CODA

 

CODA (Children of Deaf Adults)-Apple TV

CODA is an oasis from the current stream of mega movies of men and women in thighs trying to kill each other and bold muscle bound men driving muscle cars. The movie is tender and heart felt. It is funny and touching. For you wimps out there prepare to shed a tear.

Ruby Rossi, portrayed by Emalia Jones, is the only hearing member of her deaf family. From a young age the family depended on her as their interpreter. She works the fishing boat with her father and brother while also attending school. The irony and genius of the movie is that Rudy is a talented singer and wants to attend the elite Berklee College of Music in Boston. So how do her deaf parents appreciate her singing? That’s the tearjerker part.

Training to be a singer conflicts with her role as their interpreter. Her choir master played by Eugenio Derbez, with humor and empathy, comes off as an inflexible task master but is actually her cheer leader and supporter. Their interaction is a counter point to her responsibly to her family. The script meshes her singing ambitions with the pull of the family to keep her as their bridge to the hearing world. This is the dynamic of the movie.

The acting is outstanding. The signing is so express you almost do not need captions. Cursing and lewdness are much more graceful when signing. The movie is also funny. The deaf father likes gangster rap because he can feel the vibration of the bass.

The actors who portray Rudy’s mother, father and brother are actually deaf. Their interactions are  expressive and a joy to watch. Nothing is lost from the story due to the lack of words. CODA belongs in the same level as “Children of a Lessor God” and “The Miracle Worker”. An Academy nomination is not out of the question.

If you cannot crash with someone who has Apple TV, which is streaming CODA for free, pay for the ticket. It will be money well spent.