CODA (2021) User Reviews

Very Very good - My story in a movie

[waelageez · 9/10 · 13 August 2021]

Me and my brother grow up in a family with both of my parents deaf, both of us were born not deaf and we had to go through the same thing that the movie captured, people used to laugh at us and our parents and we were young and we couldn't even understand why we were treated differently.

The movie truly is a masterpiece with the acting specially the deaf acting and the way they described how deaf people live their life is very realistic.

CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) The story of Ruby, a child who grow up in a deaf family, they depended on her as she the only one who could speak, and when she found her passion about singing, she has to decide whether she continue helping her family or leave them for college.

It's enjoyable and different I highly recommend this movie.

I WASN'T GOING TO CRY, BUT THEN THEY DEPLOYED THE JONI MITCHELL.

[andrewchristianjr · 9/10 · 2 September 2021]

A captivating and heart-warming coming of age story, with a perfect, powerful and earnest performance from Emilia Jones. It does a fantastic job of expressing its themes of family and chasing your dreams, whilst balancing it with some hilarious comedic moments. A definitely must see.

Lovely, warm and humorous

[ayushparasar · 9/10 · 9 August 2022]

So far the best movie I've watched from the Academy award nominees. Won't be surprised if it gets one! (And.... it did win)

CODA means Child Of Deaf Adults. Imagine being a CODA and a singer.

Imagine not being able to feel the one thing your child is good at, what a weird feeling it can be. The concert scene from the parents' pov had me all teared up.

The movie has right amounts of all the things - laughter, romance, tension in family(you'll relate to this more if you're Asian) and is well directed in so that you never feel disconnected/ disinterested because of a basic story.

CODA is somewhat a similar coming of age story to Little Miss Sunshine and makes you value and support your family more!

Watch this with your close ones and you'll feel the emotions manifold :) P. S. I'm still laughing thinking about the small dog, medium dog, big dog scene!!!

Not Just Another Coming of Age Story...

[Xstal · 9/10 · 13 August 2021]

A hearing girl in a deaf family, restricted by her dynamic, silenced by her surroundings with potential and passion attenuated, battles to be heard, but oh what a song she finally sings - absolutely outstanding, with some of the finest, most sincere and most genuine performances you'll find. Take it to your heart and let it dwell.

Formulaic Yet Heartwarming

[ThomasDrufke · 9/10 · 31 December 2021]

There's nothing wrong with making a predictable and formulaic film, as long as you succeed in producing the emotion and reaction out of your audience. You can see where CODA is going, but it's so effective at what it does. There's a few laugh out loud moments (which I didn't expect) and the 3rd act is just as moving as films like Almost Famous and Sing Street, both movies with similar music/dream themes. There's something about those types of stories that appeal to me more than most people.

9.3/10.

Beautiful

[Gordon-11 · 20 August 2021]

This is a beautiful and heart warming film about a teenage girl in a marginalised family. I am very happy that someone made a film about the challenges of a marginalised and forgotten group.

Woooooooooooow

[allilly · 10/10 · 21 August 2022]

This movie reflects our life and problems, in some scenes they makes me cry and in others makes laugh, but it was such great movie .........................................................................................

Quality film with a great leading performance

[philipbartleyh · 7/10 · 24 August 2021]

I was very impressed by this film. Gives a great insight into the joys and struggles faced from both sides, that of the young girl and of her deaf family, and the predicament they face about their future's. There's some great humour in the film and also some touching, emotional scenes. It's a beautiful film. I would recommend to all, young and old.

CODA

[henry8-3 · 7/10 · 13 March 2022]

Emilia Jones plays Ruby, a CODA (Child of a deaf Adult) who longs to go to college to study music. Her teacher realises her great singing gift and supports her, but she cannot abandon her totally deaf family for whom she acts as full time translator, particular as their fishing business appears to be going under.

One of those truly charming, beautifully acted films that leaves you wanting more. It's largely free of sentimentality, produces some great laughs and is gloriously acted by Jones, her family, all played by deaf actors and Eugenio Derbez as her grumpy heart of gold teacher. It offers great insights into the problems of being deaf in a modern world and the impossible position Ruby is in in having to chose between 2 great loves. The music here is lovely - Jones can really sing - apart from it all seemingly being tied up rather too neatly at the end, it is one of the funnest, most moving films of the year that could easily have been spoiled with too much treacle.

heart touching

[amarjaat-88279 · 10/10 · 13 August 2022]

CODA is a really heart touching movie. All the characters did their best work and salute to the writer - director because it's not easy to make a very simple movie. Making a film with gimmicks is very easy but making a simple movie needs a special talent.

Must watch.

Ifyou liked La Famille Bélier you will like this one as well.

[deloudelouvain · 7/10 · 31 October 2021]

The story of Coda is a bit cliché. Just by reading the ingredients you can already see where this movie is going. So no real surprises in Coda, you will exactly know the outcome way long before the ending. That said it's still an enjoyable movie to watch. A little bit emotional sometimes, which is almost normal as you feel compassion for the deaf people and certainly for the daughter that has a lot on her plate. Maybe a bit too much singing in my opinion but that's just because I'm not a big fan of singing in movies unless it's the music that I like but that's not likely to happen given my taste of music. Coda is predictable but it doesn't really matter as the acting is really good and that from the whole cast. Certainly worth a watch.

