Dear Reader: Update, Movie Review Intelligence will discontinue
publishing this website at the end of May (more...)
Search a Movie:
SUNSHINE CLEANINGMovie Reviews
Offbeat comedy about a single mom and her slacker sister who find an unexpected way to turn their lives around by going into the crime scene clean-up business. Cast:Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin, Jason Spevack, Steve Zahn, Mary Lynn RajskubDirector:Christine JeffsRelease Date:March 13, 2009DVD Release:August 25, 2009From:Overture FilmsRating:RLength:1 hr. 31 min.
Sunshine Cleaning played in key cities to good reviews. • Ty Burr wrote in the Boston Globe, "...an intelligent, often touching, sometimes pedestrian drama about two Albuquerque sisters struggling to keep afloat..." • And Connie Ogle wrote in the Miami Herald, "...its overall ability to balance humor and drama, attention to emotional detail and a few winning performances outweighs its maudlin tendencies." More Reviews Below...
Mary Pols, Time: GOOD "...has lapses of logic and a few scenes that don't run as smoothly as they should, but it is filled with fine performances, including some nice supporting work by Steve Zahn..."(See all of Mary Pols's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 653 words, 03/13/09
Thelma Adams, Us Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a laugh-out-loud, cry-until-you-blubber sister-buddy movie that works because of the two stars' naturalistic acting on screen and a plucky, original script."(See all of Thelma Adams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 64 words, 03/12/09
Claudia Puig, USA Today: VERY GOOD(cg) "...sweet and appealing, if familiar... It puts the pieces together in new and interesting ways, as if a well-loved cake recipe were fashioned into unusual cookie shapes."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 429 words, 03/13/09
we have an app for when you're out and about
get our iPhone app... or get our mobile web app...
movie review intelligence
NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (11 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: MODERATE "...less a free-standing independent film than a scrap-metal robot built after a shopping spree at the Park City Indie Parts and Salvage Warehouse."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 877 words, 03/13/09
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: VERY GOOD(cg) "...well-observed, wry... its most endearing quality, like that of its heroines, is a willingness to wallow in foul moods and come out the other side."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 464 words, 03/13/09
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: MODERATE(cg) "The material might have promise as a black comedy, but its attempt to put on a smiling face is unconvincing. That, despite the work by Amy Adams and Emily Blunt..."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 579 words, 03/19/09
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...an offbeat and oddly endearing drama, leavened with just the right amount of comedy... But dig in a bit deeper, and you uncover a smartly done morality tale..."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,022 words, 03/13/09
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...labored under the burden of unfavorable comparisons to 'Little Miss Sunshine'... this bittersweet comedy is a fine showcase for a pair of distinctive and appealing talents."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 356 words, 03/13/09
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "...one of those dependent independent films -- dependent on the need to be 'quirky' yet 'heartfelt' too, and as much a slave to the formulaic as any Hollywood product."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 664 words, 03/27/09
Robert Wilonsky, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "...it's simply hard to buy the perky Adams and pretty Blunt as schlumpy losers trapped in the bland flyover with an Oscar-winner stuck in rerun mode."(See all of Robert Wilonsky's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 215 words, 03/11/09
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "A quirky indie dramedy about quirky indie people doing quirky indie things... couldn't be more calculated and prefabricated if the Sundance Lab were an actual laboratory."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 212 words, 03/26/09
KEY CITIES (18 Reviews)
Dan Zak, Washington Post: FAIR(cg) "...tries to invoke the prickly charm of 'Little Miss Sunshine.' It doesn't fail so much as it falls asleep halfway through..."(See all of Dan Zak's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 610 words, 03/20/09
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...handles its difficult subject with a compassion, delicacy and humor that aren't often portrayed... How many movies are there about the mundane aftermath of death?"(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 706 words, 03/20/09
Rob Lowman, Dallas Morning News: VERY GOOD(cg) "It's a little hard at first imagining such vibrant actresses as Amy Adams and Emily Blunt playing loser sisters... but they have you believing in their characters..."(See all of Rob Lowman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 524 words, 03/20/09
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: VERY GOOD(cg) "Just when screenwriter Megan Holley and director Christine Jeffs threaten to go too far, they pull back, trusting the audience to find the film's strengths..."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 638 words, 03/20/09
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD(cg) "...an unadorned, unassuming portrait of a woman who is always there for others and puzzled when they cannot always reciprocate.... Kudos to Clifton Collins Jr."(See all of Carrie Rickey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 473 words, 03/20/09
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...an intelligent, often touching, sometimes pedestrian drama about two Albuquerque sisters struggling to keep afloat in a dead-end economy..."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 658 words, 03/20/09
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: WEAK(cg) "Important Life Lessons are learned, hugs are exchanged, and decades of sibling hostility evaporate as they scrub death sites.... Yawn. Naptime."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 317 words, 03/20/09
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...has more than its share of indie clichés, but it's wonderfully cast and often a pleasure to watch. Emily Blunt is wickedly good..."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 414 words, 03/20/09
