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A special presentation that was filmed earlier this summer observing quarantine guidelines intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Coastal Elites features five terrific actors, who deliver monologues reflecting their panic, anger and desperation as they attempt to deal with whats going on now. As that title indicates, playwright and screenwriter Paul Rudnick has created characters who tend to embody cliches associated with latte-sipping liberals.

Rudnick hits most of the usual stereotypes, and, as a result, Coastal Elites is less of a satire than it is an example of preaching to the converted. Sharp though some of the writing is, Coastal Elites never challenges the moral superiority of its characters, and so they mostly come off as predictable, making predictable points.

Originally intended as a stage work for New Yorks Public Theater, Coastal Elites evolved at the start of the pandemic, and was shaped to take into account current events. Jay Roach, whose credits include the movie Bombshell and the HBO fact-inspired political drama, Recount, directs.

Bette Midler plays a retired New York public school teacher, who reveres The New York Times (and insists on reading the print edition), carries an NPR totebag, and winds up in a police interrogation room after a conflict with a Donald Trump supporter. Dan Levy (Schitts Creek) is an actor talking to his therapist via video conference, about his hopes of getting a movie role as a gay superhero. Issa Rae is a woman who works with her affluent familys foundation, and has strong feelings about Ivanka Trump. Sarah Paulson hosts Mindful Meditations online, but loses her serenity after a visit with her family in the Midwest.

Most affecting is Kaitlyn Dever, as a young nurse who travels from Wyoming to help care for coronavirus patients in New York City. In this segment, Rudnick abandons any effort at humor, and Dever makes the nurses experience touching and sincere.

Throughout, Rudnick shows off his shrewd command of pop culture references as status markers. But its hard to find much complexity in characters who glibly assume the audience shares their world view, or to sympathize with their efforts not to be a snob when someone praises Trump.

Unfortunately, Coastal Elites will only reinforce already established opinions, which makes it yet another example of the chasms that exist between people.

"Coastal Elites debuts at 8 p.m. Sept. 12 on HBO; stream it on HBO Max.

More of our coverage:

Moments from summer TV 2020: Zoom fatigue, protest images as political football, and a few bright spots

-- Kristi Turnquist

kturnquist@oregonian.com 503-221-8227 @Kristiturnquist

Original post:
Coastal Elites on HBO: Satire of liberals freaking out over Trump and the pandemic preaches to the converted - OregonLive