CODA
Year: 2021
Rating: PG-13
Length: 111 minutes / 1.85 hours
Every once in a while, a movie comes along that’s surprisingly unique. Like, you would have thought such a plot would have existed a dozen times already, but Hollywood has only remade it once from a version that was initially in French. CODA (2021) is such a film. Sure, it has elements that are common to other dramatic films—like fishers, singers, and family dynamics. The combination of these things makes CODA stand out as unique to me. Not only does its double-meaning title elevate it above other movies, but its heartfelt content is something we need more of in this depressing world.
CODA‘s take on the “my family doesn’t understand my talent and is holding me back” cliche hits differently in this scenario. It’s not that Ruby (Emilia Jones) has a family that ignores her obvious talent for singing, it’s that they literally cannot understand how much better she is at singing than the average person. Since she is the only one in their family fishing boat who can communicate with others at the docks, they have placed an over-reliance on her ability, which traps her in the tough position of supporting her family versus pursuing her talent.
With so many movies focusing on broken families and people, CODA is a refreshing change of pace. Even with everyone else being deaf, Ruby loves her family, and they all love each other. Their struggle is not within their disability, but against the systems that attempt to hold them back. There’s deep emotion in having to choose between your family and your obvious talent, and CODA does this incredibly well by pushing Ruby to make this choice at every twist and turn of the plot. Funny, charming, emotional, and wholesome, CODA is an instant classic.
A fantastic and unique take on the “talented family member” trope, I give CODA 5.0 stars out of 5.
