While life often imitates art, it’s often art that provides some of the most therapeutic experiences. Laura Chinn’s semi-autobiographical feature film debut, Suncoast is a perfect example of exactly this. Chinn’s ability to turn one of the darkest periods of her life (watching her brother pass away in hospice), into a cathartic event for viewers required such talent that not many writer/directors possess. One false step in either the process of shooting or writing the film and it could have easily trivialized the eventual death of her brother. Chinn’s understands that the death of a loved one isn’t just someone passing on, a part you goes as well.
Suncoast also manages to capture those absurd moments that occur during this dark time. Sometimes the absurdity of things can make you laugh uncontrollably, other times it causes you to cry until you can’t anymore. The film doesn’t seek to answer any heavy questions. In fact, there’s a moment in the film where Doris (Nico Parker) explains that there’s no wrong or right answers when dealing with death. While during a recent question and answer session, director Laura Chinn was adamant about the film being loosely based on the events surrounding her brother’s death, it’s hard not to envision Chinn wrestling with that very thing, years ago.
Suncoast is based loosely on the events surrounding the passing of Chinn’s brother who at the time was being cared for at the same hospice center as Terry Schiavo, Suncoast. Doris (Nico Parker) is having trouble coming to grips her brother’s eventual death. The only way she has been able to cope with what’s to come, is to become “cold” about the idea of this life changing event. In many ways, it’s understandable why Doris is like this as her mother (played by Laura Linney) has gone completely off the deep end. If Kristine isn’t attempting to bury herself in shifts in an attempt to make money so their bills are covered, she’s remaining as close as possible to her son. A part of Doris is hurt that attention has been diverted from her. There’s even a moment in the movie where Doris explains to her mother that, she’s her daughter as well and mom replies with “Oh, Come on!” So essentially, Doris is alone during this tragic time of her life. She accepts this as her new normal and attempts to go about her day.
During this time, Doris also is going through what most teenagers would be dealing with at this age. She attempts to break out of her shell during the 1st act of the movie by befriending the “cool kids” in her class. Doris isn’t a drinker or someone who parties because for majority of her life she hasn’t been a typical teen, she’s been taking care of her brother. As she is venturing out of her shell, Doris begins to struggle with everything. Should she attempt to “live” while a member of her family is dying? For a good chunk of the movie, Kristine and Doris are at different ends of the spectrum. Mom is buried in work and taking care of her son. Doris is in many ways starting to act her age. Who is handling things in the most appropriate manner? Chinn doesn’t seek to answer this and allows the audience to make their judgements.
The most important relationship in the film is between Doris and Paul Warren (Woody Harrelson). Paul had just lost his wife due to a brain aneurysm and is one of the many who are protesting outside of Suncoast about Terry Schiavo. While Warren’s character is fictional as it pertains to Chinn’s real life story, Harrelson’s character is more of a reality check for Doris. While Paul is taken aback buy just how freely Doris talks about all the tragedy in her life, he quickly picks up on that she’s isn’t addressing the loss that’s to come. Why does he pick up on this? It’s because Paul has already traveled this road and even made some similar mistakes. He tells her just how important it is to tell her brother all that she has to say because Doris won’t have that chance very soon. Paul expressed his regret to her about what he wishes he could tell his own wife.
Performance wise: Linney, Harrelson, and Parker are terrific. Laura Chinn shared at that same Q&A, that Nico was the pick from the start to play Doris and it’s easy to see why. Parker projects an innocence and emotional vulnerability that makes the journey she experiences on screen very believable. The only thing which overshadowed the performances in the film was the writing. Chinn’s script is beautifully constructed and strikes just the right balance to draw audiences in and stay invested throughout. While the film won’t visually grab audiences, it does capture some beautiful moments. An example of this is when Kristine first meets the grief counselor at Suncoast and we catch a glimpse of a plaque on a nearby bench that states “this place is dedicated to those seeking calm”.
While some might look to avoid a film which deals with this subject, doing so would deprive you of enjoying a fantastic experience which to some will be very relatable. Very few people have avoided the pain of losing a loved one. I recently lost my mother after a battle with cancer. Making Suncoast might have been a form of therapy for Laura Chinn, to others who have been through tragedy, it’s a reminder that we aren’t alone and it’s going to be okay. Somedays we will cry, others we might laugh at the strangest of things, but most importantly, we will survive our darkest moments. The film also reminds us that there’s no wrong way to navigate these moments but one thing they do make clear is remember to tell the ones you love that you love them no matter how annoying they might have been when they were with us.
Dewey Singleton has been reviewing new releases in television and film for many years. Dewey's reviews have been heard in multiple markets (Houston Atlanta, Tampa). Dewey's past work has been with awardswatch.com, awardsradar.com, and bleeding cool. Dewey is a proud member of the CCA.