Movie Profile: CODA (2021)
| Attribute | Details |
| Title | CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) |
| Release Date | August 13, 2021 (Apple TV+ / Theaters) |
| Director | Sian Heder |
| Writer | Sian Heder (Based on the 2014 French film La Famille Bélier) |
| Genre | Coming-of-Age, Comedy, Drama, Music |
| Runtime | 111 minutes |
| Distributor | Apple Original Films |
| Lead Cast |
• Emilia Jones (Ruby Rossi) • Troy Kotsur (Frank Rossi) • Marlee Matlin (Jackie Rossi) • Daniel Durant (Leo Rossi) • Eugenio Derbez (Bernardo “Mr. V” Villalobos) • Ferdia Walsh-Peelo (Miles) |
| Major Accolades |
• Academy Awards: Won Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Troy Kotsur), Best Adapted Screenplay • BAFTA Awards: Won Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay • Sundance Film Festival: Grand Jury Prize, Audience Award, Directing Award |
Trailer
Plot Overview
Seventeen-year-old Ruby Rossi (Emilia Jones) is the only hearing member of a culturally Deaf family living in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Her days begin at dawn working on her family’s fishing boat alongside her father, Frank (Troy Kotsur), and older brother, Leo (Daniel Durant), before heading to high school. Because of her unique role as the family’s sole link to the hearing world, Ruby acts as an indispensable interpreter for her parents in everyday life, business, and legal matters.
Seeking an elective at school, Ruby joins the choir, where her passionate music teacher, Bernardo Villalobos (Eugenio Derbez), recognizes her exceptional singing talent. Mr. V pushes Ruby to audition for the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston and pair up with her classmate Miles (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) for a duet.
As the audition approaches, Ruby finds herself torn between two obligations: pursuing her dream of studying music or staying behind to help her family keep their struggling fishing business afloat amidst strict regulatory enforcement.
Key Themes & Historical Impact
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Title Significance: CODA stands for “Child of Deaf Adults,” a term describing hearing individuals who are raised by one or more Deaf parents.
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Authentic Deaf Representation: Unlike many past Hollywood productions, Deaf characters in CODA were portrayed by Deaf actors (Troy Kotsur, Marlee Matlin, and Daniel Durant). American Sign Language (ASL) is featured prominently as a primary language of dialogue.
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Historic Oscar Win: Troy Kotsur became the first Deaf male actor to win an Academy Award for Acting (Best Supporting Actor). The film also made history as the first movie distributed by a streaming service (Apple TV+) to win Best Picture.