Skip to main content

CODA (2021)


CODA is a 2021 coming-of-age comedy-drama film written and directed by Sian Heder. An English-language remake of the 2014 French-Belgian film La Famille Bélier, it stars Emilia Jones as the titular child of deaf adults (CODA). CODA won numerous accolades. At the 94th Academy Awards, the film won all three of its nominations – Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (for Kotsur), and Best Adapted Screenplay – becoming the first film distributed by a streaming service to win Best Picture.

As a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) Ruby is the only hearing person in her deaf family. When the family's fishing business is threatened, Ruby finds herself torn between pursuing her passion at Berklee College of Music and her fear of abandoning her parents.

Freddy and Krasnaya Movie Review
***SPOILER ALERT***

A Heartwarming Remake


FREDDY:
CODA is a light and heartwarming movie with an interesting coming of age conflict to be resolved. I honestly thought that this movie would suck after looking at the movie poster and knowing that there was going to be singing. But the movie got me. It got me good. I loved that family. This movie might have its cheap moments, but the subject matter related to the main characters made everything feel fresh. Old, "ancient" jokes worked again. And the usual vomiting tender family moments (I'm a cynical human being) felt sweet.
KRASNAYA:
Hey Freddy! So we are moving on and today is CODA - the 2022 Oscar winner for Best Picture! I've found out again, that like the previous movie we watched (Nightmare Alley) this one is also a remake. The original was a French movie - La famille Bélier (2014). Although Sian Heder went much further than the original movie, she only wanted to cast deaf actors for the roles of the members of the Rossi family. The movie is very kind and incredibly touching; there are many moments that make me smile. And there are many moments that may make someone want to wipe a tear from their eyes. There is a lot of music and singing in the film, but the film as a whole is not about music or singing at all. It is about the life of an ordinary person in a not quite ordinary family. And during the credits roll I realized that I never even thought about how deaf people communicate with their ordinary loved ones.
Father explains the importance of using a condom
That one time in Vietnam 🤣

Accessibility and Representation


FREDDY:
The movie's subject, in my opinion, is important to be talked about. I've worked for 3 years with people with disabilities. Deaf people have it easy on them in comparison to, let's say tetraplegics. What I want to say is that it is important to understand that deaf people are totally independent and don't need our pity, but we can surely help by insisting on creating a more accessible world for everyone. Unfortunately, seeing what's happening today, I feel we are far from building a compassionate world and letting humanity show its better side. Seems like we roam in that opposite direction. The one the Nazis were so fond of. Thus, the importance of this movie, and why I think the Oscar for best picture is well deserved. Don't get me wrong. This isn't the only reason for the golden statue. There's a great story and wonderful acting in this movie. Troy Kotsur won a well-deserved Oscar for his role as the father; his character was very charismatic.
KRASNAYA:
Totally agree with you, dear Freddy! All the actors did a great job; they managed to open each character fully. The film really hooked me at the moment of the concert. The first time is when Ruby's father sees everyone clapping to the beat, and he wants to do it too. But no matter how hard he tries, he can't catch the rhythm. And what made this scene great was the muting of the sound during the singing.
Deaf people clapping to the beat
Needs more bass.

Universal Language and Final Thoughts


FREDDY:
I liked that scene very much, but that final moment with Ruby (Emilia Jones) and her father was the one that got me good 😢. One thing that we were discussing related to this movie's subject was that there is no universal sign language. Has this even been talked about before? Wouldn't that be great to create?! Not only for deaf people, but because it would be really worth teaching this in schools? I can only see a huge upgrade in humanity's intelligence with a program like this. I got a little sidetracked in our talk about the movie, but I can conclude by saying that it was a very uplifting experience.
KRASNAYA:
After thinking about universal sign language, I decided that it's probably good to have different ones as we ordinary people do. We definitely recommend watching this movie! CODA is a kind and life-affirming film that will not leave you indifferent.
Touching moment CODA
This MF scene got me good...

Krasnaya's Score

87/100

Freddy's Score

72/100

FINAL SCORE


INTERVIEW WITH SIAN HEDER

CAST INTERVIEW

BEHIND THE SCENES

More from Cine It

Drama Movies List

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Sentimental Value (2025)

Plot Summary: A film director wants to make a movie. His family has feelings about it. Two hours and thirteen minutes pass. Acclaimed by everyone except me. Norwegian Title: Affeksjonsverdi Director: Joachim Trier Writers: Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier Producers: Maria Ekerhovd, Andrea Berentsen Ottmar Cinematography: Kasper Tuxen Editing: Olivier Bugge Coutté Music: Hania Rani Starring: Renate Reinsve as Nora Borg Stellan Skarsgård as Gustav Borg Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas as Agnes Borg Pettersen Elle Fanning as Rachel Kemp Anders Danielsen Lie as Jakob Jesper Christensen as Michael   ⚠️ SPOILER ALERT ⚠️ A Universally Acclaimed Snoozefest Today I bring you the movie... let me check my notes again. Ah, right: Sentimental Value. What a boooooring movie. That's it, thank you for reading. But seriously, le...

