WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
The constantly shifting, elusively fulfilling facets of a fragmented life. Whether born of circumstances out of our control, manifested by our own choices, or perhaps a combination of both, the striving to seek inward solace and a path to better roads isn’t made any easier when the journey seems without resolution or providing the means to gain one. But, as with so much of our existence, does it not always come down to simply having to realize that, sometimes, the answers lie right where we’re at. In the farming community of Rancho Guadalupe, California, 16-year old Abby (Fatima Ptacek) is encountering such a dilemma. Mainly rebelling against authority in whatever ways available with her friends Kristi (Mia Rose Frampton), Kat (Mia Xitlali), and Laura (Kaylee Kamiya), Abby’s path is altered when a touring rock band gets stranded in their isolated rural locale, inexorably thrusting her into a series of events that will ultimately determine what the past has wrought, the present is offering, and what future might be calling.
Next, my Mind:
Teen angst, the desperate search for emancipation from what seems like a mundane reality, distant and seemingly unattainable dreams, heart’s desires, and the volatile yet emotionally compelling power of foundational human connection via friendship, family, music, and discovering who we really are all get their affecting amount of exploration through the narrative presented in this youth-driven slice of character and story-centric indie film magic from director/producer Jessica Hester, director/producer Derek Schweickart, writer Cindy Kitagawa, producers Alex Cirillo, Wendy Guerrero, Dani Faith Leonard, Sonya Lunsford, and Wendy Vandermeulen plus co-producers Jenna Carey, Paul Della Pelle, Heather Edwards, David Linke, Kevin Linke, Sierra Santana, Angelica Hester, Timothy Rhys, Caleb Hammond, and Adonis Cruz. It’s a tale of our history, what shapes us, what moves us, and the forces that will dictate how we need to let go, follow our true soul, and move forward with passion, rejuvenated understanding, and fortitude.
While it would be easier to try and classify this roughly 102-minute feature film as “just another teen movie”, please, dear reader-then-ideally-viewer, take a moment to reconsider and look more deeply at this effort focused on a small agriculturally historic town and the young teen whom the narrative primarily places its emphasis on, for within it we find a deeper character study about the very nature of what defines our steps, trying to engage the will to ascertain it, how to speak it, and most assuredly how to then apply it to our benefit. Intelligently wrapped within the shell of youthful exuberance and uncertainties, the concept of wanting to escape what we cannot yet grasp more clearly, initially pressing only into what we know best to cope with our anxieties, disclosing our fears and pent up resentments or sadness, recognizing the potency of influences and their hold on us, realizing the importance of gaining fresher perspectives, and being willing to make our own decisions while never losing sight of the fact we’re loved, it’s ALL here and provides beautiful depth throughout the film.
Briskly paced and built on a candidly raw, wholly believable dose of contemporary relevancy in its additional thematic bends calling to mind the plights of immigrants and the sacrifices made to see true roots and lasting legacy established in this country, it’s these grander underlying ideas that make the film so excellent in its execution, as it doesn’t come across as trying to be “preachy” or even pushing any agenda. It’s just REAL, ACTUALITY at its raw core, and how this is then conveyed so deftly through the eyes of four young girls just allows it all to be cemented further into our minds, for it is NO exaggeration to be reminded of just how much we need to invest in our children and the paths they trod, fostering their aspirations and ambitions while allowing them to stumble if necessary in order to learn the lessons that will end up strengthening them, pointing them towards their goals in a more productive way, conquering brokenness and bad choices to replace them with hope and faith that their lives are meaningful, accepted, noticed, and nurtured. The finale is filled with a stirring sense of hope, and that’s all I will say. Watch the film to see what I mean.
The visuals presented very much emphasize these illustrations as they unfold, the camera embracing every moment the characters encounter with intense (subtle or blatant) purpose to paint the imagery that showcases every pain, every victory, every little moment that will exemplify the struggles portrayed and lead to the subsequent results. Likewise, I personally related to the sheer and undeniable significance of music’s sway over us, how it resonates within so dynamically, and how it can be a catalyst for outward and inward change. Additionally along those lines, the literal selections of music and associated artists that make up the film’s soundtrack so adeptly create the needed atmosphere of energetic, angst-ridden, utterly modern punk and alternative music that speaks to the generation being examined and is very smartly employed over the course of the film at the appropriate moments to further expand on the emotional events occurring and therefore imparting that further magnitude of liveliness and spirit to the proceedings.
Ensemble casts are excellent when they all work well both together as a unit as well as stand out individually, and this is accomplished here with talent and skill first through Ptacek as central character Abby, a young girl on the cusp of both brave new worlds and total breakdown as she attempts to navigate the frustrations and questioning her current reality is throwing at her. Yet, when an unanticipated newfound love arrives into her sphere, it opens up a whole new realm of possibilities–but at what cost will it come? Ptacek brings what I felt was the perfect balance of raging defiance paired with an initially hidden but still present vulnerability and brokenness to Abby, and it becomes such a powerful, potentially transformative journey through a lot of pain, anger, hard lessons to find what could finally be the right road to traverse and where the heart resides, and Ptacek embodied this highly eruptive, emotionally draining passage with realistic gravitas and maturity.
Frampton, Xitlali, and Kamiya each bring fantastically diverse levels of emotive punch through their roles respectively as Kristi, a complete carefree wild child whose penchant for getting into trouble to the max is only matched by the confidently sassy attitude that accompanies her actions, Kat, a more soft-spoken, innocent member of the group whose real intentions both with these friends and with furthering her life for the better begins to both inspire and weigh upon her as events unfold, and Laura, who seems to almost be an amalgamation in some form of all three others, wanting more adventure and freedom yet also aiming for responsibility and the liberation to feel accepted and pursue her own ideas and notions for the future. Kane Ritchotte arrives as Dave, the singer of the band stranded in town who takes no time wooing Abby and who becomes the channel for her to rise up from her insecurities and stand firm for who she really is and desires to be. Ritchotte delivers this with understated ease and laid-back realism, lending authenticity to the role.
Cristela Alonzo portrays Debra, Abby’s world-weary mother who works as a nurse and tries with as much as she can muster to show her daughter love, tough love if needed, only so that her child might make better choices than she did, even as she herself needs to learn to let go. It’s a heartening performance that assuredly depicts with accuracy the unconditional love of a mother for her child. Andres Velez plays Chris, a local record store owner and friend to the girls who also seems to (often in quite humorous ways for us) end up having to be a voice of reason or rescue for the tumultuous women he has in his circle thanks to Abby and friends. Melissa Leo appears in a key supporting role as Olivia, a patient in Debra’s hospital whom the latter cares for and ends up being mentored by in life’s ups and downs. It’s a quiet yet persuasively eloquent performance Leo provides, a testament to the acting veteran she is.
A menagerie of supporting roles is present here thanks to equally wonderful acting turns by Ciara Bravo, Victoria del Rosal, Paul McCarthy-Boyington, Eduardo Roman, Edgar Ribon, Nicholas Liepman, Tori Ortega, Adriana Arias, Michael B. Cook, Matthew R. Cook, Mark N. Cook, Richard Guzman, Ali Castillo, and David Goulard. So, in total, “Coast” solidly represents the foundations of what indie film is all about–effectual characters, relatable stories, and the expressive delivery of real life, a portrait of humanity, and in this case, the forever truth we should all embrace that no matter where this crazy, often haphazard odyssey we’re living takes us, we can always wander back to the place to see who we are again–home.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
Excellent and to the point! Well said! So true!
This was one of the best written reviews I have ever read. Eloquent even.