‘Suncoast’ is a Sunlit Dramedy

“Suncoast” is a sunny-side look at a family overcast with grief.

Written and directed by Laura Chinn, “Suncoast” balances a coming-of-age film with explorations of ethics, love and life.

Set during a landmark medical controversy, a mother and daughter bring their dying loved one to the Suncoast health facility. Inspired by Chinn’s (“Florida Girls,” “Grandfathered”) adolescence, “Suncoast” is authentically rich for its portrayal of grief and growing up.

Admitting her brother Max to hospice, Doris (Nico Parker) and her mother Kristine (Laura Linney) must process the reality that Max has been diagnosed with fatal brain cancer. Max, played by Cree Kawa, is cared for tirelessly by his type-A mother. 

Doris evades the tolls of grief with a controversial friendship with activist Paul Warren, played by Woody Harrelson.

In backdrop of the main narrative is the real-world medicolegal case regarding Terri Schiavo, a comatose patient at Suncoast taken off life support. Attention surrounding Schiavo interrupts Doris and Kristine’s mourning with national headlines and religious politics.

Chinn’s direction is understated and honest. Depicting her hometown of Clearwater, Florida, the tropical scenery contrasts with ramshackle homes full of personality and clean, vapid care rooms.

As Doris, Parker (“The Last of Us,” “Dumbo”) brings a blunt sincerity to the highschooler, balancing insecurity and awkwardness with humor and willpower. Having spent her life caring for a dying sibling, Doris confronts the situation with witty pragmatism.

Doris removes herself from a world surrounding Max’s heath. Finding her own identity with Warren, she misses time that could’ve been spent with her family. It’s a role that interacts with anxiety, joy and anger that Parker threads without seeming cold or thoughtless.

Linney captivates the screen with her portrayal as Kristine. Linney (“Ozark,” “The Truman Show”) embodies a helicopter parent losing their child. Her grief-stricken performance produces vulnerable conversations and candid comedy.

Kristine’s sole focus on Max leads to her emotionally neglecting Doris. Linney’s sheer pathos from scene to scene elevates a complex character who struggles to protect both of her children simultaneously.

Rounding out the cast in an endearing, if not necessary, performance is Harrelson as the guiding Paul. In a role not dissimilar to his Mr. Bruner from “Edge of Seventeen,” Harrelson (“True Detective,” “No Country for Old Men”) advises Doris when he crosses her path while protesting for Schiavo to live.

Paul offers religious wisdom to Doris to value Max’s life before he dies, having recently lost his wife. His and Doris’ arguments on life and religion are equally human and engrossing, with Paul filling in as the guardian left empty by Kristine.

Offering up some of the film’s most dynamic scenes, Paul and Doris’s interactions are largely disconnected from the main plot. By the end of the film, Paul still doesn’t understand the nuances of medically assisted deaths, but Doris learns the worth of her brother’s life.

This vacuum of growth hampers “Suncoast” ideologically. Paul helps Doris acknowledge her love for Max, but his aimless protesting presents him as preachy and single-minded. Paul is a charming character that soapboxes to the audience.

Where “Suncoast” excels in performances, it falters in ethics. Featuring a case as dense as Schiavo’s, the film takes great lengths to portray both sides without picking one. “Suncoast” goes the centrist route, comfortably claiming there is no “right” answer.

The film lacks ambition in other regards, treading off clichés of the coming-of-age genre. Forced romances, school dances and a snowballing of substance abuse all echo films such as “Lady Bird” which have already perfected and upended such conventions.

What allows “Suncoast” to stand out is its fierce performances, subtle direction and heartfelt narrative regarding loss and maturity. The film never dives headfirst into deeper themes regarding religion and life, but “Suncoast” dips its toe enough to stay an enjoyable and thoughtful watch.

“Suncoast,” rated R, is available now on Hulu.

Featured image courtesy of Searchlight Pictures