CODA

I think there is something very special about CODA, not what sets it apart from other heartwarming teen films, but what helps to fit it squarely into that genre, improve on it, and create something that is both familiar and yet so unique. It sounds like kind of a convoluted plot, and it is: a girl with deaf parents and a deaf brother has to choose between her love of signing and her family’s fishing business. It kind of sounds more like the plot of a TV show than a movie, and it feels a bit like one, too. But that’s something about the teen film genre that I’ve always really liked: its episodic nature, spunky side characters, its shallow motivations like pursuing your dream and getting a cute boyfriend. I think a lot of film lovers dislike something like this and would instead go for something darker, or more metaphorical, or both. And hey, I like those movies too. But I wonder why we believe that something like CODA can’t be best picture. It’s beautifully shot, it’s designed wonderfully, the acting is fantastic, the music is wonderful. It’s a very good film. And I guess I want to plant my flag and say, “yeah, movies like this also deserve awards.” Whether or not it deserves Best Picture isn’t up to me, because let’s be honest, is anyone actually in agreement with the Academy most of the time? Even fifty percent of the time? Isn’t this a fun, random pick? I think it is. There were moments of this that cut deeper for me, especially having to do with Ruby’s relationship with her family. I really like Ruby, I think she is a supremely awesome protagonist and one of the more believable teenagers I’ve seen in film, and I also love her love for her family, and her signing to them while singing Joni Mitchell absolutely got me. Yeah guys, I cried. The scene where her dad is feeling her sing from her throat is also so touching. I just think it’s wonderful.