Ruby Rossi is the only hearing member of her family. Her parents, Frank and Jackie, and her brother, Leo, are all deaf. That simple setup drives CODA, Sian Heder’s 2021 drama about a young woman caught between her love of music and her duty to her family’s fishing business.
The film is a remake of the 2014 French-Belgian movie La Famille Bélier. It stars Emilia Jones as Ruby, Marlee Matlin as Jackie, Troy Kotsur as Frank, and Eugenio Derbez as Bernardo “Mr. V” Villalobos, the choir director who pushes Ruby toward a singing career. The rest of the cast includes Ferdia Walsh-Peelo as Miles, Ruby’s crush, and Daniel Durant as Leo.
Trailer, via Apple TV.
A Family Built on Signs
The film’s biggest strength is its casting. Matlin, a longtime deaf actress, was the first person cast. She insisted on deaf casting overall, threatening to drop out unless deaf actors were hired. That insistence paid off. Kotsur plays Frank with warmth and quiet dignity. Durant plays Leo as a protective older brother who hides his own fears behind jokes.
Heder, who wrote and directed the film, describes Matlin’s performance as a chance to play against type. “Marlee, in real life, is much more funny, and she has a dirty sense of humor,” Heder said. “This (role) was a working-class fisherman’s wife, and she has a lot of elements of her personality that were very right for this character.”
The family communicates in American Sign Language throughout. That decision grounds the story in authenticity. Ruby translates for her parents constantly, and the film never treats sign language as a prop. It is simply how they talk.
The Coast Guard Incident
The plot turns on a crisis in the fishing industry. New fees and sanctions force Frank and Leo to pivot from selling fish through dealers to selling directly. That plan fails when the Coast Guard intercepts their boat during a routine check. Frank and Leo are fined, and their licenses are suspended for negligence.
The scene is tense. Ruby watches from shore as the situation unfolds. The family’s livelihood hangs on her decisions, and the film does not let her off easy.
“Marlee, in real life, is much more funny, and she has a dirty sense of humor.”
Ruby’s Choice Between Music and Home
Ruby’s arc is the emotional core of the film. She joins the choir to be near Miles, but Mr. V pushes her to audition for Berklee College of Music. His lessons clash with her family duties. She misses appointments and grows late. Mr. V grows irritated, telling her she wastes his time and doesn’t care enough about music.
The tension between Ruby’s dreams and her obligations is the engine of the story. The film does not resolve it cleanly. Ruby is pulled in two directions, and the film respects that discomfort.
The ending lands somewhere between hope and loss. Ruby chooses her path, but the cost is visible on her face. It is a mature conclusion for a film aimed at a wide audience.
A Solid Addition to a Strong Decade
CODA earned its place in the conversation about the best films of the 2020s. It was named among the top films of 2021 by the American Film Institute. It won all three of its Oscar nominations at the 94th Academy Awards.
The film’s reception was not universal. Feedback from deaf viewers was polarized, according to reports. Some praised its representation; others found it limited. That divide is worth noting, but it does not diminish the film’s achievement.
CODA is a well-crafted, emotionally honest story about a family that loves each other deeply. It is a coming-of-age tale that never forgets the people it serves. It is also a reminder that deaf stories can be told with dignity and respect.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.
