Tom and Gage discuss Christine Jeffs' Sunshine Cleaning from 2008.

Rose Lorkowski is a single mother in her 30s, struggling to make ends meet as a house cleaner while raising her energetic 8-year-old son, Oscar. Her younger sister, Norah, directionless and frequently unemployed, lives with their father, Joe, whose well-meaning schemes rarely pan out. When Oscar’s behavior at school puts pressure on Rose to find more money, she turns to Mac, a former high-school boyfriend who is now a police officer, for advice.

Mac suggests an unconventional opportunity: crime-scene cleanup. Rose convinces Norah to join her, and the sisters stumble their way into the unfamiliar and emotionally demanding work. After a rocky start, they gather proper equipment, name their company “Sunshine Cleaning,” and begin building a modest reputation. As the business grows, the job forces both women to confront unresolved feelings about their past, particularly surrounding their mother’s death.

Outside of work, tensions mount within the family. Rose feels the sting of comparing her life to those of her more successful former classmates, while her complicated relationship with Mac becomes increasingly strained. Norah forms an unexpected connection with someone they meet on the job, and Joe pursues yet another questionable business idea. Just as Sunshine Cleaning seems poised for a turning point, a major opportunity coincides with personal pressures, leading to decisions that put everything at risk.

The sisters are forced to confront the consequences of their choices, testing their relationship, their ambitions, and their sense of purpose.