La Famille Bélier but American

[arizonaangels · 27 June 2021]

I could complain about how they felt the need to adapt a French movie from years ago... but I am just happy that this story gets to be shared with more people. Lovely story, coming off age, family relations. The resulting movie is a great feat, showing people a world they are not familiar with.

A MUST SEE

[zinguys-81855 · 10/10 · 23 February 2022]

I laughed. I cried. I cheered. I sang along.

I got angry. This is an Academy Award Best Film Of The Year! Emilia should've been nominated. All the emotions.

A Delightful Movie For All

[sweidman-28016 · 8/10 · 29 January 2021]

As the opening for Sundance, CODA gave us a delightful story of a hearing child in a deaf family. She finds herself torn between pursuing her love of music and her family's reliance on her to be their connection to the outside world. I would like to say how much of a crowd pleaser this is. All of the reviews have come back positive saying this is the best opener since Whiplash. The performances are good all around. What got to me most is the family dynamic. It's something really heart-warming to watch that put a smile on my face the whole time. The comedy landed well throughout. The same goes for the drama. Sian Heder is a good director and we see the heart put into the movie. The story is where some of my issues came from. It follows a typical storyline that we've seen before in movies geared toward teens. It became predictable along the way and some of the scenes felt too good to be true. But I understand this isn't meant to be something to breakdown and analyze. All in all, this is meant to make us feel good and that's exactly what it did. I look forward to rewatching this again in the future.

those with disabilities deserve our respect

[lee_eisenberg · 10/10 · 3 March 2022]

So far it's been rare to see deaf characters portrayed onscreen, let alone played by deaf actors. That makes Sian Heder's Academy Award-nominated "CODA" all the more important. Showing the challenges that a hearing daughter in a deaf family faces, it hits all the right notes (pun not intended).

Another good movie about the daughter of deaf parents is the German movie "Beyond Silence".

Well Worth Your Time

[cadewhite-86061 · 8/10 · 29 January 2021]

Saw this movie at SUNDANCE 2021. Features great performances all around, but Emilia Jones is going to be a star. Would be awesome to see Troy Katsur get some recognition come awards season as well. The movie is full of heart, made me laugh and made me cry. There were some really beautiful scenes in here and some surprisingly funny ones. The only thing that holds it back is the predictability that comes with abiding by coming of age genre conventions. The pacing also drags a little bit in the middle of the movie. However, the family dynamic here just completely elevates it above normal coming of age fare.

Coda 8.1 stars, La famille Bélier 7.3!!!?? Are you guys serious!?

[chinandchin · 6/10 · 2 January 2022]

It's not bad, Emilia is loveable, very nice voice.

This remake version basically skipped all the best parts from the French version, just tried too hard to avoid copying, and I was not touched at all.

If you find this movie good enough to earn 8 stars, then get tissue papaer ready and try the original version, you will give that a 12 stars(guarantee) .

Complete Film

[dfarris-69171 · 10/10 · 28 July 2022]

I learned, I laughed, I cried, I was inspired, and it made me think. One of the few movies I've watched that that checked all my boxes. Would watch again.

Absolutely beautiful

[kjuicymelody · 10/10 · 28 July 2022]

I enjoyed this movie. I loved her family . Her voice is beautiful. I love how she loves them back and understood her moves. Awareness in such a delight waym.

Do yourself a favor and go see CODA as soon as you can

[aivilovee · 7/10 · 11 August 2021]

First and foremost, on a general note, it's been incredible to see the amount of accurate and respectful deaf representation in cinema recently. From this, Sound of Metal, and the Quiet Place franchise (and hell, even the use of ASL in Godzilla v. Kong), actual deaf actors and the deaf community are getting the representation in cinema they deserve. This movie is no exception.

Further, the predominantly deaf audience I had the privilege of seeing this film with at an advance screening in Chicago was elated to find that captions would be provided ON SCREEN, and not with captiview equipment. Hopefully, this film helps usher this accessibility in as a standard, and not an exception.

Now, focusing on CODA specifically, it's not the greatest film ever made by any means. After a second watch, I'd sooner use the word "alright" than "outstanding". But, it was still great to see deaf representation on screen, and there were plenty of laughs and enough heartstring tugs to maintain an engaging story. It's not groundbreaking, but it's a feel-good story anyone can enjoy.

Summer Movie

[andrefranchini-30205 · 5/10 · 4 April 2022]

Disappointed! I was expecting a bit more from a Oscar winner.

This sort of movie is released by the dozen every summer. Pretty cliche story with a twist.

2021 was definitely a bad year for cinema.

What a lovely, well crafted film!

[info-90701 · 10/10 · 11 February 2022]

Every single fairly positive human emotion that could be called up in life, showed up in this film. It presented hope, frustration, ignorance, healthy responses to envy, love, support, family bonding and so much more. It truly was a delight to watch and feel a part of the growth of the main character. Her journey is truly one of courage as she finds her way through life.

