Get Ready to Laugh and Cry in “Suncoast” Trailer

A lot of Sundance premieres spark an intense bidding war, and most viewers won't get to see the acclaimed films for months or even years. But the semi-autobiographical Suncoast already has a trailer, distributor and release date.

The dramedy from Laura Chinn - who makes her feature directorial debut here - stars Nico Parker as Doris, a teen trying to fit in at her new school. That would be challenge enough, but she also has an obsessive mother (Laura Linney, who excels at these parts) and a brother in a coma. While struggling to connect with her peers, she strikes up an unlikely friendship with a prickly activist (Woody Harrelson, also perfect in roles like this). Expect some good laughs and cathartic cries, as well as some jammin' tunes from Este Haim.

Suncoast premieres at Sundance on January 21, with a Hulu-exclusive release on February 9.

About Kip Mooney

Like many film critics born during and after the 1980s, my hero is Roger Ebert. The man was already the best critic in the nation when he won the Pulitzer in 1975, but his indomitable spirit during and after his recent battle with cancer keeps me coming back to read not only his reviews but his insightful commentary on the everyday. But enough about a guy you know a lot about. I knew I was going to be a film critic—some would say a snob—in middle school, when I had to voraciously defend my position that The Royal Tenenbaums was only a million times better than Adam Sandler’s remake of Mr. Deeds. From then on, I would seek out Wes Anderson’s films and avoid Sandler’s like the plague. Still, I like to think of myself as a populist, and I’ll be just as likely to see the next superhero movie as the next Sundance sensation. The thing I most deplore in a movie is laziness. I’d much rather see movies with big ambitions try and fail than movies with no ambitions succeed at simply existing. I’m also a big advocate of fun-bad movies like The Room and most of Nicolas Cage’s work. In the past, I’ve written for The Dallas Morning News and the North Texas Daily, which I edited for a semester. I also contributed to Dallas-based Pegasus News, which in the circle of life, is now part of The Dallas Morning News, where I got my big break in 2007. Eventually, I’d love to write and talk about film full-time, but until that’s a viable career option, I work as an auditor for Wells Fargo. I hope to one day meet my hero, go to the Toronto International Film Festival, and compete on Jeopardy. Until then, I’m excited to share my love of film with you.