Suncoast (2024)

	Directed by: Laura Chinn	COUNTRY USA GENRE Drama NORWEGIAN TITLE Suncoast RUNNING TIME 109 minutes
	Produced by: Jeremy Plager Francesca Silvestri Kevin Chinoy Oly Obst
	Written by: Laura Chinn

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Doris	Nico Parker
Kristine	Laura Linney
Paul Warren	Woody Harrelson
Laci	Daniella Taylor	½
Brittany	Ella Anderson
Nate	Amarr	-
Megan Kaminski	Ariel Martin	-
Nurse Mia	Keyla Monterroso Mejia	-

Review

A coming-of-age drama written and directed by actress-turned-filmmaker Laura Chinn, whose autobiographical story rings true and lifts the film out of genre-conventionality. The talented Nico Parker plays Doris, a teenager living with her terminally ill older brother and her single mother (Laura Linney). The pending family tragedy has not only strained the relationship between mother and daughter, but also alienated Doris from her classmates. When she begins defying her mum by seeking out a more typical teenage life of friendships and partying, both mother and daughter are forced to do some soul-searching, with the help of Doris's new acquaintance, the grieving widower Paul (Woody Harrelson).

There are elements in Suncoast that take a little time to gel, partly because the film places itself in a familiar tradition and flirts with overused tropes. Still, the clearly personal nature of Chinn's script gives the picture the originality it needs to make a lasting and quite heartrending impression. The relationship between mother and daughter is particularly strong, elevated by compelling performances from Linney and Parker. There's also an amiable depiction of high school friendships and romance. The Harrelson character, on the other hand, comes across more as a plot device and is the film's weakest aspect.