CODA

Starring: Emilia Jones, Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur, Daniel Durant, Eugenio Derbez, Lonnie Farmer, John Fiore, Kevin Chapman, Amy Forsyth
Directed by: Sian Heder
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Drama
2021

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Ruby (Emilia Jones), the only hearing person in her family, struggles between her sense of duty to the family's fishing business and her desire to sing in college.

Review:

Tim: CODA is a delightful little movie that punches above its weight class, scoring a big win for Apple+. It's a film that takes a powerful look at families, as well as those whose experiences of life are different from the majority of people. I thought the film came in just below "greatness", but it was a thoroughly enjoyable, entertaining movie. It's a film I would certainly recommend to others.

As I write this, Academy Award nominations came out yesterday. CODA received 3- Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Picture. I have to admit I was a little surprised by some of these, but it's a testament to how well this movie is resonating with people. It makes it a little tough for me to write this review- I want to highlight how I saw the film differently than others, but I don't want this to seem like a "negative" review. I am a big fan of this movie.

Let's start with Best Adapted Screenplay. This feels like the most obvious nomination to me. The script is incredibly powerful, giving us ample opportunity to connect with these characters and over the course of the film, to understand what it might be like for children who have deaf adults as parents. This isn't something I've spent much time considering. The movie is full of heart, humor, and it's easy to connect with the characters and become invested in their story. It's a wonderful script that immerses us into this world while keeping us entertained from the very start. The movie is especially good and the script is a big reason why.

The cast is so strong, too. Troy Kotsur is obviously getting a lot of acclaim, especially considering he's the first deaf actor to ever be nominated for an Academy Award. That's a major win for him and a somewhat sad reminder of how far Hollywood still needs to go in terms of representation. We need more Troy Kotsurs in the future. Now, Kotsur gives a very strong performance. It's heartfelt, emotional, and funny. It's the kind of supporting performance you dream of having in your film- Kotsur makes the film better, but doesn't completely steal the limelight from the main characters. When you consider the impact Kotsur makes with almost no dialogue, it's quite astounding. That's really what is so amazing about his performance. I admit, there were other supporting performances that impacted me more personally and powerfully this year. However, when I consider what Kotsur did here without being able to effortless rattle off dialogue like most supporting actors, it makes me very much in favor of this nomination.

I was a big fan of what Emilia Jones did here, too. Jones seems like she has the kind of talent that could launch her to the higher levels of Hollywood. It's a remarkably powerful performance for a still relatively young actress. I don't think this is the last we'll hear of Jones. She is really the audience's conduit into this world and does a fantastic job in the role. Her singing is excellent, but she is able to make a powerful connection with the audience, too. She shines in this film. I always love seeing Marlee Matlin. Matlin seems like she's the most prominent deaf actress in Hollywood history. The film was wise to bring her in here. While her character annoyed me, Matlin delivers her performance with confidence and style. She seems so comfortable in this character's skin. It's an impressive performance. I really liked Daniel Durant, too. It seems like with Jones, Kotsur, and Matlin, Durant can be easy to overlook. This would be a major mistake. Durant conveys a ton of emotion in his role. I actually thought he did that better than Kotsur at times. His performance often feels raw and you can't help but connect with his character, trying to make his way in a world that wasn't designed for someone like him to succeed. These four actors work brilliantly together and felt like an authentic family. I thought Eugenio Derbez did a nice job, too. His performance occasionally felt forced, but he had some powerful moments with Jones, too. Truly, the cast is what makes this film.

The Best Picture nomination surprised me some. I have to admit, I thought very differently to many Academy voters this awards season. I really liked CODA and I loved what it did for representation and highlighting deaf people, who so rarely show up in Hollywood movies. I really did care about the characters and I was invested in their story. The movie is really, really good. However, it felt like it was missing those elements that propel it to greatness. There were too many scenes that felt forced and inauthentic. The ending was strong, but it didn't deliver that powerful punch it needed to. There's more than few spots where the story seems to move too slowly forward. I thought it was a really good film, but not a great one. Normally, I'd only support a film like this getting nominated for Best Picture. Truly, that nomination will do a lot of good. If it encourages more people to check this film out, to reflect on the life experiences of people different than themselves, if it allows more non-hearing people to see themselves reflected on the big screen, there's only upside for the nomination. My only quibble is that I personally believe there were better-made movies that missed out on the nomination. There's other films that I thought deserved this spot more (Tick, Tick...Boom! for example). Still, that's not this film's fault.

I was a big fan of CODA and I appreciated the film quite a lot. It's well worth seeing and a truly entertaining movie. It's a big win for Apple's streaming service and it's a powerful step forward for representation in Hollywood. I hope we get more movies like this.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Children of a Lesser God, Tick,Tick...Boom!