Interview With "Suncoast" Director/Co-Writer Laura Chinn

"Suncoast" had its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, where the film's lead star, Nico Parker, won the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Performance. Based on first-time feature Director/Writer Laura Chinn's own life, the film is a dramatic, humane, and, at times, funny experience that received positive reviews from critics for its performances from Parker, Laura Linney, and Woody Harrelson and is making audiences cry all over the world. Laura was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about her work on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now available to stream on Hulu from Searchlight Pictures. Thank you, and enjoy!

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[00:00.000 --> 00:08.720] You are listening to the Next Best Picture podcast, and this is a Massasics interview with the writer and director for Suncoast, Laura Chen. [00:08.720 --> 00:18.000] You want to be a normal teenager? I got news for you. You're not normal, Doris. Who's Doris? I am. [00:20.480 --> 00:29.200] Do you think this is the right place for him? You'd say that about any place. My brother's dying. He hasn't talked in years. I'm so sorry. My wife, Ashwin. [00:29.280 --> 00:32.240] My dad died when I was three. Christ, they have competitions. [00:34.080 --> 00:38.480] I think I should start sleeping at Suncoast so your brother doesn't get too lonely. He's my child. [00:38.480 --> 00:44.400] When he's in pain, I'm in pain. I'm your child too. What about my pain? God's sake. Give me a break. [00:45.360 --> 00:50.480] You can come to my house, be at least a party. My mom won't be there, and you can do whatever you [00:50.480 --> 00:55.360] want. I have to tell everybody. Who are you? [00:57.840 --> 01:03.760] Everyone says this neighborhood is scary, but when you're in it, it's like not that scary. [01:05.280 --> 01:09.920] Thank you. It's really hard taking your sake, people. Sometimes you need a break. [01:12.400 --> 01:18.960] I dare need to kiss Doris. He could have died if you weren't here. [01:20.480 --> 01:22.640] Once your brother's gone, he's gone. [01:24.800 --> 01:30.400] And you will miss taking care of him. We'll miss everything. All the good, all the bad. [01:32.960 --> 01:38.960] We're gonna have fun again, you and me. I'll learn how to be fun again. [01:42.640 --> 01:47.360] Doris, old lady's name. It was my grandma's name. Oh, she died the day I was born. [01:48.160 --> 01:53.680] Oh my God, is there any conversation with you that is not like thoroughly depressing? [01:54.640 --> 02:00.160] I am so excited to be speaking with you today. I of course just last week got to watch Suncoast. [02:01.040 --> 02:06.240] I wasn't at Sundance, but I'm sure you were. What was that experience like for you? [02:06.960 --> 02:10.560] Oh my God, it was the most intense experience I've ever gone through. [02:11.920 --> 02:15.760] It was just like, I mean, they've built such an incredible thing out there. [02:15.760 --> 02:20.960] It was, I've never been before as an audience member at all, but I've always dreamed about [02:20.960 --> 02:29.120] going. And then it was just so much bigger than I had imagined. And they're so passionate about [02:29.120 --> 02:36.640] movies and art and filmmaking. I mean, it just gets so pumped up to make stuff and go out and tell [02:36.640 --> 02:43.440] stories. Maybe even a little intimidating. I feel like I would be a little intimidated as a filmmaker [02:43.440 --> 02:49.920] to go to the Sundance Film Festival, premiere my film there in front of, as you said, this huge [02:49.920 --> 02:57.280] crowd of filmmakers and really enthusiastic people about films. I mean, I'm happy that you [02:57.280 --> 03:03.360] had that experience, but I feel like I would be very, very nervous. I was totally disassociated. [03:03.360 --> 03:08.080] I was just like completely, I get compartmentalized emotionally, and I was just like taking it one [03:08.080 --> 03:14.960] step at a time. But yeah, no, I mean, it was, yeah, it was, I feel like almost thankful that I [03:14.960 --> 03:19.280] hadn't been there before, because I think it would, I would have, the anticipation would have been [03:19.280 --> 03:24.560] like, I would have known what I was walking into, but I had no idea. Like I didn't understand [03:24.560 --> 03:31.040] Main Street or all the press or I just didn't know. So it really was, I had the sort of ignorance [03:31.040 --> 03:36.880] is bliss thing of having