Suncoast

Life is full of highs and lows, emotions are constantly in flux, and it isn't always so cut and dry on how we should be feeling. Suncoast captures those feelings while reminding us of the coming-of-age issues we've all faced. Semi-autobiographical, the director/writer based the story around her youth and her family's experiences in the early 2000s. With illness, protests, and the challenges of growing up, Suncoast brings its audience on an all-too-real journey.

Growing up in Florida, Doris (Nico Parker) and her family are in the midst of a personal tragedy. Her brother Max (Cree Kawa), suffering from brain cancer, is left in an unresponsive state, having to be cared for by his sister and mother, Kristine (Laura Linney). Admitting him to the Suncoast hospice facility, Kristine loses herself in her son's illness, as Doris makes attempts to explore her youth. With Max being cared for in the same facility as Terri Schiavo, the protests and national news loom throughout the background of their lives. Craving a 'normal' childhood, Doris is torn between her two worlds, standing at a crossroads in her life.

At the beginning of a blossoming career, Nico Parker skillfully tackles the emotional challenges of her complex character. Exploring teenage escapades, she expresses a realistic sense of wonder, while balancing it with the emotional toll she faces from her brother's illness. Echoing that heavy toll, Laura Linney adds dramatic layers to her intense performance as a mother, grieving her son before he passes. Adding levity to the emotional tale, Woody Harrelson acts as a friendly face, coping with his own underlying trauma. Through delightful and relatable performances, the cast elevates each other, as they bring the director's experiences to the cinema.

Recently, I had the pleasure of attending the Suncoast Letterboxd Q&A early screening with director/writer Laura Chinn. During the session, Chinn revealed that while writing the film in 2018, Nico Parker was her original model for the character of Doris, though too young for the role. Throughout the long production, Parker eventually aged into the role which fulfilled Chinn's initial vision. Additionally, Chinn expressed that she hopes her representations of grief can relate to viewers and help people in similar circumstances.

Capturing the director's challenging story, Suncoast provides a meaningful glimpse into her life, while respectfully honoring her brother's battle with cancer. The performances of the cast carefully work to deepen the issues and bring relatability to the character's journeys. Though emotionally heavy, Suncoast excels at crafting a balance between grief and youthful adventure.

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.

I wasn't enthusiastic with the entire story, yet this still was a very good movie. Nico Parker is a gifted and beautiful young actress, and her scenes with Woody Harrelson were endearing.

The crux of this film involves Doris' mission to be independent and lead a normal life. This plan is sidelined as Doris is forced to spend overnights at the Suncoast hospice facility, where her cancer-stricken brother is on his deathbed. She has to decide whether to enjoy her teen years (i.e. Going to prom or clubbing with her preppy friend group) or spend time with her mother and brother. Seeing Doris assert her independence during this family tragedy was what made this movie worthwhile.

There were some fluff high school class/party scenes throughout the movie that didn't resonate with me. I also think having more focus on Paul's personal struggle was necessary. But I ultimately smiled right before the final credits rolled.

I wish first-time director and writer Laura Chinn could have taken greater risks with this 2024 coming-of-age drama because it felt heartfelt yet fairly predictable. It's a highly personal story set in 2005 based on Chinn's own adolescent experience of losing her teenage brother to cancer. Her fictional stand-in is Doris, a withdrawn and resentful teen constantly reprimanded by her emotionally exhausting mother Christine, who decides to move her comatose son to hospice care as he slowly succumbs to brain cancer. It turns out to be the same hospice facility where Terry Schiavo is under care, and right-to-life protestors surround the building under the scrutiny of the media. Laura Linney plays Christine as almost an older version of her controlling character in the memorable "You Can Count on Me", but she's more fearless here in her monomaniacal devotion to her son. Still, it's Nico Parker who carries the film as Doris nicely conveying both preternatural maturity and gawky angst as a social outcast looking to fit in with her new friends. Woody Harrelson plays a protestor who bonds with Doris, but the Schiavo parallels are largely unexamined and consequently Harrelson is used more as an incidental father figure.

3 out of 5 stars.

Suncoast is a fair coming of age drama film that gives great performances with the cast ensemble.

A tough story about a teenage girl trying to be a normal teen in high school. While struggling with grief with her brother being terminally ill. And her controlling mother struggling with losing him.

It is a tough story. While Nico Parker did a great job. Same with Woody Harrelson. The film can be emotional. It is a strong drama with her growing up. But missing out as a teen. Thats also the one thing the film struggles is missing out on that direction on what happened to her and her friends. The script felt undeveloped.