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“Coda” is a small movie, beautifully made. Touching, funny and touching, it would be the kind of movie you would recommend to a friend to run outside and watch, except they just have to stay home and get ready to stream it on Apple TV+.
The tech giant’s streaming service stepped up to buy the film for what Deadline reportedly was a record-breaking sum coming out of the Sundance Film Festival, and at a time when there’s a lot of money thrown into such acquisitions — in pursuit of prestige, attention, or a bit of both – this one actually looks money well spent.
The streaming environment also saves the movie — reminiscent of the old Hallmark Hall of Fame TV movies — from competing in the rough and tumble of the theatrical space, though that could also exacerbate the challenge when the awards show rolls around.
Adapted by writer-director Siân Heder from a 2014 French film, the title refers to an acronym for child of deaf adults – in this case Ruby (newcomer Emilia Jones, an actress with a very bright future), a high school student who served as a translator for her parents (Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur) and older brother (Daniel Durant), who is also deaf.
However, the title is also a nod to Ruby’s passion, oddly enough, singing, a talent recognized and fostered by her new choral teacher (Eugenio Derbez), who pressures her to really give her artistry a chance.
The trouble is, unfortunately, her family’s fishing business in Gloucester, Massachusetts, has been going through a rough patch, and Ruby’s help navigating the hearing world seems more important than ever. In addition, the family is largely baffled, and even a little hurt, by her interest in a hobby they cannot possibly appreciate.
Apple TV+
Emilia Jones and Eugenio Derbez in ‘Coda’, which premieres on Apple TV+.
“If I were blind, would you like to paint?” asks her mother.
That’s just one of the many lines in “Coda” that resonate even more after a first viewing, like Ruby remembering “talking funny” when she went to school, having no talking models at home, and dealing with people who mocking her family, noting, “They can’t hear it, but I can.”
Like another recent indie film, “Sound of Metal,” “Coda” also makes brilliant use of sound, including the lack of it, to illustrate the hurdles associated with being deaf in a hearing world. Perhaps most impressively, the film fleshes out all the characters, even the adorable classmate (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) who prompts Ruby to try rather impulsively for chorus in the first place. (A scene where Ruby’s father interrogates the boy, much to her chagrin, is one of the comedic highlights.)
What might feel cliche at various twists and turns, deftly avoids that, by capturing Ruby’s plight in a way reminiscent of some coming-of-age stories, while still feeling unexpectedly fresh and distinctive. There have been a number of top-notch movies about teenage girls in recent years, but few that were better.
Admittedly, there’s a pretty long history of festival buffs not shining as brightly once exposed to harsh daylight. “Coda,” on the other hand, deserves all the applause — or any of the signs used to express approval — that has come its way.
“Coda” premieres on Apple TV+ on August 13.
