For most of CODA's running time, I was enjoying it very much while at the same time thinking that it had a very safe, made for television movie vibe that was keeping it from greatness. But then there was that audition scene. If you've seen the movie, you know what I'm talking about. And from that moment forward, I was a mess. I'm obsessed with Emilia Jones's version of "Both Sides Now" on Spotify, and I'm already dreading the day I have to send my son off to college (he's 12, by the way).
This movie is warm and earnest in the best possible way. Jones gives a marvelous performance -- it's too bad she couldn't have received more recognition for this. And Marlee Matlin and Troy Kotsur give equally wonderful performances as Jones's parents. A scene where Matlin tells Jones that she was disappointed when she wasn't born deaf, and another where Kotsur has his daughter sing to him while he feels her throat are two of the most devastating you'll see in movies this year.
Grade: A+
This movie is warm and earnest in the best possible way. Jones gives a marvelous performance -- it's too bad she couldn't have received more recognition for this. And Marlee Matlin and Troy Kotsur give equally wonderful performances as Jones's parents. A scene where Matlin tells Jones that she was disappointed when she wasn't born deaf, and another where Kotsur has his daughter sing to him while he feels her throat are two of the most devastating you'll see in movies this year.
Grade: A+