Oscars 2022: “CODA”, an Inclusive Story

“CODA” is nominated for the Best Picture category at the Oscar Awards. It is the story of a teenage girl who is the only hearing person in a deaf family. Ruby, our protagonist, has a hidden talent: she knows how to only sing. Thus, from the hand of her teacher and a little against what her parents want for her, Ruby will learn to sing.

Ruby Rossi is a CODA (“Child of Deaf adults”, or “daughter of deaf adults”). She is the only listener in her family and is very close to them. Their parents love each other and they take with Ruby and her brother a fishing boat with which they have always made a living. In the eyes of others, Ruby’s life seems perfect, because her family is close and supports each other, her parents conceive her as an independent girl and take her seriously. However, Ruby has a secret talent: she loves to sing. This film, along with “Licorice Pizza”, represents the coming-of-age genre among the nominees in the Best Picture category.

A learning film

The coming-of-age genre, in which the center of the story is the growth and learning of a young protagonist, has become increasingly popular at the box office and at the Academy. Movies like “Lady Bird” or “Little Women” have been awarded in other categories. This may be due to an interest in adolescence as a hopeful yet distressing time in the face of adulthood.

Until very recently, women in coming-of-age films underwent a transformation in their appearance: they changed their look and grew up. In the case of the men, on the other hand, they had a conversation with their father and rebelled against a future planned by others. Women put on makeup and men went after their dreams. For some years, however, this narrative has changed and we have seen stories of girls who want to be poets, who rebel, who leave home as women.

This is the case of Ruby, the protagonist of “CODA”. This girl has a dream of studying singing, which goes against family activities and is an activity that she cannot share with the other members of her family. In this story, Ruby’s obstacles aren’t dictatorial parents or college villains, her situation is much more complex than that. Thus, Ruby must face independence, the terrifying scenario of being free, separating from her family, and facing them too with her absence. Here it is not only that Ruby depends on her parents but she feels that they depend on her, since she has been her interpreter all her life.

Also read: Oscars 2022: The Unfulfilled Promises of “Dune”

How to make a truly inclusive story?

It is certainly a trend to tell more and more minority stories. The spectrum of stories to be told and lives brought to the screen has greatly increased. Last year, “Sound of Metal”, told the story of a drummer who dramatically lost his hearing. However, telling these stories is not enough to make them necessarily inclusive.

Those who make these films must pay attention not only to the content but also to the form. This is something that “CODA” does efficiently and beautifully, as it lets us see how Ruby’s family lives. Her parents go to see her sing but it is impossible for them to know if she is doing well if she has talent. Then we stop listening to her and experience her presentation the way her parents would experience it, and we realize that there are other ways to perceive Ruby’s talent: by seeing the reaction of the other people in the auditorium. With this and other scenes, “CODA” truly touches and includes the experience of deaf people.

Will he win the Oscar?

“CODA” is a remake of “La Famille Bélier”, a 2014 French film. Without being the best film of the year, “CODA” is beautiful and well told. However, it is not very different from its original version, since the new filmmakers adapted it to the American audience, but did not make any significant contribution to the script or the form. So his nomination makes one wonder why they did not award “La Famille Bélier” in 2014 if this was a story that the Academy would have liked. “CODA” is, therefore, an example that many times the Oscars do not reward the best story but rather what is most suitable for its audience.