CODA Parent Guide

As the only hearing member of her family, Ruby (Emilia Jones) is responsible for interpreting for her deaf parents and brother (Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur, Daniel Durant) as well as helping to run the family fishing business. After signing up for high school choir, Ruby discovers her passion for singing, a passion her family will never be able to hear, and one which might take her away from the people who need her most.

CODA premiered at Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, where it picked up multiple awards and bagged the current record for biggest Sundance acquisition ever, at $25 million from Apple. Is Apple gunning for an Oscar in an attempt to compete with streaming heavyweights such as Netflix and Hulu? After seeing this movie, there’s no doubt in my mind that Apple wants an Oscar and I really think they have a chance here.

The basic premise of CODA is nothing new: a coming-of-age story centering around a talented small-town girl torn between her dreams and her family. We’ve all seen it a million times. However, writer and director Sian Heder manages to breathe new life into an old story, adding new layers and a refreshing amount of authenticity. Ruby’s parents don’t disapprove of her musical aspirations because they think it’s frivolous; they rely on Ruby to be their ASL interpreter everywhere, including at the doctor’s office, much to her embarrassment. Ruby’s dad, Frank, is a fisherman, but he is not allowed to operate a boat without a hearing person on board, so he needs Ruby with him to provide for the family. This is a much more complicated scenario that what most screenwriters would delve into, which makes Ruby’s conflict and choices that much more compelling. On top of that, we get discussions around how deaf people are perceived as stupid or helpless, and even how they can be taken advantage of. Ruby’s brother, Leo, wants Ruby to go off to college because he hates having to be dependent on his little sister and believes that he can function in the world without an interpreter always by his side. All these themes weave together into a beautiful story about disability, family, responsibility, and growing up.

On top of the excellent screen play and story, the acting is phenomenal. The deaf characters are played by deaf actors, which I think is important and lends authenticity to the roles. All of the cast is fantastic, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see some acting nominations, both lead and supporting, come awards season. Supporting the performances is the score, composed by Marius De Vries, which is incredibly minimal, but brilliantly so. In scenes where characters are conversing in signs, there is no score, or very little. The silence that permeates much of the film enhances the emotional beats and brings the viewer in some ways into the world of the hearing impaired. Perhaps the most powerful moment of the film is when Ruby is performing in a choir concert and all sound just stops, so we can experience her performance the way her family does. It is heart wrenching, and I will admit I shed a few tears.

Now that I’ve gushed about this beautiful piece of art, I need to add some caveats. This is not a children’s film, both because of the subtitles and the negative content. There’s some explicit sexual content, though no nudity, as well as a lot of profanity, so more sensitive viewers might want to skip this one. If you enjoy Oscar-type movies and aren’t sensitive to those content concerns, I highly recommend this film, and I’m sure we’ll be hearing more about it come awards season.