"those who don't have disabilities most likely don't know how those who do have disabilities feel or what problems they have to face. the movie coda is about to change all of that,"--zanthe jones-gerachis, 6th grade
CODA is an amazing movie directed by Siân Heder and produced by Philippe Rousselet. CODA stands for Child of Deaf Adults, and is a touching story about a hearing teenager Ruby Rossi (Emilia Jones) in a deaf family. Since her parents and older brother are all deaf, she has to be there to support them because they can not afford to pay for an interpreter.
There are many reasons why CODA deserved an Oscar this year. One of them being because this movie represents real life experiences for many deaf families. Making a movie about the experiences of a working class deaf family spreads awareness to hearing audiences about what other people go through. Watching CODA is like being transported into Ruby’s shoes. You can really understand, at least a little bit, how she feels. Not only is the movie sensational, but the characters are as well. Every time you are introduced to a new character, you can tell how much work the actors and the writers put into them. They are all unique in their own way.
It's hard enough for Ruby to be the only fully hearing person in her family, but to do something her family can't or just doesn't understand, like singing, is even harder. In the movie, her mom signs to her, “If I was blind, would you paint?” Ruby angrily storms off to her room. In this moment, you see for the first time how hard her life is, and how much she wishes her parents understood her. But here, we are talking about a fictional character. Whereas, there are people in the world who are similar to Ruby and if they have a disability, or like Ruby, is related to someone with a disability, or something holding them back, they can still achieve their goal. Take the actors of Ruby’s family for example. The actors are Leo Rossi, Frank Rossi (Ruby’s father), and Jackie Rossi, (Ruby’s mother). Those actors are all deaf, or hard of hearing, and yet they were all in a movie that won an Oscar. This is one of the reasons that CODA winning an Oscar is a historic day for the deaf community.
Emilia Jones had to learn ASL for the movie so she could play the part of Ruby and communicate with her peers. Although Jones and the rest of the crew clearly worked hard on the movie, it does have some flaws. In an article posted by the New York Times the author states, “While they hope this moment will lead to better recognition and open doors for more representation throughout Hollywood, they argue that the film views deaf people from a hearing perspective in its approach to interpreting for deaf people and to their relationship with music, among other issues. In some cases, this ‘hearing gaze,’ as some have called it, led to scenes that may resonate with hearing viewers but fall flat with deaf viewers or even upset them.”
Sure, this movie is amazing, but when you actually do some research about it, you figure out that it doesn’t completely tell the truth. In CODA, the main part of the movie is that Ruby is struggling to hold up her family and live her own way and follow her passion. She struggles with her decision about college because her parents say they don't have the money to pay for an interpreter, putting a lot of pressure on Ruby to stay and work. In real life, most interpreters are free. It is required by law for people with disabilities to have an interpreter in court. In the movie, there is a scene where Ruby’s family has to go to court, the only interpreter there is Ruby. Ruby’s family would have been given an interpreter in that court meeting in real life, but not in the movie.
Ruby’s family went to court because her father and brother went fishing with just the two of them without a hearing person on deck, which is considered dangerous and unsafe according to fish and game authorities. In reality, they would not have had to go to court, because they would have had an interpreter on deck or been able to get assistance through a variety of agencies.
Overall, CODA’s Oscar was well deserved despite having a myriad of cliches and plot holes. The songs were amazing, and the acting was superb, and the whole movie together was heartfelt without being sappy, which is why CODA earned 3 Oscars.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pmfrE1YL4I
There are many reasons why CODA deserved an Oscar this year. One of them being because this movie represents real life experiences for many deaf families. Making a movie about the experiences of a working class deaf family spreads awareness to hearing audiences about what other people go through. Watching CODA is like being transported into Ruby’s shoes. You can really understand, at least a little bit, how she feels. Not only is the movie sensational, but the characters are as well. Every time you are introduced to a new character, you can tell how much work the actors and the writers put into them. They are all unique in their own way.
It's hard enough for Ruby to be the only fully hearing person in her family, but to do something her family can't or just doesn't understand, like singing, is even harder. In the movie, her mom signs to her, “If I was blind, would you paint?” Ruby angrily storms off to her room. In this moment, you see for the first time how hard her life is, and how much she wishes her parents understood her. But here, we are talking about a fictional character. Whereas, there are people in the world who are similar to Ruby and if they have a disability, or like Ruby, is related to someone with a disability, or something holding them back, they can still achieve their goal. Take the actors of Ruby’s family for example. The actors are Leo Rossi, Frank Rossi (Ruby’s father), and Jackie Rossi, (Ruby’s mother). Those actors are all deaf, or hard of hearing, and yet they were all in a movie that won an Oscar. This is one of the reasons that CODA winning an Oscar is a historic day for the deaf community.
Emilia Jones had to learn ASL for the movie so she could play the part of Ruby and communicate with her peers. Although Jones and the rest of the crew clearly worked hard on the movie, it does have some flaws. In an article posted by the New York Times the author states, “While they hope this moment will lead to better recognition and open doors for more representation throughout Hollywood, they argue that the film views deaf people from a hearing perspective in its approach to interpreting for deaf people and to their relationship with music, among other issues. In some cases, this ‘hearing gaze,’ as some have called it, led to scenes that may resonate with hearing viewers but fall flat with deaf viewers or even upset them.”
Sure, this movie is amazing, but when you actually do some research about it, you figure out that it doesn’t completely tell the truth. In CODA, the main part of the movie is that Ruby is struggling to hold up her family and live her own way and follow her passion. She struggles with her decision about college because her parents say they don't have the money to pay for an interpreter, putting a lot of pressure on Ruby to stay and work. In real life, most interpreters are free. It is required by law for people with disabilities to have an interpreter in court. In the movie, there is a scene where Ruby’s family has to go to court, the only interpreter there is Ruby. Ruby’s family would have been given an interpreter in that court meeting in real life, but not in the movie.
Ruby’s family went to court because her father and brother went fishing with just the two of them without a hearing person on deck, which is considered dangerous and unsafe according to fish and game authorities. In reality, they would not have had to go to court, because they would have had an interpreter on deck or been able to get assistance through a variety of agencies.
Overall, CODA’s Oscar was well deserved despite having a myriad of cliches and plot holes. The songs were amazing, and the acting was superb, and the whole movie together was heartfelt without being sappy, which is why CODA earned 3 Oscars.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pmfrE1YL4I
