The Dack enjoys some Sunshine Cleaning....

Last weekend the Dack got to check out a new indie comedy from Fox Searchlight.... I was expecting something along the lines of Little Miss Sunshine which came out a couple of years ago and I enjoyed very much. Although this film does have that dark comedy feel it also takes some bold chances by not just glossing over issues but really focusing on them. Although there are elements of comedy throughout the film, it is much more dramatic and emotional than I was expecting.....

The Dack is terrible at not ruining plots but it you don't want it ruined just skip this next paragraph.... Yes, this film will be unfairly compared to Little Miss Sunshine but this film tackles the issue of suicide while Little Miss Sunshine only barely covered it. I think most people will completely miss that this is the central issue of the film..... what happens to a family when one of them commits suicide... Yes, I know that seems really depressing and you are probably thinking.... well, thank you for telling me, now I can avoid seeing this movie.... but what this film really shows is that of course suicide is horrible for those left in the aftermath and yes it can really mess people up... but in order for people to truly heal from something like that they need to deal with it... Sunshine Cleaning is about a family whose lives are in complete shambles finally dealing with it.

The acting by Amy Adams and Emily Blunt as the sisters at the center of the story is wonderful and without it this film would not have succeeded. Alan Arkin who plays their father gives a performance that although feels very similar to role he played in Little Miss Sunshine (and won an Academy Award for) totally works because well, he is great at that character.

I am a big fan of movies that use comedy to show that darker side of family that we all have somewhere in our family trees. Yes sometimes it can be very serious but humor helps us get through. What made the Dack totally appreciate this fine piece of film making was not that it just showed the effects of suicide for family members but also that it didn't move on to the next issue or joke.... it really tried to show that in order for people to move on with there lives they have to deal with their feelings and let go of that anger, abandonment or whatever else they are carrying around with them. It made me want to laugh and cry at the same time and for that it gets eightDacks.