it feel less pressure because I have never been there before. [03:37.040 --> 03:41.520] And I mean, I guess that'll just always be like that first time at Sundance, it's going to always [03:41.520 --> 03:47.760] be special to you with this film. Unbelievable. Yeah, I mean, yeah. I still haven't fully [03:47.760 --> 03:56.000] emotionally processed the experience. I'm still like, whoa, it was, it was big. Yeah. [03:56.000 --> 04:02.480] Well, I congratulate you on this film. It was one of my favorites that I got to see at Sundance. I mean, [04:02.480 --> 04:07.680] I'm sure a lot of people have told you that tears were streaming down their face multiple times. [04:07.680 --> 04:14.880] I am very guilty of doing that on this couch right behind me. Oh, I love tears. I love hearing that. [04:14.880 --> 04:19.760] Thank you so much. Of course, you know, obviously it's a very personal [04:19.760 --> 04:25.280] film to you and your family. And it is, it is your feature directorial debut. [04:25.280 --> 04:31.680] Did you, as you were, you know, prepping to make this move in the filmmaking space, I know you've, [04:31.680 --> 04:38.000] you've written for a number of TV shows in the past. But as you were maybe starting to transition to [04:38.960 --> 04:46.000] feature films, was this always a story that you wanted to tackle in your first film or at least [04:46.000 --> 04:52.640] one that you at some point in your career wanted to to write about? Well, I didn't, I didn't really [04:52.640 --> 05:00.560] know that I was going to direct it. When I when I wrote it, it was just to kind of sort of, I, [05:01.120 --> 05:06.160] in writing, I have like a sketch packet and it's, you know, like three pilots, you know, I'm always [05:06.160 --> 05:11.040] like writing. And I always believe in like having all the, all the kinds of writing, you know. [05:11.040 --> 05:15.920] And so feature writing was something that I just hadn't tackled yet. And it intimidated me a lot [05:15.920 --> 05:20.800] writing a feature and ending something and not having it kind of go on forever like TV does. [05:21.440 --> 05:25.680] And so with that, with this, I just wanted to write a feature and sort of show that I could [05:25.680 --> 05:31.280] write a feature and open myself up to the world of feature writing. So that was as far as my dream [05:31.280 --> 05:37.120] went with this script. But I think the reaction to the script was so thankfully so positive. [05:37.120 --> 05:42.320] And because I had gone through this myself, it only felt like, you know, I felt like I was the [05:42.320 --> 05:48.240] only person to be able to direct it. But I hadn't really let myself see myself as a director before [05:48.240 --> 05:52.560] this, you know, it wasn't something I dreamed about because it was like almost too big of a dream. [05:53.200 --> 05:57.040] And I hadn't gone to film school. And, you know, just there was all these sort of, [05:57.680 --> 06:02.880] and I'm a woman, you know, just all these barriers to like seeing yourself as a director, as a leader [06:02.880 --> 06:08.880] of a film crew or whatever that is. And so, so yeah, so it was sort of, it was all kind of step by step. [06:08.880 --> 06:13.200] It was like the script came and then the reaction to the script came. And then the question of, [06:13.200 --> 06:17.040] would you want to attach a director or direct it yourself came? And I was like, well, I want to [06:17.040 --> 06:22.240] direct it myself, you know. And so yeah, so it, yeah, it kind of, I was kind of along for the [06:22.240 --> 06:27.360] ride of the whole thing, kind of taking it all in. And then as every step came, it was like, oh my [06:27.360 --> 06:32.080] god, this is getting more and more serious. Yeah. And I was like, oh God, okay, once I said I was [06:32.080 --> 06:38.000] gonna direct it, I was like, okay. I started acting now. I started in classes at Sundance. I started [06:38.000 --> 06:44.800] taking classes online, their co-labs. Because I just didn't have like a language for photography, you [06:44.880 --> 06:50.160] know, to speak to a cinematographer. And like, that was the, I had run a show. And so I understood [06:50.160 --> 06:54.640] all the other departments and what that would entail, but not the photography part. So I took a [06:54.640 --> 07:00.480] bunch of like cinematography classes and directing classes and through Sundance. And so yeah, so [07:00.480 --> 07:08.080] it was all just, yeah, step by step. Being behind the camera. And I guess really seeing a lot of [07:08.080 --> 07:14.720] elements and big moments from your personal life play out in front of you. I guess how do you [07:14.720 --> 07:20.800] look back on that experience? I'm sure it was a lot of different emotions for a lot of different [07:20.800 --> 07:26.720] aspects of your life. Look back on the experience of directing. Yeah, just kind of this and the [07:26.720 --> 07:32.960] entire filmmaking experience. And yeah, yeah, seeing the fact that this is so personal to you, [07:32.960 --> 07:39.680] play out right again in front of you. Yeah, yeah, it was, you know, it was both things because [07:39.760 --> 07:45.840] I think there was the Terry Shivo and my brother being in hospice with her element that was exactly [07:45.840 --> 07:51.360] my life. But then there was, you know, Doris was a very different person than me. Niko Parker likes [07:51.360 --> 07:56.960] to tell people that I was popular. And then I had friends, she saw photos, my photo, she was like, [07:56.960 --> 08:03.520] wait a second, you had friends. And I was like, I know I had it's not a documentary. And so yeah, [08:03.520 --> 08:08.960] so Doris was very different than me. So I was able to separate myself in the filmmaking process [08:08.960 --> 08:15.120] because it felt like a story about, you know, a person that's not me. And Christine was not [08:15.120 --> 08:20.640] my mother, you know, it wasn't like an exact replica of my mother. I did have a single mom. So, you know, [08:20.640 --> 08:24.640] there was a lot of elements that my father was alive who lived in a different state, whereas Doris's [08:24.640 --> 08:31.200] dad has passed away. So I was able to separate myself enough that I didn't feel like, you know, [08:31.200 --> 08:36.640] every day was like this raw, you know, exposed thing. It was like, I'm directing a movie about [08:36.640 --> 08:43.200] these people, you know, and separated myself a lot too, because I didn't want the cast to feel like [08:43.200 --> 08:47.840] I'm expecting them to do some kind of imitation or interpretation of my family, [08:48.560 --> 08:52.880] especially with Laura Lenny, like making it very clear to her, like, this is not my mom, like, [08:54.000 --> 08:58.720] you do you because she's a genius. And I don't, I'm like, you just read the script and interpret the [08:58.720 --> 09:04.560] script. And you use your Juilliard genius brain and you create a character, you know, and don't feel [09:04.560 --> 09:09.120] like I'm going to be like, that's not how my mom would say that, you know. So really, it was, [09:09.120 --> 09:16.240] it was making sure that as much as it was based in this real place, every department, every actor, [09:16.240 --> 09:18.880] everybody, we were creating this brand new story. [09:19.760 --> 09:25.360] I'm Allison Holland, host of the Kennedy Dynasty podcast, equipped with a microphone and a long-term [09:25.360 --> 09:30.800] fascination of the Kennedy family. I am joined by an incredible cast of experts, friends, and guests [09:30.800 --> 09:35.520] to take you on a fun, relaxed, yet informative journey through history and pop culture. [09:35.520 --> 09:40.960] From book references to fashion to philanthropy, to our modern expectations of the presidency itself, [09:40.960 --> 09:45.680] you'll see that there is so much more to Kennedy than just JFK or conspiracy theories. [09:45.680 --> 09:48.000] Join me for the Kennedy Dynasty podcast. [09:49.040 --> 09:54.560] I do love that comment that Nico gave where you had somebody friend, something that I really [09:55.280 --> 10:01.120] could connect to with this film. My parents and I are immigrants. And so I was, [10:01.920 --> 10:07.520] I mean, I guess I was raised a bit differently than a lot of my peers growing up and maybe a bit [10:07.520 --> 10:14.000] more sheltered. And so kind of seeing how Doris kind of goes through school with people [10:14.880 --> 10:18.800] not really even paying attention to her, like she's kind of that ghost in the back of the classroom [10:18.960 --> 10:24.880] nobody sees. Yeah, I don't know. I mean, that just kind of really reminded me about that time period [10:24.880 --> 10:33.120] in my life. And I was also like 10, 11 years old back in 2005 when this takes place. So it really [10:33.120 --> 10:39.120] just kind of drew a little bit of that to for me. And I guess I would love to know building up [10:39.120 --> 10:45.520] that character where you say that there are a lot of differences, some similar between the two of [10:45.520 --> 10:51.200] you. Can you tell