Finding a Passion, and Torn Between Future and Family

Emilia Jones in "CODA"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

Given how much continues to change over the decades with what it means to be a family in America, that means there’s never a shortage of stories to show how such families live their lives.  There aren’t two families that are the same, with each being faced with their own successes and challenges that shape them into who they are and what will become of their future generations.

Writer-director Sian Heder adds to the rich catalogue of these kinds of stories with her latest film, “CODA,” a funny, powerful, and inspirational chronicle of a family that works to overcome their differences and isolation from others.

In Gloucester, Massachusetts, 17-year-old Ruby Rossi (Emilia Jones) is the only member of her family who has the ability to hear, making her a CODA (child of deaf adults).  She lives with her mother (Marlee Matlin), father (Troy Kotsur), and brother (Daniel Durant), working with the latter two on their family’s fishing boat.  At her school, Ruby decides to join a choir and develops a love for singing.  After her instructor (Eugenio Derbez) encourages Ruby to audition for a music college, she must decide whether to stay with her family and help with the business, or follow her dream.

Jones provides an emotional, career-launching performance as a young woman who has a deep love and devotion to her family, but must decide what’s best for her future.  She’s able to elicit the apprehension that her character has for putting herself out there when it comes to singing, making us feel the nervousness that she tries to overcome as she begins to tap into her singing potential.  Her character’s audition scene at the film’s end, where Ruby sings Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides, Now” will go down as one of the most heartwarming movie scenes of the year.  With this sequence, Jones not only proves to be a great actress, but also a gifted singer, merging this talent with her acting abilities to create a moving, beautiful scene that will get a few tears flowing.

The whole family exhibits a wonderful dynamic that shows how close-knit they are, showing the love that they have for each other.  With Matlin, Kotsur, and Durant being hearing-impaired, every scene that they share with Jones develops their relationships further and further as we’re given a clear picture of what it means to be a CODA, all while Ruby’s family does what they can to go beyond their disability and stay connected with her.  There’s a genuine warmth to what these four actors and actresses present when bringing this family to realization on screen, offering a rich authenticity to its depiction of the day-to-day lives of this family.

Derbez offers terrific work as Ruby’s choir teacher, a man who gives her the push that she needs to realize her potential.  There’s a bit of an intimidation to his character’s strictness, but also a shade of humor that shows you that he’s in your corner and will stay there if he believes in you.  This is a passionate performance that shows how much Derbez’s character wants his students to value their talent and succeed, and you’ll feel a sense of hope whenever he works with Ruby to bring her closer to achieving her dream.

The screenplay by Heder, which is based on Êric Lartigau’s 2014 film, “La Famille Bélier,” offers a thorough window into the lives of Ruby and her family, showing her working on the water with her brother and father, her school life, and her personal life.  We see all of these aspects in equal measure, giving us a well-rounded view into the lifestyle of the characters at the center of this story as they try to overcome the issues that soon cause a rift between them. Heder’s able to bring moments that can either be humorous, dramatic, or heartwarming, making each of those kinds of moments memorable because of how real the characters seem and how close to them you become.

Heder’s direction never has the movie become too emotionally manipulative, but instead lets everything fall into place and hit a perfect note.  There’s the feel-good nature of the humor that’s included in all of the right moments, and then you have the poignancy of the drama as Ruby becomes impacted by the strain of being both dedicated to her family and striving for her artistic success.  With “CODA,” Heder welcomes you to experience this family’s special bond for two hours, and you’ll count yourself fortunate for having the chance of getting to know them. 

Grade: A