Review: CODA

Ruby (Emilia Jones) is the only hearing person in her family. She's torn between protecting them and being their interpreter, and fulfilling her own private dream of singing and going to music school. 

Right off the bat, this movie has every single family drama-lite trope in the book. If you think you're missing one, you'll get to it eventually. BUT that's okay! The fact that this film highlights the deaf community so well makes it a joy to watch. 

I loved the family dynamic here. Dad Frank, (Troy Kotsur) is hilarious and at times inappropriate. Mom Jackie (Marlee Maitlin) can be a little self absorbed but you can tell she's running a lot of things behind the scenes, and brother Leo (Daniel Durant) just wants to make it on his own without having to rely on his little sister. There's also a great report between Ruby and her drama teacher. (Eugenio Derbez) 

I have to talk about our star, Emilia Jones. Unlike her character in the film, she is not a child of deaf adults. In fact, she's a British girl who had to learn how to sign and sing for this movie specifically. She does both of these things so seamlessly I assumed she had deaf family members, but she doesn't. That's a huge undertaking.

Sometimes you just need a feel good movie even if it's not the most groundbreaking piece of cinema you've seen in a while, and we as movie watchers definitely need more films starring deaf actors. This is currently available on Apple TV, and if you don't have a subscription, it's worth the $4.99 price tag to get it for a month. 

Recommended: Yes

Grade: A-

Memorable Quote: "I like rap music, makes my ass vibrate." - Frank (Troy Kotsur)