Movie: CODA

Release Date: August 13, 2021

Director: Sian Heder

Starring: Emilia Jones, Eugenia Derbez, Troy Kotsur, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Daniel Durant, Marlee Matlin

Personal History: Watched Before

Rating: 8.5 Oscars out of 10

Charming, funny, poignant, emotional were just a few words that came to mind after watching ‘CODA’ for the first time back in March of 2022. After being nominated for three Academy Awards of which it won all three including Best Picture, I subscribed to Apple+ so that I can see the movie. I was not disappointed in the movie or my Apple+ subscription as that has given me both ‘Ted Lasso’ and ‘The Morning Show’ as well. Win, win, win.

To say I loved ‘CODA’ would be an an understatement, however it was not my favorite movie of 2021. That honor went to Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story.’ Brilliant remake. But ‘CODA’ was a very close second and in fact it was my pick to win the Best Picture Oscar. Last year was a banner year for my Academy Award picks. I only missed one category for Animated Short Subject. Not too shabby.

The film was not a box office sensation like a few other Best Picture winners have been in the past, but that can be blamed on COVID and the fact that it was released on a streaming platform. Thanks to both the nominations though and its eventual wins, the film raked up a lot of streams. (Is that what you call them?) It also had very strong word of mouth as people that did see the film loved it and shared that love with others.

‘CODA’ is not ground breaking as far as stories go. It is pretty much a formulaic coming of age story. However, with strong representation of the hearing impaired community as well as super strong performances, the film is one that will be remembered kindly throughout the years. It is groundbreaking for both its representation as well as being the first film both distributed by a streaming service and the first film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to win Best Picture.

But what it really comes down to is that it is simply a beautiful movie and one not to be missed.