Coda: A Review
I loved this movie. There. I said it.
I didn’t even want to watch it, and that is why Ryan and I do this little exercise of watching as many Oscar-nominated films as we possibly can. Sure, we have to slog through a lot of stuff that isn’t to our taste, but we often find gems that we might not have watched otherwise.
Why did I not want to watch this movie? I didn’t know what it was about, and the movie poster looked like a Nicholas Sparks cover. I was scared. I shouldn’t have been. This is an uplifting film in the end. Coda means both Child of Deaf Parents and a concluding section to a piece of music. Fitting, then, the protagonist of the film, Ruby is a hearing child of deaf parents who loves to sing but is often tasked with translating for her parents.
I’m pretty hard on movies about teenagers because I used to teach high school. A lot of these protrayals are very Steve Buscemi “How do you do, fellow kids?” but this one captured the essence of wanting to fit in when you smell like fish and your deaf dad loves gangsta rap at ungodly levels because at least he can feel the bass while still loving your family. Coda captures all of the embarrassment of being a teenager without resulting to straight up bad decisions. If Ruby makes a bad decision, it’s almost always because it’s the least bad option she’s got.
The story is tight. The shots are great. Soundtrack is awesome. The performances are out of this world. This one is nominated for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor for Troy Kotsur who play’s Ruby’s dad. We need to have a chat, though.
How in heaven’s name did Emilia Jones not get a Best Actress nod? Girlfriend took nine months to learn ASL for the part. She learned how to operate a fishing trawler. She ditched her British accent for an American accent so believable I didn’t know she was British. She sang. AND she did a pitch perfect teen. Y’all. I have to believe that, once again, Oscar voters are not interested in the stories of women. Not really.
Similarly, Marlee Matlin more than deserved a Best Supporting nod. The way she played the mother as both insecure and overly demanding yet ultimately loving was just [chef’s kiss].
Finally, writer/director Sian Heder showed both incredible writing prowess and great directing abilities. She got a nod for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay, but…c’mon. Did she not get Best Director because she didn’t have enough trick shots? An awesome movie is an awesome movie is an awesome movie. I laughed. I cried. I did not once look at my watch.
This movie is for people who
love emotional stories full of nuanced performances
love movies where no second is wasted, you always know what’s going on, and you’re never bored
want to learn ASL for expressions like “shit nugget”
This movie is not for people who
don’t like fun? don’t enjoy family stories?
have a fear of fish
always want an unhappy ending
don’t want to know why God made farts smell (but you do)
#MondayMovies disclaimer: This blog is just for my thoughts. Sure, I’m a writer and an English major so I have some idea—we would hope—of how stories work. I’m also a flawed human being with my owns likes and dislikes, though, so please watch any movie you like and love it or hate it or just go for the popcorn. (Also, there will likely be a post a day leading up to the Oscars because I have quite a few films left)