Sunshine Cleaning (2009) (Theatrical) - 8/10

Tonight I saw a sneak preview of Sunshine Cleaning, a movie distributed by one Starz's companies Overture films, and was glad to see that we're promoting something that's actually good. Having the best limited release box office so far of 2009, Sunshine Cleaning is a movie that clearly follows in the footsteps of Little Miss Sunshine but stands on it's own nicely as a realistic melodrama about 2 women who start up their own crime scene cleanup service. One thing I noticed from the start was how much I liked the slow motion intro to each character and the steady amount of backstory we learn about their present hardships and past memories of their family history. We learn more and more as the movie goes on from great performances by Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin, and the unknown kid, who I think really shines as the misunderstood "lil bastard" who just needs to let his creative freak flag fly. The realistic struggle of trying to raise a kid by yourself mirrored with these two sister's past of losing their mother really allowed each subplot they were given to breathe so that it wasn't constant drama. With the comedy balance of learning how to clean up after dead bodies while also showed flashbacks to expose the pressure on the relationship with their father, you couldn't help but care for these women and hope that everything would work out for the best. Overall, the genuine emotions and realistic relationships that are shown do not give in to Hollywood endings but rather end with no exaggerated emotion, giving way to a happy conclusion where everyone is where they need to be. This movie was a satisfying detour from the regular trash that studios throw out and instead made me be glad I have this job and not theirs.