Apple TV+’s CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) took home the top motion picture prize at Sunday night’s Screen Actor Guild awards held in Santa Monica, California. The CODA cast won Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, beating out the casts of Belfast, Don't Look Up, House of Gucci, and King Richard. In other categories, CODA actor Troy Kotsur picked up an individual statue for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role for his portrayal of the family patriarch.
To critical acclaim, the film premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, winning Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize, the Audience Award, the Directing Award, and the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Best Ensemble. After those early accolades, Apple acquired the film for a record-setting $25 million, releasing it in theaters and on Apple TV+ on August 13 where critics and audiences alike sang its praises.
The Spring and Summer buzz for CODA then continued through to awards season leading to a slew of major nominations.
In January, the film was up for a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture (Drama) and Kotsur was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture. Though those prizes went to The Power of the Dog and Kodi Smit-McPhee for his performance in that film, the cast’s SAG win could indicate a build in momentum for CODA in a lead up to the other significant ceremonies.
At the Oscars, writer/director Siân Heder is nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay while Kotsur is nominated for Best Supporting Actor, in addition to his being nominated for Best Supporting Male at the Independent Spirit Awards. And across the pond, Kotsur is up for Best Supporting Actor at The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards where costar Emilia Jones is nominated for Best Leading Actress and Siân Heder is again nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Kotsur’s SAG win was historic in that it marks the first time a deaf actor scored an individual prize. If Kotsur captures the Oscar, he will be only the second deaf actor to do so. His CODA costar Marlee Matlin was the first, scoring the trophy for her performance in 1987’s Children of a Lesser God.
Audiences with hearing impairments react to CODA
CODA is based on the French film La Famille Bélier and tells the story of Ruby, a child of deaf adults coming to a crossroads. As the only hearing person in her family, Ruby often serves as the mediator between her family and the outside world, interpreting for them, especially regarding the family’s fishing business. Ruby finds herself torn between her sense of obligation to keep her family connected and her desire to begin her journey through life by pursuing her musical talents and dreams at the Berklee College of Music.
Unlike some Hollywood projects featuring characters with hearing impairments, the three deaf leads are played by deaf actors. Hollywood veteran Marlee Matlin pushed for this casting and refused to participate if deaf actors didn’t play deaf roles. This casting ensures representation of actors with hearing impairments, but it also brings authenticity to the characters and their dialogue.
But of course, representation is only the floor, not the ceiling. Audiences with hearing impairments indicated that while representation did bring authenticity to the film, the film’s implied plot point that “deaf people can’t enjoy music” feeds into stereotyping and misinformation about the experiences of deaf people. Nonetheless, audiences with hearing impairments report enjoying the film. Instead, it serves to highlight the need for greater representation of writers and directors from the deaf community to craft richer and more robust portrayals of people with hearing impairments and their experiences.
And the winner is…
CODA’s SAG win could be just the beginning for the Sundance favorite. All will be revealed in March as the Independent Spirit Awards take place on March 6th in Santa Monica and the BAFTAs are handed out on March 13th at Royal Albert Hall in London, all leading up to the Oscars on March 27th in Hollywood.
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