Coast

By: Jennifer Vintzileos

Sometimes it takes a village…or, in this case, a town to help you find your voice. Directed by Jessica Hester and Derek Schweikart, the film Coast tells the story of Abby Evans (Fatima Ptacek) and how she feels stuck in her hometown until an encounter with a traveling rock band finally helps her find her way. While Abby is torn between staying in what she knows or pursuing a new path, she ultimately learns that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

After watching her parents Debora (Cristela Alonzo) and Blake (Paul McCarthy-Boyington) go through a messy divorce and a feeling of restlessness in her hometown, Abby Evans has latched onto rebellious newcomer Kristi Lewis (Mia Rose Frampton) and brought her into her group of friends since her friend Cassie (Ciara Bravo) has dropped out of school due to her teenage pregnancy. Friends Kat (Mia Xitlali) and Laura (Kaylee Kamiya) go along with Abby on this, leading to the girls getting themselves in precarious situations. Enter a traveling band to the town and lead singer Dave (Kane Ritchotte) who becomes intrigued by Abby. As Dave and Abby get closer, Kat and Laura begin to forge their own paths and find their voice in the community, something Abby has not been able to figure out just yet. With the wounds of the divorce still fresh and her mother trying to work through her own issues, Abby embraces the recklessness of adolescence and believes that the rockstar lifestyle might just be the ticket while trying to reconcile her own issues.

Coast really focuses on adolescence can be—it’s messy, complicated and full of burgeoning adult issues that we’re not quite ready to deal with. Abby has baggage that she’s not ready to face and so she uses music as her escape—just like her mother did. While their relationship may be strained due to Debora’s own battles with depression and dealing with her ex-husband, Abby is her mother’s daughter. The only difference being that Debora does not want to see Abby go down the same path she took as a young, struggling mother—something that she confides to her patient Olivia (Melissa Leo) during work hours. Debora may have had Abby when she was sixteen years old, but she is also still navigating motherhood in the way that Abby is trying to figure out herself as a teen.

I also love the way how Abby’s relationships to those around her play a huge part in how she finds herself. As Abby starts to rebel, Kat and Laura are also making huge decisions for their future. With Kat leaning towards Agriculture Education to follow in her family’s footsteps and Laura embracing her Japanese heritage, Abby wonders where she fits into their picture. Abby’s teacher Mr. Sosa (Eduardo Roman) can relate to Abby’s desire to see the world beyond her home yet still tries to inspire her to tell her story and, especially Dave, who keeps encouraging Abby to sing and align her star with his despite his own shortcomings. Each of these individuals play a large role in Abby’s character arc and their own messy parts remind her that she is not as alone as she believes.

While many of us seek to look beyond the city limits, it is true what they say: there’s no place like home. Home is where we figure out who we are, who we aspire to be and the people who encourage us to be brave. It can be whatever we want it to be—if we’re strong enough to embrace it.