The Tribes of Palos Verdes

The Tribes of Palos Verdes

Year: 2017

Runtime: 104 min

Language: English

Directors: Emmett Malloy, Brendan Malloy

Echo Score: 62
Drama

A poignant drama about a teenager named Medina, who finds her family relocating to the seemingly idyllic coastal community of Palos Verdes, California. Struggling with a fresh start and the emotional turmoil that follows, Medina grapples with fraying relationships and surfacing secrets. To cope with the challenges, she finds solace and strength through surfing, ultimately needing to find the resilience to keep her family together.

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Timeline & Setting – The Tribes of Palos Verdes (2017)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Tribes of Palos Verdes (2017). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Palos Verdes

Palos Verdes is a picturesque coastal community known for its stunning views and tranquil beaches. It embodies the quintessential suburban lifestyle, often attracting families seeking a relaxing environment. Beneath its serene surface, however, there is an undercurrent of familial strife and emotional turmoil.

🏖️ Beach 🏡 Suburb 🌅 Coastal

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 22:22

Main Characters – The Tribes of Palos Verdes (2017)

Meet the key characters of The Tribes of Palos Verdes (2017), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Sandy Mason (Jennifer Garner)

Sandy is a complex character caught in the emotional turmoil of her family's disintegration. Often seen as introverted and overwhelmed, she grapples with her insecurities and the haunting suspicion of her husband's infidelity. Her struggle to adapt to new challenges leads her into a spiral of paranoia and emotional distance from her family.

👩‍👧‍👦 Mother 😟 Insecure 💔 Troubled

Phil Mason (Justin Kirk)

Phil embodies the carefree family man while harboring hidden depths of conflict. As tensions rise, his flirtations and affiliations lead to a crumbling domestic life. His descent from a charming socialite to a man wrestling with his choices amplifies the film's emotional stakes.

🌟 Charismatic 💔 Unfaithful 🌀 Conflicted

Medina Mason (Maika Monroe)

Medina serves as the emotional anchor of the story. Facing the fallout of her family's struggles, she seeks refuge in surfing and forms a tender bond with Adrian. Her journey depicts the struggle between loyalty to her family and finding her own identity amidst chaos.

🏄‍♀️ Surfer 💪 Resilient 🥺 Concerned Sister

Jim Mason (Cody Fern)

Jim's character embodies the tragic consequences of familial pressures and substance abuse. As he battles inner demons, his struggle for acceptance culminates in a heartbreaking series of events, highlighting the impact of neglect and expectations within the family.

😔 Troubled 🚑 Vulnerable ⚔️ Struggling

Ava (Alicia Silverstone)

Ava acts as a catalyst in Phil and Sandy's marital strife. Her role as the real estate agent quickly transforms into one of emotional entanglement with Phil, complicating themes of fidelity and personal choice within the narrative.

🏡 Agent ✨ Alluring 💔 Involved

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 22:22

Major Themes – The Tribes of Palos Verdes (2017)

Explore the central themes of The Tribes of Palos Verdes (2017), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💔 Familial Strife

The film explores the deep emotional fractures within a seemingly perfect family. Themes of betrayal, addiction, and mental health challenges weave a narrative that showcases the complexities of love and the pain of disconnection. As the characters grapple with their personal demons, the narrative emphasizes the struggle to seek understanding and support in troubled times.

🌊 Resilience

Medina's journey reflects the theme of resilience amidst chaos. As she navigates the tumultuous relationships within her family, she grows strong in her commitment to support Jim through his struggles. Medina's determination to embrace life and honor her brother's memory illustrates the power of moving forward in the face of adversity.

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 22:22

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Movies about teenage resilience in broken families like The Tribes of Palos Verdes

Stories where young protagonists must build resilience amid a family's breakdown.If you were moved by the heavy emotional weight of The Tribes of Palos Verdes, this thread finds similar movies about teenage protagonists grappling with family dysfunction. These dramas focus on coming-of-age stories defined by addiction, divorce, and grief, where young characters must find strength to survive their collapsing home life.

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Narrative Summary

These narratives typically follow a linear descent from instability into full-blown crisis within a family unit. The protagonist's arc is one of被迫的成熟 (forced maturity), where they are thrust into adult-sized emotional problems. A key element is often a specific coping mechanism or escape—like surfing, art, or friendship—that provides a fragile lifeline amid the turmoil, leading to a bittersweet ending where personal growth is achieved at a great cost.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on the intense intersection of coming-of-age and family disintegration. They share a heavy emotional weight, a melancholic tone, and a steady pacing that allows the viewer to feel the gradual, painful decay of the family structure alongside the protagonist's struggle.

Quiet melancholic family dramas like The Tribes of Palos Verdes

Films that explore the slow, quiet unraveling of relationships and psyches.For fans of the somber, steady-paced vibe of The Tribes of Palos Verdes, this collection highlights movies with a similar melancholic tone and high emotional intensity. These films capture the quiet tragedy of everyday life, focusing on family dysfunction, grief, and the subtle decay of relationships in a deeply atmospheric way.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern in these films is often a slow burn toward an emotional breaking point. Conflict is internal and interpersonal, simmering beneath the surface of seemingly normal lives. The structure is frequently linear, building a sense of dread or sorrow methodically, without resorting to melodrama. The culmination is usually a moment of tragic realization or loss, leaving characters—and the audience—with a residue of profound sadness and reflection.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their dominant melancholic tone, steady pacing, and high emotional intensity. They create a cohesive viewing experience centered on somber reflection and the nuanced portrayal of psychological pain and relational breakdown, making them ideal for those seeking a deeply felt, atmospheric drama.

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The Tribes of Palos Verdes Summary

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The Tribes of Palos Verdes Summary

The Tribes of Palos Verdes Timeline

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The Tribes of Palos Verdes Timeline

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More About The Tribes of Palos Verdes

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