“CODA” Review
(From Left) Ruby Rossi (Emilia Jones) is the only hearing member of her family in “CODA.” The rest of her family, dad Frank (Troy Kotsur), mom Jackie (Marlee Matlin) and older brother Leo (Daniel Durant), depend on her to translate and work with them in the family fishing business.
I love a good coming-of-age story and, in my opinion, we’re seeing a good amount of them right now. Already, films like “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” “The Edge of Seventeen” and “Booksmart” are becoming very popular and, in the case of “CODA,” have now been nominated for Oscars. “CODA,” an AppleTV+ original film, was a delight to watch and I felt immense joy, on par to my experience with “Belfast,” while watching it.
In a seaside town in Massachusetts, Ruby (Emilia Jones) is the only member of the fishing Rossi family who is able to hear and serves as translator to her family: dad Frank (Troy Kotsur), mom Jackie (Marlee Matlin) and older brother Leo (Daniel Durant). She is also a senior in high school who goes through the trials of being a teenager with the assumption that she will join her family’s fishing business after graduating. But when she discovers a passion for singing, Ruby must choose whether or not to pursue it and the effects it could have on her family.
Emilia Jones’ performance is very intimate with powerful feelings of legitimate teenage angst. While her family is very loving and supportive, they understandably have trouble processing her gift of singing and music in general. The most music the family consumes is Frank’s love of gangsta rap because of the vibrations the bass makes. One funny scene of the film involves Frank picking up Ruby from school, playing music full blast which embarrasses her in front of her classmates.
Most of the time, Ruby is quiet around others because, as a CODA (child of deaf adults), she was bullied when she was younger because she “talked funny.” But when she sings, a part of her awakens which is beautiful to see. The conversations about music between her and her music teacher Mr. Villalobos (Eugenio Derbez) are fascinating.
While Ruby fishes with her family, her true passion is to sing: something her family doesn’t quite understand.
Alongside Ruby is her family and they are wonderful, especially since they are portrayed by deaf actors. Not only is this important for reasons of representation, but it also enhances the believability of these characters. “CODA” does a good job of showing how Ruby lives with her family and it’s played both for moments of comedy and drama. Ruby is bothered throughout the film by how loud her family can be, clanging dishes and having sex loudly, but also can play music late at night without waking her family.
The entire cast won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture and deservedly so. In particular, Troy Kotsur is wonderful as Ruby’s father, being very silly while also genuinely interested in her goals. Oscar-winner Marlee Matlin is also fantastic as Ruby’s mother and is, understandably, concerned about Ruby pursuing singing. Since they can’t hear, they don’t know that she’s a gifted singer which worries them.
“CODA” also addresses how difficult it can be being deaf with Ruby having to translate on behalf of her family, especially at work. Ruby’s family are part of a group of working class fishers who are being underpaid and Ruby’s family are frequently given lower prices, meaning that she has to mediate when the family haggles prices. All of this places a lot of pressure on her which makes her connection to music all the more important.
By the time we reach the film’s climax, I was in a full state of investment. I wanted Ruby to prove that she was good enough at singing to go to college for it, but I was also worried about her family.
“CODA” does what every good coming-of-age story does: it showcases a young person trying to find out who she is. However, this film goes above and beyond by deeply connecting to the deaf community and crafting a story that is relatable and heartwarming.
