‘Sunshine Cleaning’ Dulls Its Own Sheen

Amy Adams is truly magnificent in the charming Sunshine Cleaning, a film that… yada, yada, yada. Let’s be honest. You know the drill by now. If you honestly thought Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin or any of the other cast members in this pseudo-indie actors’ picture would turn in anything less than awards-worthy performances, then you haven’t been following the entertainment industry for the last two years (a quick refresher: Adams is the new Julia Roberts, Blunt is the rising star, and Arkin is the savvy veteran who finally got his due from the Academy).

So if all you’re yearning for is a well-acted, slightly quirky dramedy, then look no further. If you want something truly unique and surprising, you’ll have to wait until Fall releases.

Director Christine Jeffs and writer Megan Holley tell the tale of Rose (Adams), a former high school cheerleader whose life turned out a little differently than expected. She’s single, has a kid, and is in the middle of a lengthy affair with her now-married, high school boyfriend.

But she’s working as a company maid, an occupation that adequately prepared her for – here comes the slightly quirky part – a crime scene clean-up, well, maid. She decides to leap into the somewhat disgusting business of cleaning up after suicides, murders, and those deceased of natural causes with the help of her off-kilter sister (Blunt). Her dad (Arkin) helps by taking care of the kid while his daughters are off doing the dirty work, but he’s dealing with his own issues pertaining to the story’s dark, third-act twist.

Though all of this may seem somewhat intriguing on the surface, the acting is the only aspect that makes Sunshine Cleaning passably entertaining. I keep coming back to it for a reason, after all. Adams plays sweet and sad equally well, and while her turn may not be Oscar-baiting in its exuberance, it’s truly touching in its tenderness.

Blunt, however, is the real stand-out. She was amusing in The Devil Wears Prada, but she steps up both games here. She’s funny one second and intensely engaging the next. Indeed, Blunt forces you to see Sunshine Cleaning as more than just Rose’s story – it’s Norah’s too.

But there, in the story itself, is where Sunshine Cleaning misses a spot. The overall arc is adequate only in its creation of circumstances for the actors to excel. We’ve seen this belated-coming-of-age-tale before. While the final act reveals a slight diversion from cliché, it also leaves out two big holes (including an unfinished romance and a life-changing decision that may be read as a simple vacation).

The main issue dragging down Sunshine Cleaning is that it’s not big enough. Everything works on a minute scale that can sometimes prove to enthrall (like, for example, Lost in Translation), but mostly ends up frustrating in its missed stab at greatness (like, for example, Garden State).

Almost every plotline could have benefitted from a bump up in the drama. For example, Mac (Zahn) could have left his wife for Rose, or better yet, Rose could have exposed him for the adulterous leach he is right in front of his spouse. Instead, the relationship mainly serves to provide Rose with an idea for her new job.

Granted, the job leads to the aforementioned self-discovery, but the film as a whole could have been so much more. There’s nothing wrong with avoiding the emotional extremes, but Sunshine Cleaning aims too low to convincingly connect with its viewers.

The other formal elements are equally okay. Jeff’s direction is pretty much point-and-shoot, but the visuals aren’t unappealing. The soundtrack is above average but far from memorable. In a sea of ordinary, the thespians are the only bright spots.

Unfortunately, Sunshine Cleaning is merely an easily digested bit of springtime movie-going and not the Oscar-winning juggernaut it could have been.