OSCARS 2022: CODA (2021)

We don't normally associate the term "remake" with quality. Usually, we movie nerds think of remakes as easy cash-ins that besmirch the legacy of the film they're attached to. But this is not always the case. In fact, in the year of our lord 2022, the Academy has nominated three remakes for Best Picture, the most prestigious achievement in Hollywood. Of this unexpected trio, "CODA" is the most low-key. I didn't even know it was a remake until doing the research for this review. I don't know how many people are aware of "La Famille Belier," the 2014 French feature it is inspired by. Yet, like all the remakes nominated at the Oscars this year, some important elements distinguish this remake from its original. "La Famille Belier" cast hearing actors as deaf characters while "CODA" uses deaf actors in all the accompanying parts. 

Sixteen year old Ruby is the youngest member of the Rossi family. Her father Frank, mother Jackie, and brother Leo are all deaf. As the sole hearing person in her family, Ruby often acts as the sign language interpreter for her parents. This becomes especially important as Frank, a fisherman, attempts to launch a co-share with the other disgruntled fishermen in the area. Yet Ruby has her own aspirations. She dreams of becoming a singer. After joining her school choir, she meets a teacher willing to tutor and push her towards achieving this goal. Soon, she's pulled between what's best for her and what's best for her family.

"CODA" tackles a challenge a lot of young people go through during this point in her life. Ruby wants to forge her own life but feels compelled to help her family out, to support the people who have supported her all these years. That's all a part of growing up. Yet this familiar path is compounded as Ruby's role as the titular child of deaf adults. Her parents really do need her. This is made abundantly clear during a scene where the coastguard tracks down Frank's boat, as Ruby isn't around to hear the radio or messages. The role she serves in her family isn't just emotional but practical, as she's the bridge that connects them with the hearing world. This makes the choice she has to make, that all teenagers have to make, and her parents' ability to accept this choice, much more difficult. It's a compelling story to tell.

I like Ruby a lot. Watching her come into her own, overcoming her nervousness and learning to embrace her talent for music, is nice. The relationship she forges with her eccentric and energetic music teacher, Mr. Villalobos, is entertaining. The specific ways he breaks through her insecurities and teaches her to believe in herself are fine. So is the budding romance she shares with Miles, her duet partner. Yet none of this stuff is anything we haven't seen play out in a hundred other coming-of-age movies. "CODA" executes its material well, with charm and humor, but this portion of the film is not its most interesting.

Unsurprisingly, "CODA" is most compelling when taking the audience inside the deaf experience. We see the struggles and prejudice the Rossi family face every day, trying to make people understand them or dealing with ignorance. The film's most effective scene takes place at Rudy's song recital, taking us inside Frank's head and experiencing the silence he lives with all the time. Yet “CODA” isn't just a pity-inducing special interest story. It's a film that also seeks to humanize deaf people. Ruby's parents are very in love and very attracted to each other, sharing an enthusiastic sex life. Frank has a ribald sense of humor, that he often shows. Leo is proud and tough, not beyond bar room brawls and hooking up with cute bartenders. These are complicated people, with multifaceted personalities, and that's the kind of depiction that everyone deserves. 

The cast here is quite capable. Emilia Jones is fantastic as Ruby. Disguising her natural English accent with a convincing Massachusetts one, Jones is the kind of teen heroine the audience is happy to follow on her journey. She's got attitude, a sarcastic wit, but she's vulnerable too. And there's no denying that the girl can sing her heart out. Eugenio Derbez gets the showiest performance, as the enthusiastic music teacher who has to break through his student's insecurities to reach them. Of course, the film is a special display for deaf actors, who rarely get a chance to show off. Troy Kotsur, as Frank, has such a distinctive style to himself that he proves immediately compelling. Daniel Durant makes himself very clear as Leo. And, of course, Marlee Matlin is here, playing a mother who has a lot of doubts but always loves her kids. “CODA” makes a case for American Sign Language as an art form onto itself, a rhythmic dance of the hands that allows people to express themselves. 

I have no doubt that “CODA” will be a big deal for the people in the deaf communities. It's the kind of representation on-screen that deaf people are rarely granted. It's also a standard crowd-pleaser in a lot of ways, with a number of moments that pull at your heartstrings. Those moments are earned and I found myself really enjoying “CODA.” It doesn't reinvent the wheel but functions well throughout its whole run time, while also providing exposure for a talented group that is often left out of the cultural conversation. That, I think, makes “CODA” more important than it is good, though I've got no regrets about watching it either. [7/10]