At some point in everyone’s life, you may feel like the person on the outside looking in. Whether it be at school, work, or in your own family, there may be something about you that different that sticks out. In Coda (an acronym for children of deaf adults), high-schooler Ruby Rossi (Emilia Jones, Locke and Key) is that outsider. She gets up every morning to catch fish with her deaf father and brother, goes to school, and is made fun of by the popular students for having deaf parents and speaking funny when she was younger, and hiding an amazing talent because she is afraid to put herself out there. This may sound like your typical underdog story where a young talent pulls herself up and becomes a star, and in some ways, you may be right, but Coda feels more genuine thanks to the stellar cast and the writing and directing of Orange Is the New Black veteran Sian Heder.
As you follow Ruby’s journey from girl-on-a-fishing boat to a top-level singer, Emilia Jones absolutely nails every single beat. You feel for her when she runs out of the classroom in embarrassment when she doesn’t want the spotlight on her, and you cheer her on when she nails the big solo. Eugenio Derebez as choir teacher Mr. V. steals almost if not all of, the scenes he is featured in. He acts as both a no-nonsense guiding light for Ruby while also playing a dry comic relief that balanced out the story perfectly. Being surrounded by legendary deaf actors like Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur, and Daniel Durant gives the film an overall sense of authenticity that boosts that overall quality of the film just that much more. Kostur especially as Ruby’s father Frank gives one of the best performances of the film, with an especially touching scene between Frank and Ruby during a crucial moment of the film that had this particular reviewer with a tear rolling down his cheek. When someone tells me to bring tissues to a movie, I have a tendency to put on a tough-guy facade to prove a point, but congrats to Heder for breaking me.
The film is also shot very well, with a keen eye on details. Heder was adamant about filming in Gloucester, Massachusetts, a known harbor town to give the movie that added level of realism that you wouldn’t have had with filming elsewhere. If there is an issue that I do have, it is with the structure of the second act and how the story feels like it doesn’t have focus. We go from Ruby’s issues with the family, her crush on her duet partner Miles, the on-going struggles between her family and the fishing company they work for, and her life in general that it may be seen by some as too messy, and to an extent, I felt that way as well, but the point is that life is messy. There is no easy way to get through things when you have so many weights on your shoulders, and when Ruby finally breaks, there is a domino effect that gets us to a stellar third act.
Overall, Coda balances a well-told story with impressive acting and an authentic feel. Kudos to Sian Heder for creating this absolute beauty of a film. Coda premiered on Thursday, January 28th.
Sean is a movie blogger and frequent contributor to Mad About Movies. His website can be found at moviebirb.com.