CODA is the next great film to watch on Apple + TV. Ruby Rossi played by Emilia Jones is a seventeen-year-old girl who’s dealt with the struggle of being the only hearing member of her family and aiding her deaf parents and brother by interpreting for them with their fishing business. Soon after joining her high school choir, Ruby faces an internal struggle to prioritize her family, or entertain the possibilities of college driven by her strong singing ability. CODA means child of deaf parents; this movie is based on the 2014 French film La Famille Bélier. This film is telling an authentic story and filled with American Sign Language (ASL) bringing the struggles, simplicities, and realities of the deaf community to the forefront.
As Ruby develops her singing voice and discovers her love of singing, Ruby’s family is hit with harsher restrictions from the businessmen who take a portion of the fishermen’s profits. Ruby’s teacher provides guidance and support, encouraging Ruby to practice vocal exercises and to hone her craft, which competes with her time to help her family interpret meetings and everyday tasks that require the Rossi family to interact with hearing people in their town.
The film shows the raw and real hurdles the deaf community faces and how Ruby’s loyalty to her family has stifled her ability to pursue her personal endeavor to sing a duet for a concert and audition for Berklee College of Music. Will Ruby stay with her family as they struggle to keep their fishing business and means to earn a living afloat? Or will she choose to do something with her singing talent and leave her family for college?
The film takes place in beautiful Gloucester, Massachusetts. We see scenic views and the hours of work it takes the family to caught and sell fish in their local town. The Rossi family’s day begins early (3:00am to be exact.) Ruby waking up early before school to be on board the ship with her father and brother as their interpreter and deckhand.
The family was cast by all deaf individuals who sign ASL. Ruby’s parents played by Academy Award winning and Golden Globe winning actress Marlee Matlin (Jackie Rossi best known for her roles in Children of A Lessor God and Switched At Birth), dad, Frank Rossi played by Troy Kosner, and brother (Leo Rossi) played by Daniel Durant. The story showed how heavily Ruby’s family relies on her and the challenges the teen has finding time to focus on her voice as well as connecting to her family. There is an excellent tone and use of sound (or lack thereof) in the film that really conveys how Ruby and her family differ.
Ruby was teased in school for speaking like a deaf person because she was raised two deaf parents. She was not interested in studies after high school for that reason. However, with the help of her music teacher Mr. Bernardo Villalobos (played by), Ruby begins to believe in herself as a person with a gift for singing and the possibility of a future outside of helping her family’s fishing work. The beauty of this story is the unfolding of the family’s and how they come to see each other different light. I always hope for a happy ending and without giving it away, I think you’ll be pleased to see how this family learns to relate to each other and show the familial love that bonds siblings, parents, and children despite differences. The singing scenes with Emilia are total gripping, and we even get a chance to see her sing and sign simultaneously. Clearly, Emilia Jones did an outstanding job singing, signing, and portraying a typical teenager facing obstacles your average teenager would not while also showing many of the challenges the deaf community face daily. Her performance struck a code with emotional scenes and laugh out loud scenes. I was truly impressed by all the actors of the Rossi family (Emilia Jones, Marlee Martin, Troy Kosner, and Daniel Durant.) They’re funny and loving – much like a real family would be.
This is a story about a family. A coming-of-age film and dramedy of a rocky journey with a beautiful ending. How do you think the family deals with a sea monitor and the coast guard? Will the family be able to come out from the under fees and strict restrictions set by authorities? Will Ruby’s family understand her love of singing and support her? Does Ruby have a chance to go to Berklee and if she did, what would her family do if they can’t afford a hearing person as their deck hand?
No spoiler alerts here. I rate Sundance film CODA, directed by Sian Heder, a nine out of 10 for its character depth, humor, and storytelling magic. Be sure to sit down and watch CODA on Apple TV+, its worth it!
