Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: SUNCOAST [Sundance Film Festival 2024 - Park City, Utah]
The essence of "slice of life" is regarded in how authentic the experience is. People relegate in the idea of how regular they are or how they might deal with a certain situation. With "Suncoast" [US Dramatic Competition] (and made by Searchlight), Nico Parker stars as Doris, a teenage girl in Clearwater coming to terms with who she is with a terminally ill brother, an absent father and a misguided mother (played by Laura Linney). The film addresses the impact on those young people who are almost forced into being a caregiver, simply because circumstances dictate it. Doris is wise beyond her years in certain ways but not in others. Her issue is bathed in the fact that she never had a childhood per se. Her brother had become a burden but she had lost sight of his worth. Writer/Director Laura Chinn (and whom she dedicated the film to) likely went through this type of ordeal in her childhood. And in that fashion, it seems authentic because it is effective to write and make what you know.. The only off-putting element (which might be the production/development person in me) is that it seems the story is very specific to Clearwater, Florida (though it doesn't fully take in the religious context) and yet it was shot in North Carolina (obviously because of incentives). It doesn't take away from the story but there is a slightly different look in real life.
Woody Harrelson has what is more considered as an extended cameo as Paul. Now why his interaction is there is debatable though possibly influenced by real life. The relationship plays awkward and perhaps that is meant to be but his voice is more meant as an angel on Doris' shoulder, nothing more. Harrelson plays it purely surface which is the only way to really approach it authentically. Linney has the heavier job lifting (especially with a character that is unlikable but understandable in many ways). That said her performance is more vivid because of the exasperation and her closed perspective (in order to survive and care for her son without breaking) but also seeing things her daughter can't see (even as she ignores the child that is there and aware). The realization of Doris as she is trying to be a kid but losing time is wonderfully done in a montage scene where you can see that moment of loss she can never get back with her brother. The movie's inherent message is that life goes on but it is important to not forget. Also of note is the texture of the background of the story was the Terry Oviedo right-to-life story (at the same facility) in Florida when this took place (I believe in the early 90s) so the relevance of filming location does balance to bear. B
By Tim Wassberg