Clint O'Connor, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: VERY GOOD(cg) "...likable if not quite fully formed... not the freshest take on modern life. But Blunt and Adams deliver winning performances, especially in the quiet moments..."(See all of Clint O'Connor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 378 words, 03/27/09
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: GOOD(cg) "A slight slice-of-life drama perked up by some fine performances... the story unravels as it progresses, finally dissolving into a vapor..."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 162 words, 03/20/09
Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a film that, with admirable subtlety, says more about working-class life than the ridiculously overrated 'Wendy and Lucy' and 'Frozen River.' "(See all of Calvin Wilson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 312 words, 03/27/09
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: EXCELLENT(cg) "...there's a ragtag beauty and honesty to it that occasionally surpasses 'Little Miss Sunshine' for quirky effectiveness. Best of all there's Adams and Blunt..."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 415 words, 03/26/09
Connie Ogle, Miami Herald: VERY GOOD(cg) "...its overall ability to balance humor and drama, attention to emotional detail and a few winning performances outweighs its maudlin tendencies."(See all of Connie Ogle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 627 words, 03/27/09
Michael Sragow, Baltimore Sun: VERY GOOD(cg) "Emily Blunt, like Amy Adams, displays considerable acting depth. She never mistakes deadpan humor for emotional blankness; she has reservoirs of warmth."(See all of Michael Sragow's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 688 words, 03/27/09
Robert Wilonsky, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "...it's simply hard to buy the perky Adams and pretty Blunt as schlumpy losers trapped in the bland flyover with an Oscar-winner stuck in rerun mode."(See all of Robert Wilonsky's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 215 words, 03/11/09
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: VERY GOOD(cg) "...funny and touching... depends on two can-do actresses to scrub past the biohazard of noxious clichés that threaten to intrude."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 274 words, 03/06/09
Chris Wangler, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "...director Christine Jeffs ('Sylvia') moves gracefully between crime scenes and greasy spoons, taking pains not to make anything too precious or too slick."(See all of Chris Wangler's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 149 words, 03/19/09
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "A quirky indie dramedy about quirky indie people doing quirky indie things... couldn't be more calculated and prefabricated if the Sundance Lab were an actual laboratory."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 212 words, 03/26/09
Tricia Olszewski, Washington City Paper: FAIR "Besides its unoriginality, 'Sunshine Cleaning's' worst offense is its bobbled tone.... you'll forget its best moments with a roll of the eyes."(See all of Tricia Olszewski's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 657 words, 03/19/09
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: MODERATE "...less a free-standing independent film than a scrap-metal robot built after a shopping spree at the Park City Indie Parts and Salvage Warehouse."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 877 words, 03/13/09
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: EXCELLENT "...the director and her co-stars, Amy Adams and Emily Blunt, bring a steadfast sense of truth to the story of two sisters... They're just wonderful, these two actresses..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 731 words, 03/13/09
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...an offbeat and oddly endearing drama, leavened with just the right amount of comedy... But dig in a bit deeper, and you uncover a smartly done morality tale..."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,022 words, 03/13/09
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Todd McCarthy, Daily Variety: MODERATE "Anyone who saw 'Little Miss Sunshine' will feel a lot of the same buttons being pushed... From the title to the blandly generic Western setting to the sight of Alan Arkin..."(See all of Todd McCarthy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 757 words, 01/21/08
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...an offbeat and oddly endearing drama, leavened with just the right amount of comedy... But dig in a bit deeper, and you uncover a smartly done morality tale..."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,022 words, 03/13/09
A.O. Scott, New York Times: MODERATE "...less a free-standing independent film than a scrap-metal robot built after a shopping spree at the Park City Indie Parts and Salvage Warehouse."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 877 words, 03/13/09
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: EXCELLENT "...the director and her co-stars, Amy Adams and Emily Blunt, bring a steadfast sense of truth to the story of two sisters... They're just wonderful, these two actresses..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 731 words, 03/13/09
17.1 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Sunshine Cleaning's reviews are separated by an average 17.1 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Sunshine Cleaning (42 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Sunshine Cleaning's reviews cover 79.2% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 19,949 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 475 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 1.7 Hours After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Sunshine Cleaning's reviews on average broke 1.7 hours after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Sunshine Cleaning's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Sunshine Cleaning (42 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
Mobile Web App version 1.2 shows a list of all current movies and review information. You can click through to the cast, director, synopsis, release date and rating on page two, plus individual reviews on page three. The information is updated on a live/real-time basis. You can also search our database of films. Designed for when you're on the move and want the latest info, this app will work on any mobile web browser. From your mobile device -- only from a mobile device -- open our Mobile Web App here...
