Sunshine Cleaning Review
“Sunshine Cleaning,” which is proudly advertised as “from the Producers of ‘Little Miss Sunshine,'” bears some similarities to its predecessor, aside from the name: it co-stars Alan Arkin in an eerily similar role; it co-stars a child who provides the motivation for the plot of the film; it focuses on a family so dysfunctional, it aims for laughs through their misfortune; and finally, I saw them both at the same theater.
While “Sunshine Cleaning” does not quite fill the shoes of “Little Miss Sunshine,” it does have its merits. For starters, it stars the charming Amy Adams as Rose Lorkowski, a former high-school cheerleader who has been reduced from dating the captain of the football team to merely having an affair with him. She’s a single parent fighting to pay the bills while working as a cleaning lady. Her sister (played by Emily Blunt) can’t hold a job, and her father’s get rich quick schemes always backfire. Meanwhile, her son, though portrayed as a shy, but kind child, seems to be a big enough trouble-maker to get kicked out of public school.
It’s that latest development that forces Rose to open up “Sunshine Cleaning,” a cleaning service that specializes in crime scene cleanup and is much more profitable than regular housecleaning. The movie does a wonderful job taking such a morbid subject and making it humorous while not losing sight of the overall story of this family and their hopes and dreams. Many of the anecdotes are funny (though, unfortunately, the best ones screened in the trailer), but they are merely a façade for the troubling stories of Rose’s issues and her desire to once again feel popular and be successful.
This is where the movie falls short. Many of the issues Rose and her family are trying to overcome feel generic and a bit clichéd. Despite the solid performances (including youngster Jason Spevack and the one-armed man he befriends played by Clifton Collins Jr.), the struggles of the main characters only hold our interest for so long. The humor that kept “Little Miss Sunshine,” rolling along while it tackled similar material is much sparser here. Alan Arkin adds some humor as the father, but plays a role so similar to the one in the prior film, it feels re-hashed.
Overall, “Sunshine Cleaning” is, at the very least, worth seeing. Amy Adams is interesting as Rose, and we certainly feel and cheer for her. The supporting cast is equally strong, and they do what they can to overcome what is lacking in story. The movie does, at times, plod along, yet, at other times, there is enough that feels fresh enough that when you leave you’ll likely have a smile on your face.
