Rose (Amy Adams) is the dedicated single mom raising Oscar. Oscar is having problems in school, displaying anti-social behavior such as licking his teacher's leg. Oscar requires special schooling, something Rose can't afford with her current cleaning service job. This is a far cry from her glorious cheerleader days. Oh yes, she is having an affair with the former quarterback Mac (jerky good Steve Zahn), who has no intentions of leaving his wife. Rose's life is broken. At one point she breaks down telling Winston, "I was good at getting guys to want me…" But she can't get them to love her.
Younger sister Norah (Emily Blunt) is the smart ass brazen slacker, who can't hold a job. Norah lives with their Dad Joe (wonderful Alan Arkin). Widower Joe, instead of having a real job, always has some sort of business scheme brewing whether it is selling candy pop corn or moving shrimp in bulk. Arkin restrains Joe's idiosyncrasies enough to provoke our compassion. As it turns out his grandson Oscar is really bright, just a victim of the family weirdness, which is not fatal. Spevack has the right charm to carry this off.
At the urging of Mac and using some of his police detective pull, Rose falls into the biohazard removal and crime scene cleaning niche business. Of course she enrolls Norah into the business as well, after all what else is Norah going to do. Rose forms a close bond with Cleaning Supply Owner Winston (compassionate Clifton Collins), but she is too blind to see that he is a decent man, unlike Mac.
The captivating narrative thread involves Norah's obsession to watch their mother's TV movie appearance, where she plays a waitress. Both Rose and Norah deal with the tragedy of their mother differently. And it is not coincidence that their job deals with death and cleaning up all aspects of the aftermath, the physical and the human. It's hysterical as Norah falls into a bloodied mattress. It is touchingly solemn as Rose sits with the elder widow, whose husband killed himself. Jeffs reminds us of our humanity throughout. There is a mesmerizing scene as both Rose and Norah watch TV.
Younger sister Norah (Emily Blunt) is the smart ass brazen slacker, who can't hold a job. Norah lives with their Dad Joe (wonderful Alan Arkin). Widower Joe, instead of having a real job, always has some sort of business scheme brewing whether it is selling candy pop corn or moving shrimp in bulk. Arkin restrains Joe's idiosyncrasies enough to provoke our compassion. As it turns out his grandson Oscar is really bright, just a victim of the family weirdness, which is not fatal. Spevack has the right charm to carry this off.
At the urging of Mac and using some of his police detective pull, Rose falls into the biohazard removal and crime scene cleaning niche business. Of course she enrolls Norah into the business as well, after all what else is Norah going to do. Rose forms a close bond with Cleaning Supply Owner Winston (compassionate Clifton Collins), but she is too blind to see that he is a decent man, unlike Mac.
The captivating narrative thread involves Norah's obsession to watch their mother's TV movie appearance, where she plays a waitress. Both Rose and Norah deal with the tragedy of their mother differently. And it is not coincidence that their job deals with death and cleaning up all aspects of the aftermath, the physical and the human. It's hysterical as Norah falls into a bloodied mattress. It is touchingly solemn as Rose sits with the elder widow, whose husband killed himself. Jeffs reminds us of our humanity throughout. There is a mesmerizing scene as both Rose and Norah watch TV.
I've been wanting to see this movie for a while. It is from the producers of Little Miss Sunshine, and that's one of the movies by which I could not stop laughing. This movie wasn't as funny as LMS, but it definitely had its moments. If you watch it however, you watch it for the acting. That was absolutely terrific in this film. I would watch Amy Adams stare at grass and I've been a fan of Emily Blunt since her early start in the Devil Wears Prada. These two have a very strong chemistry onscreen.
This is a film that doesn't dazzel us with fireworks and glitter, but it has hart. I like that.
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