Collins Jr. as Winston
Production
The filmmakers have said in interviews their story is based on a 2001 National Public Radio All Things Considered report about two women in the Seattle suburbs who started a biohazard removal/cleaning service.[2]
The entire movie was filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The entire storyline takes place in Albuquerque as well. [3]
Release
Sunshine Cleaning was produced by independent film company Big Beach. On February 26, 2008, Variety reported that it was purchased by Overture Films for distribution.[4] It received a small-scale release on March 13, 2009.
Critical reception
Sunshine Cleaning received mostly positive reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 74% positive rating based on 152 reviews.[5] On Metacritic, the film has an average score of 61 out of 100, based on 32 reviews.[6]
Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, stating "This funny and touching movie depends on two can-do actresses to scrub past the biohazard of noxious clichés that threaten to intrude. Adams and Blunt get the job done. They come highly recommended."[7] The Los Angeles Times deemed that "on the surface, Sunshine Cleaning, about a small-time crime scene cleanup crew in a crumbling corner of Albuquerque, is an offbeat and oddly endearing drama, leavened with just the right amount of comedy to even things out".[8]
The Times gave the film a mixed review, rating 3 out of 5 stars, saying "Given the subject matter and the sheer volume of putrefying human remains, it's remarkable that the movie still bobs along on a seemingly unquenchable current of sentimental optimism".[9]
Critics praised the performances of the cast, especially Adams. Mick LaSalle of San Francisco Chronicle gave the film a positive review, saying: "The play of emotion on Amy Adams' face is the main reason to see Sunshine Cleaning."[10] A. O. Scott of The New York Times wrote that the film "sometimes seems better than it is" because "Ms. Jeffs (Rain, Sylvia) has a good touch with actors and a very good cast. Amy Adams and Emily Blunt, playing sisters who go into business together, attack their roles with vivacity and dedication, even if the roles themselves don't entirely make sense."[11] Of Adams' portrayal of her character, Michael Sragow of The Baltimore Sun said, "Adams achieves perfect clarity, with a touch of the divine."[12]
Awards
| Year | Result | Award | Category | Recipient(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Nominated | Grand Jury Prize | Dramatic | Christine Jeffs |
| 2009 | Nominated | Satellite Awards | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Emily Blunt |
| Won | Casting Society of America | Outstanding Achievement in Casting - Low Budget Feature - Drama/Comedy |
Avy Kaufman |
See also
References
- ^ "Sunshine Cleaning (2009)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
- ^ "The Art of Original Filmmaking - Sunshine Cleaning". The Writing Studio. Archived from the original on August 10, 2009. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
- ^ "Sunshine Cleaning". The City of Albuquerque City Forum. December 13, 2009. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
- ^ Thompson, Anne; Miller, Winter (February 26, 2008). "Overture nabs 'Sunshine Cleaning'". Variety. Archived from the original on August 10, 2009. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Rotten Tomatoes (December 20, 2009). "Sunshine Cleaning (2008) on Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 20, 2009.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Sunshine Cleaning Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
- ^ Travers, Peter (March 11, 2009). "Sunshine Cleaning: Review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 10, 2009. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Sharkey, Betsey (March 13, 2009). "Sunshine Cleaning". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 10, 2009. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Ide, Wendy (June 25, 2009). "Sunshine Cleaning Review". The Times. Archived from the original on August 10, 2009. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ LaSalle, Mick (March 20, 2009). "Movie review: Amy Adams in 'Sunshine Cleaning'". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 12, 2009.
- ^ Scott, A. O. (March 13, 2009). "Movie Review: Sunshine Cleaning (2008)". The New York Times. Retrieved June 12, 2009.
- ^ Sragow, Michael (March 27, 2009). "Amy Adams is a scene-stealer in 'Sunshine Cleaning'". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 12, 2009.
