Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

Sunshine Cleaning: It's one of those "slice of life" dramas.  Where the characters are all flawed, all somewhat down on their luck, and struggling just to try to make things a little better.  Heavy on the drama, with just a smattering of humor, this movie will appeal to most adults who enjoy taking a peek into someone else's life.

Amy Adams plays Rose.  She's lived through several disappointments in her life, leaving her a shell of a woman with floundering self confidence.  Involved with a man she can never have, working a fairly dead-end job as a maid, and struggling to raise her "challenged" son on her own, Rose is looking for a way out.

The married man with whom she's involved (Steve Zahn) mentions that good money can be made by cleaning up the scenes of crimes and suicides.  Despite an initial revulsion to the idea, Rose decides to give it a try.  Along with her immature sister Norah (Emily Blunt), Rose opens Sunshine Cleaning and enters the post-disaster-clean-up world.

When entering these scenes of horror, the sisters are initially repulsed, the way any of us would naturally be.  The bodies are already gone by the time they get there, but blood, body parts, and various fluids are splattered all over walls and floors.  This is not going to be pleasant, let's face it.

But the sisters soon discover a "bond" with the victims, as well as the ones left behind.  And their job becomes more than just a way to make money - it provides a real service to the grieving survivors.  Why the girls identify so closely with survivors of horrible and shocking deaths is eventually revealed.

As the girls embrace their new career, they start to grow in other ways, too.  Rose re-examines her priorities and takes steps to change her life for the better.  Emily grows in other ways - eventually gaining an insight into herself that has eluded her thus far.

With terrific performances from the two leads, as well as support from Alan Arkin as "Dad", Jason Spevack as the son, Mary Lynn Rajskub as "Norah's new friend" and Clifton Collins Jr. as the Mr. Nice-Guy buddy, Sunshine Cleaning definitely rates a smile or two. 

I particularly liked the way the movie doesn't try to give us a big Hollywood Ending.  No ribbons at the end, tying everything together in a neat package.  It simply lets us glimpse into these lives for a little while, then leave just as quickly. 

I also loved the way "Dad" interacted with his daughters and grandson.  Knowing that this family has seen some very dark days, and not judging the others for their faults, Dad lets them live their lives, and make mistakes.  He supports, but doesn't judge.  At least, most of the time. 

Finally, I felt the characters were portrayed realistically.  These flawed people could have been my neighbors, or my co-workers.

If I have any criticism at all, it's that this film is a bit short.  I felt that some of the threads could have been more fully developed, without weighing down the story.  The ending comes up so abruptly, it's as if a timer dinged somewhere, and the director said "That's A Rap!" before our story was quite finished.

The movie's R rating is deserved for its fairly gruesome crime scenes, an act of violence, and a small amount of sex and drug use.  But, overall, Sunshine Cleaning is a pleasant "slice of life" movie that should appeal to most adults. 

Recommended: Yes

Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age