CODA (2021) Movie Review
CODA stands for “Children of Deaf Adults” and sums up most of the plot of the movie. Ruby (Emilia Jones) is the only hearing person in her family. Her mother Jackie (Marlee Matlin), father Frank (Troy Kotsur), and brother Leo (Daniel Durant) are all deaf. Ruby is the interpreter for the family who survive by making a modest living as fishermen. The family is fairly dependent on Ruby to make ends meet and survive. They need her to be on the fishing boat to hear the radio and translate for them as they try to sell their fish.
The Rossi’s lives change drastically when Ruby auditions for the school choir and finds she loves to sing and has a good voice. She’s encouraged to pursue music in college by the energetic choir instructor, Mr. V (Eugenio Derbez). She realizes she has the potential to pursue her passion, but also recognizes that she will have to leave her family in order to do so. This push and pull between her own dreams and her families’ plays out throughout the rest of the movie. Ruby also has her first crush, on Miles (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo), her partner in choir which gives her another round of “firsts” to navigate.
CODA is a story about family dynamics and the way families must rely on each other to make it through life. What makes CODA so interesting and entertaining are the performances. Marlee Matlin and Troy Kotsur give exemplary performances as parents struggling to raise a teenager but with added complications. There is a divide in the household between those who can hear and those who cannot. It’s made even more complicated by the fact that Ruby’s favorite pastime is singing, something her parents cannot relate to or enjoy with her. Matlin and Kotsur balance the tightrope of wanting to be supportive while also dealing with their own expectations for their daughter. Kotsur in particular has countless comedic moments that will make you laugh out loud. He really steals the show and puts in a memorable performance. I was also pleasantly surprised by Emilia Jones, who I had not seen in anything prior to this. She has a tough role, needing to appear as if she’s been signing and translating for her family her whole life while also carrying the movie as the emotional centerpiece. Jones is incredible, pulling you into her world with ease and displaying a wide range of emotions as she is coming into her own.
This is a coming of age story for an entire family as they navigate changes to their world internally and externally. The family dynamic is a blast to watch and despite the difficulties the family are facing, the love they share for each other comes through in every scene. As Ruby comes of age, her family grows around her. CODA is a beautiful story about the strength of family and the power of love.
You’ll like this movie if:
1. You can understand or are interested in American Sign Language
2. You like coming of age stories
3. You like character studies