me a little bit about that writing process for Doris? Doris? Yeah, I mean, [10:51.200 --> 10:56.800] I just, I liked the idea that she was sort of this invisible person, you know, because she kind of [10:56.800 --> 11:02.400] chose to be, you know, she didn't want to talk about this life that she's having at home. And she didn't [11:02.400 --> 11:07.280] know how to sort of connect with her peers that couldn't possibly understand really what she's [11:07.280 --> 11:13.440] going through. And she also, you know, had gone to a public school and was sort of new a year [11:13.440 --> 11:18.560] into this private school. So there was all these reasons why she was kind of just in the background. [11:18.560 --> 11:24.880] And I also just, I liked the idea, like giving her the name Doris after her grandmother, who died [11:24.880 --> 11:30.800] the day she was born. Like, and her dad was dead and her brother was dying. And she, I in my own life, [11:30.800 --> 11:35.680] I have experienced so much loss more than the average person. And I've always felt like this [11:35.680 --> 11:40.160] kind of weird grim reaper, you know, like death follows me around. And so that was something with [11:40.160 --> 11:45.920] her that I we know resonated with and wanted to sort of just show what happens when you're [11:45.920 --> 11:51.040] young and you go through all these real things, you search and mature, you know, faster than everybody [11:51.040 --> 11:54.480] else. And you start to understand a little bit more of what's really important. And it becomes [11:54.480 --> 12:00.240] harder to connect with your peers and harder to worry about, you know, a boy breaking your heart, [12:00.240 --> 12:04.320] you know, when you have dealt with these really kind of more serious things. So it was all just [12:04.320 --> 12:09.680] an attempt to kind of get those feelings across. She is so mature. And again, it's another one of [12:09.680 --> 12:16.480] those things that I certainly related to myself. And then it is, it is also really fun to kind of [12:16.480 --> 12:23.040] see her rebel against her mom. Because I mean, what teenager isn't going to take advantage of, [12:23.040 --> 12:29.120] Oh, my mom's not home. Okay, great. We are all going to get naked. And yeah, can do this and that. [12:31.600 --> 12:35.840] Which I totally did. So that like my because my mother was taking care of my brother. So [12:35.840 --> 12:41.520] she was, you know, she my mother would be like in in Mexico getting like a cutting edge chemotherapy, [12:41.520 --> 12:46.640] you know, or she'd be in Gainesville for months. So she was just gone. So my house truly was party [12:46.640 --> 12:53.440] central. And that was the, that was the sort of the basis for that idea that like when your parents [12:53.440 --> 13:00.480] aren't around, even if they're not around for the most noble of reasons. Full advantage of that. [13:01.440 --> 13:07.360] Which I did. And she does. Yes. It's just another reminder that teenagers are scary and you do not [13:07.360 --> 13:16.320] want to deal with them. They will take over your house. Have you had an opportunity to share this [13:16.320 --> 13:22.800] film with your family members, either at Sundance or just prior to the screening? Yeah, yeah, I was [13:22.800 --> 13:28.720] able to share it with my, my mom and my dad. And I'm not at the same time, but individually. And yeah, [13:28.800 --> 13:34.400] I mean, it was really, they both talked about the catharsis, you know, like I think it was, [13:34.400 --> 13:42.000] I think it isn't exactly, you know, our story. So like, you know, Doris is ending. And you know, [13:42.000 --> 13:46.320] that that didn't happen for me. I was with my brother, my mom was there, my dad was there, you know, [13:46.320 --> 13:51.360] so it's like, it's like, you know, different enough. But I still think they had a lot of [13:51.360 --> 13:56.960] healing from it. And my mom talked a lot about like, how much it helped her see the world more [13:56.960 --> 14:01.600] from my point of view? Because I think, you know, from an adult point of view and from Christine's [14:01.600 --> 14:06.320] point of view, you're just looking at this selfish teenage girl and you're like, what are you doing? [14:07.920 --> 14:12.320] Why aren't you being more present for this very real thing that's happening? But I think, you know, [14:12.320 --> 14:17.040] when you look at it from the teenager's point of view of just that, that desire to be normal and [14:17.040 --> 14:21.360] belong and fit in