The fact that all three of the primary deaf roles are played by actual deaf actors is wonderful and a tribute to both the filmmaker and the deaf acting community. Each of them was brilliant, and though I knew Marlee Matlin from Children of a Lesser God and more since that time, I was not familiar with Kotsure and Durant, who were also wonderful. Coupled with the incredible performance of Emilia Jones who was a joy to watch, they delivered a realistic view of the daily lives of deaf people as they go about the business of living in a world designed for hearing people. I am grateful to them for their abilities to allow us to see clearly.

Though the story is simple, the delivery keeps you engaged and able to take in new information. It was a wonderful film.

Wonderfully moving!

[garethcrook · 9/10 · 31 July 2022]

It's been a while since I sat down with a film. I feel out of practice. This though is a wonderful reintroduction. Ruby (Emilia Jones) is a young girl with a lot of hopes and responsibilities. She's a passion for music, issues with cliquey classmates, a job working for the struggling family fishing firm, oh and she's the only one in her family who can hear. CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) right from the get go is a rich tapestry of plot threads. It sounds like it could be heavy right and sure it does have some serious weight, but it's also really funny. Frank (Troy Kotsur) and Jackie (Marlee Matlin), Ruby's parents are a riot for a start. Ruby is frustrated by them, they mark her out as different with her peers. They are though, of course, her source or strength. Ruby has a power within her that she doesn't realise and a voice and feeling for music that's just itching to break out. Between the music and Ruby's ability to speak up for her family, it's brilliantly positive, life affirming and occasionally fist in the air sort of stuff. The supporting cast too are wonderful, particularly Eugenio Derbez as the flamboyant choir master, who thrusts Ruby reluctantly together with her crush and pushes her to chase her dreams. Great as they all are though, it's Jones who carry this. She's marvellous, her performance will have your crying tears of joy, as she deftly portrays teenage awkwardness with a depth and strength that's infectious to everyone lucky enough to share the screen with her. This isn't just Ruby's story though, her development is everyone's, but as things get better, they can always get worse, with Ruby torn between the things she loves and her families dependence on her. When Ruby's mum tells her she's brave though... well that just nails it. She knows her daughter. Knows that everything that comes her way, good, bad, wonderful or difficult, Ruby has it. She's a fantastic character to watch and that's what her parents are left with as Ruby begins to realise her dreams. They can't hear her sing, they can only watch. I try not to spoil film when writing about them, but just as Sound of Metal leans on it's audio choices to hammer home the perspectives of those on screen, so too does CODA, with no less devastating effect. Not devastating bad, just the sort of cinematic wallop that floors you, leaving you with a heart bursting sense of beauty in humanity. I can't recall the last time I cried as much watching a film. What a stunningly beautiful story.

The perfect movie doesn't exi...

[bob_katsionis · 10/10 · 15 July 2022]

I'm a musician so this got somewhat deeper I me. All was going great until she started singing in front of her family. That was it for me. Couldn't stop crying until the end of the movie. Goes immediately on my #1 beating Green Mile, Midnight Express, A Separation and Lala Land. THANK YOU GUYS.

A worthy Oscar nominee. Powerful.

[JohnDeSando · 24 March 2022]

Because CODA is an acronym for children of deaf adults, you'd expect the Oscar-nominated film of the same name to be about deafness. I'm here to tell you it is not, for it is above all about family challenges, teenage trials, and the power of education. While the central family of this romance is deaf, played mostly by deaf actors, with one exception, using ASL communication, the film's title is a metaphor for a story whose many layers reveal truths about life that transcend deafness.

Rubi (Emilia Jones) is the only hearing member of her loving four-member family in Gloucester, Mass., and figuratively she hears the conflicting sources of discord as she navigates between her emerging singing talent and her necessity to be the translator for her family's fishing business. For any teen who moves slowly to distance herself from family so she can go it on her won, CODA will resonate, hearing or not.

This coming-of-age drama plays out against a community yet unschooled in dealing with otherness, viz., fellow humans with special needs and talents, but outside of the community's normal experience. Not everyone can be as understanding or resilient as dad Frank (Troy Kotsur, with an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor), who initially goes nose to nose with ignorance, but who gradually adjusts to the town and his lovingly rebellious daughter

Education is often a game changer, and in CODA it is no different. Rubi's choir director, Mr. V (Eugenio Derbez), sees her voice gift and gives his time to coach her for a Berklee School of Music audition. His dedication to her, with his tough-love methods (J K Simmons in Whiplash but sweeter), is a convincing statement about the right way to teach and the power of education done right.

CODA is much more than about deafness: It reveals the many hurdles teens and parents face getting to their higher levels. While it lacks the luster of Little Miss Sunshine and has a midlin' sap index, it succeeds in figuratively adjusting those of us who have a deaf ear to the demands of achieving happiness through, you guessed it, LOVE.

CODA deserves its Oscar nominations (it garnered the most awards in Sundance history, after all!). If you take a free week's subscription from Apple TV to see it, you'll thank me and certainly sing Both Side Now (Rubi's audition song) for days if not forever.