Sidewalks On The Corner

"Sunshine Cleaning" is funny, bittersweet and in your face. Don't miss it!

When I rushed to the preview of "Sunshine Cleaning" at Embarcadero Cinema last week, I was struck by the fact that the theater was only half full. People may have been put off initially by the cheery subject matter -- desperate single mom starts business cleaning up crime scenes. Word travels fast, however, and now movie fans are standing in line for tickets. And well they should.

Follow up:

"Sunshine Cleaning"
Overture Films
Directed by: Christine Jeffs
Screenplay by: Megan Holley
Produced by: Glenn Williamson, Marc Turtletaub, Peter Saraf, Jeb Brody
Co-Produced by: Robert Dohrmann
Cast: Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin, Jason Spevack, Steve Zahn, Clifton Collins, Jr., Mary Lynn Rajskub
Rating: R

"Sunshine Cleaning" presents us with a typical American family in a small town. Little Oscar (Jason Spevack) is a bright, problem kid in public school. Licking the teacher's leg was the last straw for principal and teachers. Either mama Rose (Amy Adams) has to agree to medicate Oscar or take him out of school. Financing private school is expensive. Oscar's aunt Norah ((Emily Blunt) is a slacker. Grandpa Joe (Alan Arkin) is chasing one colorful business scheme after another. And Rose finds out that cleaning up violent crime scenes is a lucrative business. Making the decision is easy. Carrying it out is a whole other matter -- it gets messy, you know?

"Sunshine Cleaning" is the fourth film directed by the multi-talented Christine Jeffs. She also directed "Sylvia" (2003), "Rain" (2001) and "Stroke" (1993). Jeffs was assistant editor on "Ruby and Rata" (1990), "Crush" (1992) and "Absent without Leave" (1992). And on the film "Stroke" (1993), she was writer and editor as well as director.

Writer Megan Holley really gets it right -- how the family you love can drive you up the wall. How crazymaking it is to be a single mom raising a child on a pathetic income. All the hilarious and touching choices Rose and her sister Norah have to make as they look for romance and relationships. What to do about your boyfriend's wife. And why the hell didn't you marry the high school quarterback back when you were cheerleader captain, anyway?

"Sunshine Cleaning" will brighten your day. Really. Rating = three boxes of buttered popcorn.