Sometimes you just want a movie that makes your heart full. CODA is that movie. Fusing a coming of age story with an insight into the lives of a deaf family, CODA sweetly and lovingly works its way into your heart, slapping a smile on your face while busting your balls in ASL. Good to see Massholes come in all shapes, sizes, and sounds apparently.
Yes, a coda is the end of a song. But in the deaf, community, CODA is an acronym, meaning child of deaf adult(s). And that’s Ruby Rossi (Emilia Jones). The youngest child in a deaf family consisting of momma Jackie (Marlee Matlin), dad Frank (Troy Kotsur), and older brother Leo (Daniel Durant). Ruby works on the family fishing boat, acting as translator for her family at the job and in the community. But Ruby has dreams of her own: of singing. So she signs up for school choir run by Mr. V (Eugenio Derbez), and who else happens to be in choir? Her crush, Miles (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo).
As far as depictions of the deaf community go onscreen, CODA is a breath of fresh air. Jackie, Frank, and Leo are not traumatized because they can’t hear, or face over the top prejudice from their fishing community. They’re not traumatized by anything really, except taxes in the fish markets. They’re healthy, relatively normal members of the Gloucester Massachusetts fishing community: they tell filthy jokes, they have sex, run a business, all things that make the audience connect with them despite the ASL barrier. Most importantly, they’re a tight knit family who cares about each other and faces problems together, overcoming these day to day struggles by lifting each other up. Obviously that’s what happens in the real world, but in movies? It’s freeing and delightful for the deaf community, allowing CODA to focus on its main plot.
That would be Ruby’s coming of age under unique circumstances. As the only hearing member of her family, Ruby’s trapped in between worlds, not fully comfortable in either one. Which is why singing is so important to her; when she sings she’s fully herself, and can express how she feels. Mr. V sees that in her as well, and watching him help extract those feelings out of Ruby in song is one of the joys of the movie. But that type of character change naturally makes her want to explore life for herself, which puts her in conflict with her family, who wants to keep her home. CODA smartly navigates those conversations. Ruby points out some of the selfish (read: free translations) reasons the family wants her to stay, but like a strong, loving family that the Rossi’s are, they sign it out, understanding why this is so important to Ruby, hoping to 100% be connected with their daughter/sister as she’s growing up. That connection the family finds with Ruby will be instantly relatable to everyone, which makes it all the more rewarding as the family evolves and connects with her because they love her. And because of Ruby’s unique bond with her family, a simple act of enjoying a song together carries a little more weight, and the emotions a little more powerful.
For those of you out there that bought Apple TV+ for Ted Lasso and then wonder what else the streamer has, start your journey with CODA. Like Mr. Lasso, CODA will give you the movie version of a hug and just make you feel better. And it’ll teach you that deaf people like hip-hop for its heavy bass, and You’re All I Need to Get By is going to be my, I mean, your next karaoke duet.