and have friends and live in the moment and all those things that, you know, [14:21.360 --> 14:26.720] you can sort of have more empathy for the teenager. Absolutely. I think I have time [14:26.800 --> 14:32.960] for one more question. And I was just curious, you know, it's one of those coming-of-age films, [14:32.960 --> 14:38.640] a discovery type of film for a young girl. And I would love to know what are some of those films [14:38.640 --> 14:43.920] that you've seen throughout your life that have impacted you, kind of left you with, you know, [14:43.920 --> 14:51.200] a whole bundle of emotions that I think Suncoast will leave viewers with too. Oh, gosh, yeah, [14:51.280 --> 14:57.440] I mean, Juno, I thought, I loved Juno. I love Napoleon Dynamite. They're talking, you know, [14:57.440 --> 15:01.360] they're reading that back up with Sundance and I was like, oh, what an amazing movie. [15:02.480 --> 15:05.840] Lady Bird. A Lady Bird was incredible. I felt like the mother-daughter relationship [15:05.840 --> 15:12.960] in Lady Bird was so real and related so much to that. Paper Moon is such a beautiful, like, [15:13.600 --> 15:18.160] just a different kind of young girl story that's so touching. There's so many. I mean, [15:18.160 --> 15:22.560] I feel like coming-of-age movies are my favorite. They're just like, I mean, [15:22.560 --> 15:28.240] ET, like any, any coming-of-age movie, I'm just like, oh, I love this. I just think that's [15:28.240 --> 15:34.880] a time in life where the stakes are so high, but you don't have to create super high stakes. It [15:34.880 --> 15:39.600] doesn't have to be like an alien attack, you know, like the stakes are just high. Just like breathing [15:39.600 --> 15:44.480] is so high-stakes when you're a teenager. Are you breathing right? You sound cold the way you're [15:44.480 --> 15:48.880] breathing, you know? Like, it's just so, it's amazing just from a writing perspective to be able [15:48.880 --> 15:54.640] to live in a kind of small world, which I like, but for the emotions and the stakes to feel so high, [15:55.760 --> 16:00.240] so built into coming-of-age. And then sometimes we look back on those times and we're like, oh, my [16:00.240 --> 16:04.800] god, why did I worry about this? Why did I wait on that? Why did I say that? Why was I? I know. [16:06.640 --> 16:12.720] 100%. Well, Laura, I just want to thank you so very much for your time again today. Huge [16:12.720 --> 16:18.960] congratulations on this film. I'm so happy that Niko earned an award for her beautiful [16:18.960 --> 16:24.800] portrayal in this film. I mean, so, so deserved. Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. Thank [16:24.800 --> 16:28.240] you. Hey, everyone. Thank you so much for listening to Emma Sasek's interview with the [16:28.240 --> 16:33.280] writer and director for Suncoast, Laura Chen, here on the Next Best Picture podcast. [16:33.840 --> 16:39.120] Suncoast is now available to stream on Hulu. You have been listening to the Next Best Picture [16:39.200 --> 16:43.520] podcast. We are proud to be part of the Evergreen podcast network and you can subscribe to us anywhere [16:43.520 --> 16:48.240] where you subscribe to podcasts. Be sure to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and let us know what [16:48.240 --> 16:52.800] you think of the show. We really appreciate your feedback and your support, which you can also [16:52.800 --> 16:58.960] end on over at Patreon for $1 minimum a month. You'll get some exclusive podcast content from us. [16:58.960 --> 17:08.720] Thank you all so much for listening, as always, and we will see you all next time. [17:22.800 --> 17:40.400] Thanks for watching. [17:46.560 --> 17:52.400] Coming up on 5 Minute News, I'm Anthony Davis. You might think it's part of [17:52.400 --> 17:57.600] Amazon because maybe it's critical of one side or the other, but it's not just the truth. [17:57.600 --> 18:03.040] And I think that's also something that's kind of unusual for Americans listening to the radio or [18:03.040 --> 18:10.400] to podcasts because the news landscape in the States has been so partisan for so many decades. [18:10.400 --> 18:19.920] So 5 Minute News is verified, truthful, independent, unbiased, and essential world news. Daily. Transcription results written to '/home/forge/transcribe2.sonicengage.com/releases/20240207164437' directory

Interview With "Suncoast" Director/Co-Writer Laura Chinn

Interview With "Suncoast" Director/Co-Writer Laura Chinn

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