The Score (2001)

Plot Summary: Nick Wells, a veteran safe-cracker ready to retire and settle with his girlfriend Diane, is pulled into one last heist by his fence Max. Partnered with ambitious thief Jack Teller, they aim to steal a priceless French scepter from the Montreal Customs House, facing tension, trust issues, and betrayal. Director: Frank Oz Producers: Gary Foster, Lee Rich Screenplay: Kario Salem (story and screenplay), Daniel E. Taylor (story), Lem Dobbs, Scott Marshall Smith Starring: Robert De Niro as  Nick Wells Edward Norton as Jack Teller/Brian Marlon Brando as Max,  Angela Bassett as Diane   ***SPOILER ALERT*** A Heist Worth the Hype Finally got around to continuing my Frank Oz film journey, and tonight’s pick was The Score. A two-hour-and-forty-minute heist flick that I had been saving for when I had some serious sp...

The Celebration (1998)

Plot Summary: A wealthy Danish patriarch gathers his family at his remote country hotel to celebrate his 60th birthday. His eldest son, Christian, uses the celebratory toast to drop a bomb: a public accusation of childhood sexual abuse. The family proceeds to completely implode. Danish Title: Festen Director: Thomas Vinterberg (uncredited, per the rules of Dogme 95) Writers: Thomas Vinterberg, Mogens Rukov Cinematography: Anthony Dod Mantle Editing: Valdís Óskarsdóttir Music: Lars Bo Jensen Starring: Ulrich Thomsen as Christian Klingenfeldt-Hansen Henning Moritzen as Helge, Christian's father Thomas Bo Larsen as Michael, Christian's brother Paprika Steen as Helene, Christian's sister Birthe Neumann as Else, Christian's mother Trine Dyrholm as Pia, the waiter close to Christian   ⚠️ SPOILER ALERT ⚠️ A 9...

The Idiots (1998)

Plot Summary: A group of able-bodied adults living in a commune on the outskirts of Copenhagen spend their days pretending to be mentally disabled in public, a practice they call "spazzing." When a quiet, reserved woman named Karen wanders into their world, the group's provocations begin to unravel into something far more raw and devastating. Danish Title: Idioterne Director: Lars von Trier (uncredited; under Dogme 95 rules) Writer: Lars von Trier Producer: Vibeke Windeløv Starring: Bodil Jørgensen as Karen Jens Albinus as Stoffer Anne Louise Hassing as Susanne Troels Lyby as Henrik Nikolaj Lie Kaas as Jeppe Louise Mieritz as Josephine Henrik Prip as Ped   ⚠️ SPOILER ALERT ⚠️ Diving into the Dogma (and the Depravity) Hello dear reader! Today I found some time to write a review on last night's movie, The Idiots (1998...

From Beijing With Love (1994)

Plot Summary: A bumbling, small-town pork butcher is secretly Agent Ling-ling-chat, China's answer to 007. Sent to recover a stolen dinosaur skull, he's armed with gadgets that do the wrong job, a partner who wants him dead, and a total absence of anything resembling competence. Carnage and absurdity ensue. Chinese Title: 國產凌凌漆 (Guóchǎn Línglíngqī) Directors: Stephen Chow, Lee Lik-chi Writers: Stephen Chow, Roman Cheung / Vincent Kok, Lee Lik-chi Producers: Charles Heung, Jimmy Heung Music: William Hu Starring: Stephen Chow as Ling-ling-chat Anita Yuen as Lee Heung-kam Law Kar-ying as Tat Man-sai Wong Kam-kong as Golden Gun Pauline Chan as Mystery Woman Lee Lik-chi as Executed Martial Arts Master   ⚠️ SPOILER ALERT ⚠️ 007, Campiness, and The Shoe That Is A Hairdryer Today I'm continuing my exploration of Stephen...

CJ7 (2008)

Plot Summary: A poor construction worker and his young son struggle to make ends meet in a cramped, crumbling house. When the boy discovers a mysterious alien creature from a trash heap, he names it CJ7 and hopes it will grant him superpowers, instead he gets a poop machine gun and a broken heart. Chinese Title: 長江7號 (Cháng Jiāng 7 Hào) Director: Stephen Chow Writers: Stephen Chow, Vincent Kok, Tsang Kan-Cheong, Sandy Shaw Lai-King, Fung Chi-Keung, Lam Fung Producers: Stephen Chow, Han Sanping, Po-Chu Chui Cinematography: Poon Hang-Sang Music: Raymond Wong Ying-Wah Starring: Stephen Chow as Ti Xu Jiao as Dicky Zhang Yuqi as Ms. Yuen Lam Chi-chung as Ti's Construction Boss Jiro Lee as Mr. Cao   ⚠️ SPOILER ALERT ⚠️ A Traumatic Trip Down Memory Lane I only have two more Stephen Chow movies left to watch to complete h...