Megan Holley has literally just landed on the festival scene. Walking in to meet the scribe of the dark comedy, Sunshine Cleaning, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Lounging amongst ridiculously good-looking models, Holley was a pleasure to speak with. Especially as I’m such a fan of writing in general, and due to my inability to come up with a good fictional idea I’m intrigued with the process of creating characters and a world.
Sunshine Cleaning isn’t the hilarious comedy it was touted as prior to the festival. But that was never Holley’s intention. She speaks with Cinema Blend about what inspired her story of two women with a unique, and gruesome, job. And also about what the real meat of the movie is meant to be.
I guess the first thing I would like to ask you is: talk about the seed for the story, what made you start writing this and where it grew from there.
Well, I guess I’ve always been fascinated with…or terrified of death. And therefore fascinated by death.
Sure.
I think what you’re scared of; you tend to be drawn to in some perverse way. And so I had been interested in crime scene stuff, and heard an interview on NPR about two women who started a biohazard crime scene removal business. I initially was fascinated with the interview because of the blood and gore, and the sensationalistic aspect of their job. But what really struck me, in listening to them talk about it, is how they really focused on the emotional side. In the interview they talked about how this was a feel good job, and because they were doing this really important service for the families. And I didn’t really expect that, at all.
So I thought that was really interesting. And the more research I did on the people who were involved in that industry that really was a common thread. They all talked about how valuable what they were doing was. [They] also really stressed the importance of respecting the lives that were involved. The families and the life that was lost. And there’s a kind of reverence with what they were doing that I didn’t anticipate. When I was first writing it, this was when all the CSI shows were on TV. And I think they were so popular because I think most people are afraid of death, and are fascinated by those aspects of it. And really kind of capitalizing on that fascination but weren’t so worried about capturing the emotional side of it. I thought this would be kind of interesting to do something that was kind of a reaction to that. That looked at this industry from this point of view of reverence. Respecting the life that was lost, and the lives that were affected. So that’s what started it; I thought this would be an interesting way to approach the subject.
The characters themselves: were they inspired from your own life, or fully fleshed out fictionally?
I totally stole from people in my own life. I think that’s inevitable to make people real. It’d be really hard to come up with a fictional character that felt real. So I definitely used experiences from my own life and people I know as well.
When I walked out of the theater I felt the cleaning job itself wasn’t the most important part of the movie. The most important thing was Rose, and the family, growing and learning to accept who they are. Was that your intention with the story?
Oh, absolutely. I saw Rose as somebody who’s profoundly insecure because of the death of her mother, and the way that that happened. And that really left her insecure and looking for validation in really negative ways. Her desperation for a job that would give her respect, really not anything that would be fulfilling in a profound way. She was just worried about having a business card that would garner respect.
Being in a relationship that wasn’t healthy, but was a little bit desperate. She’s willing to put up with an imperfect situation out of her own insecurities. And that she would really get a sense of her own strength through building up this business. And she would learn a lot through connecting these lives. That would allow her to grow and recognize that she should be doing things that, not because of what other people are going to think, but because they’re really valuable to her. Which the job ultimately is.
Before seeing the movie, and during it, I knew that Zooey Deschanel had been attached. Were you worried when Emily and Amy were cast, that they wouldn’t be able to pull off the parts you had written?
Not really, I was pretty excited by the choice of those two as sisters. I think that they…because of the things that I’d seen were very different; I think that just helped flesh out the roles more. Making them a little more layered. With Amy, that role is kind of a tough role because she’s sort of a domineering personality in some ways. Amy has this innate vulnerability that adds another layer to that character. And Emily brought so much to hers, so I never felt nervous.
The rest of the family, the son and father. In terms of making the father this “get rich quick” type of guy.
See, I never saw him like that.
Yeah, he wasn’t like a screwup. He was doing the best he could.
To me he was very heroic. Always from the start of conceiving that character he is a hard working guy. Maybe he hasn’t made the best choices in terms of being hugely financially successful. But he will clearly do anything for his children, and his family. And is clearly really hard working. And maybe things haven’t panned out, but I’ve always saw him as not so much the lovable loser but as having a lot of heroic qualities.
With the little boy, he’s always so earnest. Like he wants to be a “good boy,” but he is who he is. Why did you go that route with him, instead of making him a cute little boy?
I don’t know, I guess because I think we’re inherently weird when we’re little. And we get all of those eccentricities ground down because we learn what we’re supposed to be doing. I really love the fact that most of the little kids I know are weird in some way. Then they grow out of it, which is I guess good and bad for survival reasons.
I liked the way it juxtaposed where Rose was at this point in her life. Where she was trying not to be weird.
Exactly. She’s so desperate to fit in and have the status, and here’s a nice counterbalance to that.
I was apprehensive about seeing the film, because there’s been so much talk.
There’s so much hype! Which got me really nervous.
When you were writing this, was this (Sundance) in your mind? Stuff like this?
No, not at all.
What made you decide to start writing scripts and doing movies?
I just love movies. I’ve always loved movies and wanted to make movies.
Anything planned right now?
I’m on strike.
Well….
But I’ve got a notebook full of ideas.
