Suncoast

Beautiful film. Grief is always an emotional topic to write about and portray in any form of media. There's so much that goes with it, and only those who have personally dealt with it can truly paint the right picture. The acting is all great, especially the main actor, Nico Parker, who does a great job. I saw her in The Last of Us last year, and she gets even more of a chance to prove her artistry here. It's at times difficult to get through, but there are those more lighthearted moments that delve into what it's like to be a teenager. I'm reminded of the Andrew Garfield interview he did with Stephen Colbert, where he talked about the grief he felt about his recently deceased mother. Grief is powerful, yet it is a representation of love and all that it encompasses.

7.0/10 (Recommend)

I don't think the synopsis for this film clearly explains what this movie is about to the extent that it could. Part of me thought that it was going to be all about protests and just a surface style relationship between Doris (Nico Parker) and Paul (Woody Harrelson), but it is so much deeper than that.

While the story surrounds the brother's medical condition and another patients medical condition it isn't the focal point. The story is about a girl trying to find her place without upsetting those around her.

Nico Parker did a great job in my opinion as she went from quiet, shy, and awkward to more vocal and courageous about herself and her circumstances. Kristine played by Laura Linney was a lot easier to hate than to like, but you realize the circumstances compounded some of her decisions. The manipulation and guilt she puts on her daughter never sits right especially due to the outcome of the film.

This film is very relatable particularly if you've ever lost someone you love and care about. It gave me a gut punch as I couldn't be with my grandma at the end of her life and so the emotions of that time came back. It goes along with the phrase "say what you need to say now cause there may never be a later time to say it".

I think this film is rated 'R' for its real life portrayal of underage drinking, clubbing, drugs, and sexual innuendos. It doesn't go into the most horrendous portrayal of those acts, but because it's shown, the parental rating is higher. If you can get past that and understand that it happens in real life then this film is definitely worth watching.

That's all for now. Thank you for taking the time to read my review. Until next time.... Enjoy the show!

'Suncoast' set itself up so well. All the pieces were perfectly put in place for a great movie. Then it stalled. And it stalled for a long time. It didn't really find itself again until the final 10 minutes of the film. I can't help wondering what some filmmakers could have done with that giant chunk of potential through the middle of this film.

We have a really likable lead character in 'Doris' and we have a conflicted and complex character in her mother, both dealing with a really traumatic situation. So much could have been done with this and yet it feels like we spend the entire film watching 'Doris' interact with her (incredibly uninteresting) friends. I get that that they may have been going for a coming of age story, but there are far more interesting ways to do that. No creativity went into those scenes whatsoever.

I feel like the film could've hugely benefited from some humour as well. It doesn't have to be over the top, but some genuine laughs here and there would've gone a long way. The film isn't bad by any means, but it really did get the least out of the concept it possibly could have. 6/10.

As someone who was coming of age in this time frame, I felt that the director nailed it. The casting was realistic, raw, and told an important story within a story. I disagree with the other reviewer who said that the script was afraid to go deep and remained cliché. There are not enough movies like this. Everything is trying to preach to us nowadays and that's not what this was - and its refreshing. If you look at the parallels between the ethics class and the statement made by Doris, about only understanding ethics or knowing what we believe when we are actually in that moment is so true. There is so much empathy for the character of the mother, but more so for the character arc of the daughter. Remembering what it would be like to be 17-year-old not wanting to miss out on all the important things to an average teen, but also having to deal with end of life is just something that may not resonate with everyone but its a human story. And you don't have to agree with the issues, but you have empathy for the character and nonetheless.

Right now this movie is scoring 6.7 and I'm not sure why isn't higher.

I was so impressed with Laura Linney from the get go and her scenes with Nico Parker were often overwhelming given how good they were.

Nico, keeps the ball rolling. And it's a heavy ball so props to her.

Woody Harrelson does.. what he does and he does more than fine.

I think it was a sweet, subtle, solid rendition of a weird coming of age story. Esteeming from a very dysfunctional situation for any teenager but that really shines through the observation of the mother figure and the absurdity of having to deal with life in those terms.