At film festivals, you could toss an overpriced muffin and hit a coming-of-age flick helmed by a debut director, but not all of them strike the same chord with audiences. Breakout successes possess that elusive spark, forging a unique bond between storyteller and viewer that resonates across diverse demographics. It’s an uphill battle, even less forgiving than the climb faced by a new horror flick aiming for the midnight crowd’s approval. Yet, amidst the offerings at the Sundance Film Festival, Laura Chinn’s semi-autobiographical Suncoast emerged as a standout at Sundance, captivating audiences prior to its streaming premiere on Hulu.

Emerging as both a tender exploration of the deep complexities that live within a mother-daughter relationship and lightly skimming the surface of palliative care for the terminally ill, Suncoast is Chinn’s reflection on her teenage years in Clearwater, Florida. At times offering a poignant snapshot into her characters’ lives, it tends to stray into territory that doesn’t feel as genuine or heartfelt as the other threads it has so delicately weaved together.

At 14, Doris (Nico Parker, Dumbo) has weathered many storms, both personal and tropical. Losing her father at three, she lives with her single mother, Kristine (Laura Linney, The Miracle Club), and older brother, Max, who is nearing the end of his battle with brain cancer. Confined to bed and unable to care for himself, Max needs the constant care he can no longer receive at home, so Kristine has made the difficult decision to transition him to Suncoast Hospice. His transition to the clinic coincides with another patient, very much in the public consciousness at that time, moving into her final stage of life without the full support of her family, inciting a daily mob of protests. (I’m going to refrain from mentioning the patient, but it was a headline-grabbing case that went through the highest courts in the country.)

With Kristine’s attention entirely on her brother, Doris is left alone to navigate several critical junctures in teenage development. Attempting to get in with a popular crowd at school, she offers her home as a party house while Kristine is staying overnights with Max and, in doing so, ingratiates herself with girls who take the inexperienced teen under their wing. Her first crush begins to show an interest in her, and while this should make her happy, the reality of her current situation keeps interfering at inopportune times. Though an older adult (Woody Harrelson, Triangle of Sadness) who has come to the clinic to protest should be a red flag, he becomes another form of guidance she desperately needs.

Lending a compelling voice as a stand-in for Chinn is Parker (who won a Special Jury Prize at Sundance for Breakthrough Performance) — the way she grapples with her journey of self-discovery as a daughter, sister, and teenager moving through adolescence is often remarkable to observe. The child of actress-writer/director Ol Parker and Thandiwe Newton, Parker has a maturity that can make her seem older than the character is supposed to be and leads her to outshine her teenage peers often. Yet, Chinn and Parker work together to pull out the right emotions as the story draws near its tear-stained conclusion.

We’ve witnessed countless stories of teenagers and their mothers at odds, but what sets Suncoast apart is a genuine and powerful bond generated between Linney and Parker. No stranger to playing women who are thorny on the outside and tougher still inside, Linney delivers once again with a performance that speaks subtly to Kristine’s resilience. Linney’s scenes with a grief counselor (a wonderful Pam Dougherty, The Vast of Night) at Suncoast may feel slightly stagey, but they allow Chinn to go deep with a character who isn’t always willing to leave the shallow end of her emotions.

The dynamic between Linney and Parker creates Suncoast’s emotional core, and Harrelson is his usual gregarious presence in a small and sleight supporting role. I wish the rest of the cast carried the same level of nuance as these three. Too often, the energy level of the movie dips because the younger members of the cast can’t sustain the strong performances of the seasoned veterans they are sharing scenes with. Experience comes with age and opportunity, though, and Chinn has landed talent who will go on to make better showings in the future.

Chinn’s screenplay for Suncoast is personal but not profoundly so. There isn’t an aching preciousness that makes it introspective to the point where the more thematically charged scenes have nowhere to go. Though it moves into tricky territory as it reaches its third act, it’s not an emotionally exhausting experience either. Thanks to the flashes of levity Chinn is observant enough to sprinkle around at just the right moments, heartache and healing intertwine to produce a warm experience that places its bets on viewers warming to its belief in hope.