Ruby Rossi, a high school girl with a passion for music who also happens to be the youngest member of a deaf family, is the protagonist of ‘CODA.’ The video depicts the complexities of the family’s daily lives, as well as how things become problematic when Ruby is accepted to Berklee College of Music.
The coming-of-age drama offers a sincere perspective that is larger than the sum of its parts, moving viewers from touching to profoundly heartbreaking scenes in a methodical manner. The title of the film is deceptively simple, yet when examined closely, it reveals a plethora of complexities. Let’s take a look at what the film’s title, ‘CODA,’ actually means.
CODA’s Significance and Meaning
CODA is an acronym that stands for Child of Deaf Adult and refers to a person who has been raised by one or more deaf parents or guardians. KODA, or Kid of Deaf Adult, is a similar name for younger people. Ruby Rossi (Emilia Jones), the film’s key heroine, is a CODA herself, as the title implies. We see the challenges she faces as the film progresses, which are made all the more compelling by Ruby’s love of music.
Millie Brother, a CODA herself, created the term CODA and founded the same-named organisation in 1983 as a result of research she undertook as a doctoral student. According to Brother, over 90% of deaf parents’ children can hear, making the CODA community a large and diversified one. She describes her own existence as a crossroads between the hearing and deaf worlds. The film also focuses on explaining to spectators what it could be like to be a small child straddling these two worlds through Ruby’s perspective.
‘CODA’ tries to maintain true to its moniker by portraying deaf performers as all three members of Ruby’s family. When Marlee Matlin, who plays Ruby’s mother Jackie Rossi, was told that the roles of the father and brother would be played by hearing actors, she appeared to threaten to walk off the production. As a result, Troy Kotsur and Daniel Durant play the father and son, respectively, giving a level of realism to the film that could very probably not be achieved by enactment.
As a result, the film’s title, ‘CODA,’ relates to the protagonist character’s status as a deaf youngster and carries the weight of an entire community that straddles the deaf and hearing worlds. The fact that Ruby has a passion for music and must choose between going to college and staying with her family to be their bridge to the hearing world adds intrigue and heartbreak to the story.
As a side aside, the term “coda” also refers to a piece of music that comes at the end of a bigger work and is generally different from the core structure of the original piece. When seen in the context of the film, the title appears to have a twofold meaning, with ‘CODA’ likely referring to Ruby, the family’s youngest member and the only one who is not related to the other three members.
Also Read: Emilia Jones: Did She Really Sing in CODA and Does She Know Sign Language?