‘CODA’ is quite simply a beautiful film. The term means “child of deaf adults.” The premise is straightforward. It’s a coming of age story about a girl and her deaf family. She is the only one that can hear. These melodramatic tropes have been done in other films but director Sian Heder executes it with such love and grace that it is irresistible. It was such a hit at Sundance that it was acquired by Apple TV+ for a record-breaking $25 million. At this year’s Academy Awards, it walked away with the top honor of best picture. That is a resounding success for a small independent film. Don’t forget to take along the Kleenex. It’s a real tearjerker!
For a story to work there needs to be conflict. Ruby Rossi (Emilia Jones) is in her last year of high school. She is not really into school and has been helping the family fishing business. Every morning before school, she helps her father and brother on the fishing boat out of Gloucester, Massachusetts. Ruby has one passion and that is music. She loves to sing. On a whim, she signs up for an elective class in the choir. When the choir teacher (Eugenio Derbez) hears her voice, he sees promise in her and encourages her to apply to the Berklee College of Music in Boston. That’s her dilemma. Does she pursue her love for music or stay at home to continue helping the family business?
Since her parents (Marlee Matlin and Troy Kosur) along with her brother (Daniel Durant) are deaf, they depend on her to communicate to the hearing world. They are genuinely scared whether the business can survive without her. The cool thing about this film is that the deaf characters are actually played by deaf actors. There are moments in the film where not a word is spoken but you understand their struggles through sign language. Ruby has been her parent’s interpreter since childhood. She is concerned if she leaves for college, her family might get cheated when they sell the catch of the day.
It’s s conventional story but perfectly executed. The acting is impeccable. Jones is a revelation as Ruby. The story is heartwarming to perfection. When she takes choir, she realizes that she loves to sing. Her teacher inspires her to follow her dream. She meets a boy. It’s another obstacle that makes her think twice about leaving home. It would be so easy to stay home. She loves her family dearly. There’s a touching scene where she sings to her father. He cannot hear her sing but he can read lips and see the passion in his daughter. As heartbreaking as it is for him, he knows the right thing to do is let her go. The family takes her to the audition in Boston. It’s an amazing scene. She sings a beautiful rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now.”
Another meaning of the word “coda” is a certain type of ending to a piece of music. Ruby’s life with her family is coming to its coda. When she leaves for college, her childhood ends. It’s a painful transition for so many but it’s a necessary one to reach adulthood. When you see ‘CODA,’ you will understand why it is such a special film. Now that it won the best picture Oscar, it is playing in wide release. Seek out this gem.
