Sunshine Cleaning with Megan Holley and Glenn Williamson
Saturday, 7:00 pm, Newcomb
Director: Christine Jeffs
Writer: Megan Holley
Cinematographer: John Toon
Cast: Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin, Mary Lynn Rajskub
Running Time: 102 min
Rose Lorkowski (Amy Adams) used to be the most popular girl in high school, but at age 30 she’s a struggling single mom making a poor living by cleaning the houses of more-successful former classmates. When her cop boyfriend (Steve Zahn), who is married to someone else, happens to mention in passing that a lot of money can be made in the specialized line of crime scene cleanup, Rose sees a new opportunity.
Enlisting the aid of her less-responsible but edgier sister Norah (Emily Blunt), she forms Sunshine Cleaning, a business that cleans up all the blood, gore, and body parts after a violent crime has taken place. Problems arise, though, when it turns out they don’t have the proper certification. Further complicating matters are the personal issues that force the sisters to finally deal with the suicide of their mother years before.
With sparkling and energetic performances from Adams and Blunt, this black comedy also boasts a wonderful supporting cast: Alan Arkin plays the crusty patriarch who is always trying to get ahead in some goofy get-rich-quick scheme; Mary Lynn Rajskub plays the daughter of one of the victims; and Clifton Collins Jr. plays a sympathetic clerk who looks after Rose’s son (Jason Spevack).
Based on a script that won Megan Holley the Virginia Governor’s Screenwriting Award in 2003, and directed by New Zealander Christine Jeffs (Sylvia and Rain), Sunshine Cleaning premiered at Sundance and will be released by Overture Films this winter.
