In a year when the nightly news often feels far too heavy, it's important to find lighthearted warmth when you can. Luckily, this year's Sundance Film Festival breakout hit, CODA, is the perfect balm for these times. Releasing on Apple TV+ and select theaters this Friday, CODA wowed audiences in its festival debut earlier this year, and it's clear that praise wasn't misplaced. The movie is based on the French film La Famille Bélier, yet it finds its own voice thanks to director Sian Heder and her impressive cast. Earnest and honest, CODA takes what could be a generic story and turns it into a heartfelt exploration of family and the benefits of inclusivity.
Teenager Ruby Rossi (Emilia Jones) is the titular CODA, or a child of deaf adults. When not in school, she spends her time assisting her family as their interpreter for all things. This means when her well-intentioned but indelicate parents Frank and Jackie (Troy Kotsur and Marlee Matlin) come down with an STD, she must tag along for the doctor's appointment to translate. Ruby's one true passion is singing, and with the encouragement of her choir teacher Mr. Villalobos (Eugenio Derbez, who is so much fun), she soon begins dreaming of attending music school. However, with her family on the verge of starting a new fishing business, Ruby is torn between her loyalty to them and her desire to find her own path.
The basic story of a high school student with an eye on pursuing a musical career is far from groundbreaking. CODA strikes many of the same familiar beats, from Mr. Villalobos' discovery of Ruby's powerhouse voice to the obligatory training montage. And yet, by centering Ruby in a deaf household, CODA manages to feel groundbreaking. Hollywood has a tendency to overlook stories about disabled characters, but this movie shows exactly why it should stop doing that. Heder (who also wrote the screenplay) manages to find new emotional depths in both the premise and the characters by refusing to treat the Rossis as lesser-than. Yes, they face obstacles as deaf individuals, but they're also fully-realized characters. They have depth: Frank's pride is tied to his work as a fisherman, Ruby's brother Leo (Daniel Durant) longs to be just as helpful as her, and so on. These details matter.
It helps that the CODA cast feels like a real family. This is both thanks to their performances and Heder's script, which finds clever ways to keep the familial interactions from becoming too sappy. Ruby and Leo regularly try to outdo each other with profane nicknames, and Matlin's Jackie has no problem helping Leo look through Tinder. Matlin, as expected, is a standout in the cast as she expertly conveys Jackie's struggle to accept Ruby's passion for singing, an activity she can't understand. As CODA's lead, Jones infuses Ruby with the right amount of affection and frustration for her family, and as she peeks out of her shell more and more, it's impossible not to root for her. Additionally, Kotsur is bound to wring out some tears from audiences as Frank comes to the realization that his daughter has incredible talent that he can only catch hints of.
If CODA has a flaw, it's in its neatly tied-up ending, which reveals some narrative jumps that don't entirely feel earned. Some of the smaller conflicts sprinkled throughout the film are handled quickly. At the same time, it's hard to fault Heder for going with such a hopeful conclusion. As Ruby chases her dream, the use of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" (perhaps the most emotional since 2003's Love, Actually) in a triumphant climactic moment tugs at the heartstrings more than anything else in the sweetly sentimental film. It might feel over the top to some, but CODA is certainly dedicated to making viewers feel all possible emotions.
This is a difficult time for many, which makes CODA feel all the more vital. It offers the comfort of the familiar, but also with a unique spin that helps set it apart from other movies of this kind. CODA is a crowd-pleaser, filled with genuine compassion and an important message: Every voice is essential, even if they are expressed in different ways. Those looking for something that will make them smile, laugh, and, yes, cry (in a good way!) would be smart to check this one out.
CODA is available in theaters and begins streaming on Apple TV+ on Friday, August 13. It is 111 minutes long and rated PG-13 for strong sexual content and language, and drug use.
