A Cultural Aside

I like to root for the underdog. Sometimes when the outsider becomes cool, it's hard for me to stick with it. This is why Jennifer Bleyer left Heeb when it became popular. This is why I liked 30 Rock over The Office, because it has an outsider quirkiness (still does have an underdog feel, even though it's become popular). And this is why I really appreciated Sunshine Cleaning.

As Claudia Puig put it, "Light but not insubstantial, charming without being glib, Sunshine Cleaning is a heartfelt and funny story of complicated family dynamics and life's bizarre twists." It fits well beside Ordinary People, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Dolores Claiborne, Marvin's Room, You Can Count On Me, , and Rachel Getting Married (I think I did that in correct chronological order) as a good film as well as a good lesson in family systems theory (feel free to add to the list).