Apple TV + hasn’t exactly established itself as the go-to place for new movies; Ted Lasso is probably the biggest draw to date. But they certainly made a splash paying $25 million at Sundance for CODA, writer and director Sian Heder’s slight but utterly charming film about a fishing family living with deafness. CODA is an upbeat, crowd-pleasing film that should win hearts and minds, as well as awards; the title comes not just from the musical term, but the acronym Child of Deaf Adults.
The big draw here is Marlee Matlin, who won an Oscar for 1986’s Children of a Lesser God, and with a focus on deafness, music, education and remote locations, CODA sometimes feels like a sequel to that film; it’s not, and is based on a French film called La Famille Bélier. Matlin has been deaf since she was 18 months old, and has been standing up for those with deafness since her breakthrough role. She plays Jackie Rossi, wife of Gloucester, Massachusetts fisherman Frank (Troy Kotsur) and son Leo (Daniel Durant). All of them are hearing impaired, but her daughter Ruby (Emilia Jones) is not, and has aspirations to sing. Her eccentric teacher Mr Villalobos (Eugenio Derbez) encourages her talent, but Ruby is needed on the family boat; can she satisfy their needs as well as pursue her own dream?
If the synopsis sounds like a twee Glee holiday special, that’s not the way Heder’s film feels at all. Firstly, the portrait of the economic hardship of the fishing industry is well-worked and convincing, particularly the way that the local businesses suffer financially from interference from on high. Secondly, as with Children of a Lesser God, deafness is explored as a factor that both creates bonds and divisions between family members; Jackie admits that she was disappointed to find out that her daughter could hear, and Ruby feels sidelined by not being like the rest of her family, but each of them has a journey to take. Heder sticks to her unconventional guns by daringly choosing to elide the sound when Ruby’s family attend her big vocal performance; we see things from the POV of a united family unit who face regular alienation from societal norms, and have found their own idiosyncratic work-around.
With a sunny sea-side background and a great choice of music, from topper Joni Mitchell’s Both Sides Now to the rousing opener, Etta James’ Good Feeling, Coda is a very satisfying package; it makes salient points about ambition, family ties and today’s cut-throat economic world. Matlin and Kotsur are a delight to watch together as Ruby’s cantankerous parents; they’re introduced bickering over who has given who a nasty case of jock-itch. Not a disease-of-the week tv movie or a sentimental romp, this is a delicate, wholesome movie that doesn’t hold back on the big finale; for all concerned, it’s one of these happy films that deals with an important subject with admirable deftness, and is a hearty recommend.
Thanks to Apple Original Films for Access to CODA, out now on Apple TV+
Good certainly to get an honest feel-good film but I’m running wary of the streaming output. Whether Showcase will book it is another matter of course.
What’s an Apple TV+? Is it something you watch on your phone?
Does their commenting function work?
Watch it Bunty, nobody likes a cheeky chappie…
I’ll see this then as I have Apple TV and of course hearing is my thing. Also they have the new Tom Hanks movie- Finch which is looking good.
Yup, this, Finch and Ted Lasso would make it well worth a look at the old Apple TV +; I’m doing Children of a Lesser God for a review too, since hearing and hearing loss is a subject that interests me…
intellectually or personally?
Both. When I’m not pulling the wings of films, I work with young people with special needs of all kinds, and see deafness as part of a wide set of communication/ learning issues, for hearing and non-hearing alike…
Cool beans!
I wonder how long apple tv will last, or will they just barely survive. I couldn’t name you one show that was “theirs” (as Ted Lasso is outside my radar)
I think there were plans to make it an aggregator, that would hold Disney+, Netflix, Prime and others within it. Apple have deeper pockets than several of these companies, so it might well come to pass. There’s some good stuff on it, but it hardly feels like it’s in its fullest form as yet….
Isn’t it already that? I can get all those on my Apple TV.
Yup, and there’s a few more too, but the archive is rather puny compared to prime or Netflix. Presumably by design.
I can watch Netflix through my Apple TV box and everything is there. my prime stuff is too. I’m misunderstanding you I think?
No, you are doing what Apple are keen for everyone to do, but very few people are. You are clearly an early adapter. My point was that Apple tv’s original content is of much smaller proportions than might have been expected. But you will be their star pupil!
Well that’s nice. I haven’t been one before. I am very attuned to picture quality and when I compare Netflix programmes on Apple versus the X-box versus the Sony TV app, Apple is far superior. However the atmos sound on the X-box outstrips Apple, and the TV app is pants.