February Movie Pick: 'Coda'

I completely forgot about this movie that I watched last month, so we are discussing it now because it is amazing. I know I keep forgetting about it, but that's not on the movie. This charming story will undoubtedly lift your spirits with its family charm and exploration of a new culture. The most interesting part of the movie was delving into an underrepresented community that I rarely see portrayed, and, of course, while these incredibly stories may be familiar to some, to me it was like stepping into a new world. The introduction to the life of deaf people was both funny and mind-blowing. I won't spoil the pros and cons explored here about growing up in a deaf family. There's so much to discover, I promise. The movie, after all, won the Oscar for Best Picture a couple of years ago, a major achievement, I believe, because it served as an introduction to this community for many people and is an unbelievably magical coming-of-age story. I'm a bit sad to learn that this movie is a remake of the 2014 French-Belgian film 'La Famille Bélier', but I'll live. I just thought that a film of such magnitude and success would be an original tale, but whatever.

The movie stars Emilia Jones as Ruby Rossi, whose voice could melt metal and sounds like honey in the midst of a deaf family who cannot hear her talent. She has to make some pretty tough choices given her unusual position. Her beautiful family is portrayed by Troy Kotsur, who won the Best Supporting Actor award for his role as the father, Daniel Durant as her hot brother, and Marlee Matlin as the mother, whom I remember from the roast of Joan Rivers, where she was so funny, and she has a freaking Oscar for Best Actress. Boy, this family is cool in so many ways and so funny. All except Roby are deaf and they communicate using sign language. It's interesting how they blend the life of a daughter who is a singer with her family, showing both sides incredibly well, allowing you to empathize with what they're experiencing while broadening your horizons. Ruby's voice is discovered by her music teacher, and in her pursuit of her passion, she encounters obstacles that make a lot of our imaginary high school problems seem trivial. I'll go out on a limb and say that every high schooler should watch this movie to realize that everyone is going through something, and you should respect the struggles behind them. Even though sometimes my memory fails me, and in this case, I completely forgot about this movie a couple of times, I am now such a huge fan of the cast and Joni Mitchell that I will be forever thankful for this glimpse into this different world that opened my eyes a bit more and made me want to listen and appreciate life itself. If you want to watch a beautiful story with beautiful people that will lift your spirits and broaden your horizons, this movie is a perfect pick.

Iliya Badev