Out here on the sea, hauling in the nets and sorting the fish, Ruby (Emilia Jones) is completely to himself.
Nobody hears the shy student when she sings along with the radio against the rustling of the wind, the screeching of the seagulls and the clatter of the cutter - and that even includes her father, the fur seal Frank (Troy Kotsur), and her brother Leo (Daniel Durant ), the two adult fishermen on board the "Angela Rose".
The girl who belts out “Something's got a hold on me” by Etta James off the coast of Massachusetts is the only member of the Rossi family who can hear. "Coda" is the abbreviation for such hearing children of deaf parents, the long form is "Children of Deaf adults", and this is also the name of the heartwarming film by Siân Heder, which tells of Ruby's existence and won four awards at the Sundance Festival in January has been considered - Apple TV bought the broadcasting rights at the time for a record sum of 25 million dollars.
That's a lot of money for a remake. “Coda” is based on the French box office hit “Do you understand the Béliers?” By Eric Lartigau from 2014, which in turn is strongly reminiscent of Caroline Link's film debut “Jenseits der Stille” from 1996. Many of the scenes in “Coda” are almost identical to scenes from Lartigau's film. But there are innovations that make this film even more convincing than the entertaining template. One is the relocation of the scene from the land to the coast, which makes the tone more melancholy; another in the cast of the deaf family members: the actors Troy Kotsur, Daniel Durant and Oscar winner Marlee Matlin (“God's Forgotten Children”, “West Wing”), who makes a strong appearance as Ruby's mother Jackie, are actually deaf.They didn't have to learn sign language first, as was the case with the actors in the original. Only the role of the brother was played in the "Béliers" by a deaf person.
Can Ruby abandon her family?
The third difference is related to the previous decision, but also to the sensitive approach of Siân Heder: "Do you understand the Béliers?" Was in comparison more of an emotionally calculated feel-good film about the joy of music - leading actress Louane was recognized by "The Voice" known - and the cutting of a girl's cord from her family. It was not a film about life as a deaf person. Even “Coda” does not want to do that, and the conventional plot structure has also remained the same. Heder, who once gained experience in the writing team of "Orange is the New Black" and attracted attention in 2016 with "Tallulah" with Elliot Page in the lead role, gives the remake more credibility and seriousness. She is interested in every figure, is fascinated by sign language,which makes up a large part of the film and is translated with subtitles. Heder has a feel for the chemistry between the actors and lets it work. As a viewer, you quickly develop a bond with this friendly family, despite communicative impairment, experienced exclusion and economic worries, humorous family, which is brought into creative unrest by Ruby's singing talent and the obligatory teacher who discovers and encourages it (Eugenio Derbez).who discovers and promotes it (Eugenio Derbez) is brought into creative unrest.who discovers and promotes it (Eugenio Derbez) is brought into creative unrest.
Can Ruby, who translates for her parents and brother herself in difficult life situations and is responsible for the prescribed radio communications at sea, leave the family to study at the music college and have a life of her own? The answer, for which parents of high school graduates in particular should have a handkerchief ready, because the father, played so grandiose and tenderly by Troy Kotsur, has to overcome his limits, is of course yes. After all, Ruby's family is only deaf and not helpless. She was able to cope with life before Ruby was born, says Ruby's big brother once, and she will be fine if Ruby builds her own life away from the fishing trawler. A friendlier, more life-oriented film than Siân Heder's "Coda" can hardly be found in these times.
Coda is
running on Apple TV from today.