If you were anywhere near a television set in 2005, you probably remember hearing about the Terri Schiavo case. But for Laura Chinn, Schiavo’s story hits a little closer to home.
In 1990, Schiavo had a heart attack at the age of 26. After eight years spent in a vegetative state, Schiavo’s husband and parents engaged in a years-long legal battle over whether or not her feeding tube should be removed. The right-to-die case garnered national attention and controversy, and in 2005, protesters were a regular occurrence outside of the Florida hospice where Schiavo was staying – the same hospice where Chinn’s brother was a resident.
Chinn’s brother was diagnosed with brain cancer when she was just a teenager, an experience detailed in her 2022 book “Acne: A Memoir.” In the new movie “Suncoast,” written and directed by Chinn and based on the time period surrounding her brother’s entry into the facility, she zeroes on grief’s gray areas, the story set against the backdrop of the Schiavo case and detailing the complexities of dealing with the death of a loved one.
Nico Parker stars as Doris, a lonely, shy teen whose life revolves around the care of her brother. Her brother’s illness means Doris has had to grow up quicker than most, and most of the film centers on Doris’s prickly relationship with her mother Kristine (Laura Linney) and her budding friendships with her peers at school and a grief-stricken protester (Woody Harrelson) who spends his days outside of the hospice facility.
“Suncoast” is at its strongest when the mother-daughter relationship is at the forefront, Parker and Linney bringing something ultimately warm to the story despite the brutal nature of some of their scenes together. Rough Draft Atlanta recently spoke with Chinn about the film, which is now playing on Hulu.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
I know this is a very personal story for you, and I believe…
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