Sian Heder
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Belier’s French dairy farm-backdrop becomes a tight-knit American coastal community, one we’re familiar with from dramas like The Perfect Storm , Blow the Man Down or Manchester By the Sea .
(Think a deaf spin on Debra Granik’s Leave No Trace and Sidney Lumet’s Running on Empty , passed through a John Hughes filter, or tossed into a blender with recent Netflix teen movies like The Half of It .)
Maybe you caught Garden State, or Little Miss Sunshine , or Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, or numerous films of a similar vein.
Hailing from the same school of generous, family-centric comedy-drama as past Sundance breakouts Little Miss Sunshine and The Farewell , Coda became a festival record-breaker when Apple TV shelled out $25m to buy it at the 2021 festival.
The winner of the festival’s 2021 US Grand Jury Prize: Drama (it subsequently sold to Apple TV for $25 million), writer-director Siân Heder’s film mixes up Sundance-favourite elements — family shenanigans, salty laughs, rough-hewn filmmaking, big dramatic beats, a feelgood ending — to winning, if not quite Little Miss Sunshine , effect.
There’s a lot on the line, and Heder strings it all together in a mainstream package that recalls everything from Ordinary People to Save the Last Dance and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before .
I'm reminded of My Best Friend's Wedding , where the African-American tradition of popular music is, yes, appropriated for emotional shorthand.
What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: CODA might remind you of coming-of-age films like The Edge of Seventeen and Lady Bird , though there’s much more focus on the family here.
Not only is it the best coming-of-age film since Bo Burnham’s “Eighth Grade” (2018), but dare I say it’s even better than Greta Gerwig’s acclaimed “Lady Bird” (2017).
It isn’t as grim as On the Waterfront , but Frank, Leo, Jackie, and eventually Ruby all wind up in a fight to take hold of their business and livelihoods.
Forget France, we’re in old-school Gloucester for this spin, hanging on the working-class side of town the way Kenneth Lonergan’s award-winning “Manchester by the Sea” (2016) did.
Prepping for “CODA,” Heder sought guidance from the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association, a nonprofit for New England’s fishing industry, as well as Oscar winner Kenneth Lonergan, who captured the atmosphere in “Manchester by the Sea” (2016).
Gloucester and the Massachusetts north shore have been the setting for several memorable movies including 2000’s The Perfect Storm and 2016’s Manchester by the Sea.
CODA is not the most original of stories and the director, Sian Heder, a screenwriter for many years on Orange is the New Black , hits all the predictable emotional beats but the film is saved by the high quality of its performers and its sense of place (shades of Manchester by the Sea ).
Belier’s French dairy farm-backdrop becomes a tight-knit American coastal community, one we’re familiar with from dramas like The Perfect Storm , Blow the Man Down or Manchester By the Sea .
There’s something that feels slightly dated about Coda — the multiple digs about Glee and Pitch Perfect , and what appears to be a pretty deliberate homage to Pitch Perfect ‘s audition scene, feel five years too late.
She’s ready to dismiss the notion of the choir as a viable extracurricular activity – with a jab at “Pitch Perfect” – until the hot guy, Miles (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, typecast after “Sing Street”), signs up.
I hate to say it, but “Coda” hits every right note: it’s gurl power, overcoming a physical difficulty, with hints of “Pitch Perfect” and “Glee.”
There’s a lot on the line, and Heder strings it all together in a mainstream package that recalls everything from Ordinary People to Save the Last Dance and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before .
It’s a far more dimensional performance than you’ll see in something like Love, Simon (Greg Berlanti, 2018) or To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (Susan Johnson, 2018), and Heder’s direction and writing is dedicated to really emphasizing the nuances of ASL for an unfamiliar audience.
It all builds to a stirring climax, with a musical performance from Jones that rivals Emma Stone's dramatic apex in "La La Land." "CODA" is sweet, heartfelt, eye-opening and uplifting.
Ruby is paired with Miles for a special duet which will be performed at the end-of-semester performance, and the sparks begin to fly, with a hint of High School Musical as they sing face-to-face, which I swear is a compliment.
CODA does an excellent job of showcasing her natural abilities without ever feeling like it’s trying to be High School Musical.
It helps, too, that Jones blooms even more when she sings: choir practice alongside her designated duet partner Miles ( Sing Street’ s loveable star Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) and her flamboyant tutor Bernardo Villalobos (Eugenio Derbez) resurrect the spirit of High School Musical and Glee while making it all feel – just about – believable.
Double Heder: From Smooth Talk to Hearts Beat Loud to a dozen Sundance movies since, the indie teen coming-of-age drama is a staple of Park City’s favorite film festival.
Maybe you caught Garden State, or Little Miss Sunshine , or Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, or numerous films of a similar vein.
Here, that’s Ruby Rossi (Emilia Jones, “High-Rise,” 2015), a Gloucester High student who lives with mom Jackie (Marlee Matlin), dad Frank (Troy Kotsur) and older brother Leo (Daniel Durant) – all three deaf.
While there certainly are elements of many different genres and films here, from Glee to Mystic Pizza to any you-name-it teenage coming-of-age movie, CODA literally speaks in its own language and delivers an experience that is unique, heartfelt, sincere and most definitely worthwhile.
CODA is officially the first must-see film of 2021 and the best film to open Sundance since Whiplash back in 2014.
Rather than throw drum kits like J.K. Simmons in “Whiplash” (2014), he’s strict with a sense of humor in the footsteps of Richard Dreyfuss in “Mr.
What I mean to say is that I liked CODA well enough, but we can all agree that the delightful indie won its Best Picture for progressive nutritiousness more than it did for cinematic arts and sciences.
The way Jones plays Ruby is similar to Emma Stone in "Easy A." She's bold when she has to be and sassy in the way only a teenage girl can be.
Not only is it the best coming-of-age film since Bo Burnham’s “Eighth Grade” (2018), but dare I say it’s even better than Greta Gerwig’s acclaimed “Lady Bird” (2017).