This week a girlfriend and I watched "Sunshine Cleaning" months after first seeing the preview in a movie theater last December, prior to the screening of "Slumdog Millionaire". We looked at each other then and said "let's go see that!" Well, we never made it to the theater, but it did make it to the top of both of our Netflix queues.
"Sunshine Cleaning" stars Amy Adams as a young, single mother trying to raise her son while monitoring her wacky father, rebellious younger sister, and of course, juggling an affair with her high school sweetheart, who is now married to another woman (side note, the former high school quarterback is played by Steve Zahn, who normally plays a lazy stoner, and in this movie is looking surprisingly masculine and handsome!). Adams plays the role convincingly and you do find yourself rooting for her.
Her younger sister is played by Emily Blunt, made famous by her role as the bitchy assistant to Miranda Priestley in "The Devil Wears Prada". Blunt plays a tortured soul, working daily to move on from her mother's suicide.
Their father is played by Alan Arkin, who plays an almost identical character to his grandfather role in "Little Miss Sunshine". In both films he is the cheerleader for all lost souls.
The movie chronicles the adventures of the two sisters as they open a crime scene clean up business. There are some definite laugh out loud moments (as well some gag reflex moments), but overall, the girls' experiences with their clients are moving, poignant and at times deeply sad.
Despite its cheery name, the movie is anything but happy. It is a candid, often upsetting portrayal of a family struggling to keep it together. If you like your popcorn with a side of realism, add "Sunshine Cleaning" to your queue.
