Coda Review

3.5 Stars

A Coda is the concluding passage of a musical piece or movement, typically forming an addition to the basic structure.  This, of course, has a triple-meaning in the Best Picture nominated film Coda.  The Rossi family are a fishing family in Gloucester, Massachusetts.  And everyone pitches in, including 17 year old high school student Ruby (Emilia Jones).  Unlike the rest of her family, Ruby has dreams outside of the fishing business: she loves music and wants to study it in college.  But that's not all the separates her from the rest of her family.  Her father Frank (Troy Kotsur), her mother Jackie (Marlee Matlin), and her brother Leo (Daniel Durant) are all deaf.  CODA is also an acronym for Child Of Deaf Adults.  There's your triple-meaning: the musical meaning, the acronym, and an allusion to the ending of the movie - the concluding passage that is an addition to the basic structure.

Coda was written and directed by Sian Heder earning her Oscar nominations for Best Picture of the Year and Best Adapted Screenplay.  Troy Kotsur also earned himself a nomination for Best Supporting Actor.   This is only Heder's second motion picture she directed, though she's been in the industry as an actress, writer and director for quite some time.  

This film was actually strongly recommended by my friend Erika and I should have watched this long ago.  Coda is a heartwarming, sincere, humorous drama about a girl torn between her family duty and her passion to live her own life.  

Emilia Jones was fantastic as Ruby.  Word is that she spent months learning sign language and fishing for the role.  And it paid off.  This is just the beginning of much more that we're going to see from this young actress.  Marlee Matlin was great as the matriarch of the family.  The logical one.  The one trying to be the glue holding the family together.  Unfortunately, that sometimes came at the expense of encouraging Ruby to follow her dreams.  Daniel Durant was honest and believable as brother Leo, trying to step up and be the leader he knew he could be, though no one else would give him a chance to shine.  Troy Kotsur was genius as the father Frank.  He was hilarious with his delivery and timing and expressions.  And the choir teacher, Bernardo Villalobos (Eugenio Derbez) was charming, for the most part.  At times, he was an exaggerated caricature of the stereotypical eccentric fallen Broadway star settling on a career as a high school choir teacher.  But most of the time, his true passion for pure music and talent made up for it.

The family is funny.  Their dynamic reminded me of the relationship between Emma Stone, Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson in Easy A.  There is a scene at the doctor's office where Ruby must translate the graphic description her father details to describe his medical ailment around his private parts.  There is another scene at the dinner table where Frank and Jackie are helping Leo decide who to swipe left or right on as he scrolls through profiles on the Tinder dating app.  Ruby asks why listening to music is rude at the table, but Tinder is okay.  Jackie responds, "Tinder is something we can do as a family."  

Ruby begins to take private singing lessons from Mr. Villalobos to help her audition for a scholarship to Berklee Music School in Boston.  Her increased duties with the family cause her to miss lessons and Mr. V begins to question her dedication.  The family decides to self-distribute their own fish and enlist the cooperation of other fishermen tired of being ripped off at the docks.  And, after a government monitor's interference, a court decrees that there must be a hearing-capable person on the boat at all times.  Ruby decides to give up on Berklee and stay to help the family.  And they appreciate her sacrifice . . . until Frank sees her perform and truly understands what she is about to give up.

I don't want to give too much away.  I'll just add that the soundtrack to Coda was superb.  I'll be honest, I enjoyed this movie more than I thought I was going to.  I didn't have any inclination I wouldn't enjoy it, but I did like it more than anticipated.  That being said, I'm raising my prediction of 3 Stars and giving Coda a 3.5 Star rating.  Though I did enjoy it, I'll probably watch it again, but it probably won't find a home in my permanent collection, and those are the biggest criteria in my rating system.    So, what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see . . .