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Parents' Guide to

Sunshine Cleaning

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Adult dramedy has unusual mix of laughs, gore, heavy themes.

Movie R 2009 102 minutes
Sunshine Cleaning Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 16+

Based on 3 parent reviews

wonder dove
wonder dove Adult
September 12, 2012
age 16+

Enjoyable

Sunshine Cleaning was pretty good and interesting if you like drama films with less action and more story. I would definitely call it a chick flick. Basically about two very different sisters, Rose the responsible one and Norah the wild one, who decide to start a crime scene cleaning business because it pays more than regular housekeeping, although it sounds pretty simple, they soon discover how gruesome it can be and wonder if it's the best move. I think ages 16 and up is appropriate, there is drug use (Norah smokes pot several times) some drinking. Several sexual situations, It's also gory throughout including one sudden suicide scene, lots of cursing, and a small child that seems to be troubled. All in all, it is a pretty good watch.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
Prov 31 OH Gal
Prov 31 OH Gal Parent of 8 and 11-year-old
February 9, 2010
age 17+

Bad for kids and a waste for adults!!!

As an adult, I wish they'd make higher quality movies for us!!!! Even a PG-13 movie isn't safe to enjoy these days!! This was just bad; depressing, discouraging, dumb, and a waste of my .79 cents!!! (My kids would never even want to watch this.) If you have strong moral values/faith, this will not inspire you! F*** used so many times I couldn't even try to keep up for a count...

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Rose Lorkowski's (Amy Adams) glory days of cheerleading are long behind her, replaced by a job as a cleaning lady. Her son, Oscar (Jason Spevack), has been kicked out of yet another public school; her father (Alan Arkin) still can't get rich quick despite all his schemes. And her sister, Norah (Emily Blunt), just lost her waitressing job. Eager for a real career, Rose convinces Norah to help her start a business cleaning crime scenes -- Rose's high school boyfriend (Steve Zahn), a married cop with whom she's having an affair, has told her it pays so much more than regular housekeeping (enough for private school, perhaps). And for a moment, it seems sweeping up the blood and gore of lives gone awry is Rose's answer to a better life. But a clean slate isn't what's in store for her after all. Not unless she and her sister finally cleanse themselves of a haunting family heartbreak.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (7 ):

Quirky and affecting, SUNSHINE CLEANING is a lovely dramedy bolstered by extraordinary performances. As she's done with previous roles as a nun and a real-life Disney princess, Adams brings loads of warmth and empathy to her role. And in Blunt -- who has the rare gift of being able to marry humor and sorry with ease -- she has a formidable partner-in-crime. Rounding out the main cast in a role that harkens back to Little Miss Sunshine (the two movies have the same producers), Arkin cements his place in celluloid history as the patron saint of flawed-but-loving grandfathers. They're damaged, but you feel for them nonetheless.

But here's the rub (or should we say scrub?): Sunshine Cleaning feels painstakingly put together and a bit contrived. Though director Christine Jeffs doesn't reveal the psychological scars branded on the family's psyche until almost the end, she hints at them a little too heavily (the slo-mo flashbacks, the gray visual palette, the mishaps -- and there are many!). And must everyone be so idiosyncratic? Even the former high school classmates Rose runs into at a baby shower seem larded with spite. Still, as blemishes go, these are hardly deal breakers. The film's loudly beating heart and strong performances will wash the doubts away.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether the movie's scenes of blood and gore have more impact because it's a comedy rather than a horror movie. Are these scenes scary, disturbing, neither, or both?

  • Families can also discuss the characters' search for a way out of their present condition. What drives them?

  • Though the central family is clearly dysfunctional, what's positive about their relationships? What is it about families that make them drive each other crazy but give each other hope, too?

Movie Details

  • In theaters: March 13, 2009
  • On DVD or streaming: August 25, 2009
  • Cast: Alan Arkin , Amy Adams , Emily Blunt
  • Director: Christine Jeffs
  • Inclusion Information: Female actors
  • Studio: Overture Films
  • Genre: Comedy
  • Run time: 102 minutes
  • MPAA rating: R
  • MPAA explanation: language, disturbing images, some sexuality and drug use
  • Last updated: August 21, 2023

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