365 Movies Day #155 "Sunshine Cleaning"

A beautiful film in so many ways. A wonderfully talented cast, an interesting down-to-earth meaningful story. Just a great film all around. Where do I start? Well let's shoot for synopsis first. Rose Lorkowski is a wreck. Life just didn't go where it was supposed to go for her after high school. She's lost and feeling destitute, in love with a married man and, with her sister and her father, trying to find some meaning in life.

Rose is played by the incredibly lovely and talented Amy Adams. You should recognize her from her role in "The Fighter" recently where she was equally stunning. Her sister is played by Emily Blunt ("Gnomeo and Juliet", "Devil Wears Prada" and both she and Amy were in "Charlie Wilson's War" together). The father is played by Alan Arkin who is ALWAYS a thrill to watch. I loved him as Blank's therapist in "Grosse Pointe Blank" and he was a joy in "Little Miss Sunshine" and we've talked about him before for "THE ROCKETEER". Rose's married hunk is played by Steve Zahn ("Joy Ride", "Happy Texas", "Rescue Dawn") another of my favorite actors to watch.

Other interesting casting choices are Jason Spevack as Rose's nephew. If you have kids, you may know him better as Dino Dan! Also, the most impressive cast member to me in the film was Clifton Collins Jr. as one-armed hobby enthusiast and cleaning supply salesman Winston. He nailed the character to a tee and it was this film that got me hooked on him as an actor. We've talked about him before for his work in a bit part on "ONE TOUGH BASTARD", but he's done so much more to include being the best part of the "Boondock Saints" sequel.

It also features New Mexico casting director Angelique Midthunder who seems to always cast herself and her family in the movies she does and for some reason didn't seem to like me much as I never got to read for anything she was doing...go figure. Kevin Chapman of "BLACK DYNAMITE" makes an appearance as does Christopher Dempsey who had a great supporting role along side myself in a zombie western short we did out in New Mexico called "Fool's Gold".

What you can glean from the trailer is that, in her search for meaning, Rose and her sister end up starting a crime scene clean up business. It's in that seemingly dismal job that she finds meaning and is able to heal herself and her family. Again, a great story and one everyone should see.

SUNSHINE CLEANING ON IMDB