The 2022 Academy Awards are coming up on March 27th and 10 new films are up for Best Picture: Belfast, KODA, Don’t look up, drive my car, dune, King Richard, Liquorice Pizza, nightmare alley, The power of the dogand Westside Story. Each has their strengths and weaknesses, and each of them could end up winning big. Ahead of the Oscars, we argue why each of them could deserve the grand prize. Next up: nightmare alley.
WHAT IS THE MOVIE?
KODAan adaptation of the 2014 French film The Aries Family by writer and director Sian Heder.
WHAT’S THE MATTER?
Life as a child of deaf adults (CODA) falls apart for Ruby (Emilia Jones) in her final months of high school. A gifted singer who dreams of leaving home to study music, Ruby is also the mainstay of her family’s fishing business and lends credit to her father Frank (Troy Kotsur), mother Jackie (Marlee Matlin) and brother Leo (Daniel Durant) a crucial ear and an extra pair of hands when looking for fish off the coast of Gloucester, Massachusetts. As her family struggles to understand her passion for music and her position becomes increasingly invaluable to a family trying to pay the bills, Ruby faces two choices: stay home to support unity forever, or invest in their dreams.
WHAT IS THE CRED?
While KODA is the only true American indie on this year’s Best Picture list, coming with retro power and a new awards show. In 1987, Matlin became the first deaf actress to win an Oscar for her performance opposite William Hurt children of a lesser god. Price launched her career in film and television, though she’s often typecast as a lone deaf character or guest star. KODA marks one of her best known roles alongside other deaf actors.
More than 30 years later children of a lesser god moved the needle for deaf inclusion in Hollywood, KODA made history at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. While the all-virtual fest may have muted the fanfare, Heder’s drama was the first film ever winning the Sundance Grand Jury Prize, the Director’s Award, the Audience Award and a Special Jury Award – a fitting accolade for Best Ensemble.
WHY SHOULD IT WIN?
Benchmark is an overrated metric when it comes to determining the “best” movies. Yes, leading a gigantic project like dune and leading a battalion of craftsmen in a unified vision is an achievement, but it shouldn’t be worth bonus points in the Best Picture category. Decoding relatable human experiences and reconstructing them as moments played out on screen—where lighting, sound, editing, and the presence of an actor must be in harmony—feels as daunting as a giant set piece with a thousand extras.
But in 111 minutes, Heder plays out a potentially dusty coming-of-age scenario with all the comedy, tears and emotional sparks viewers could imagine. Not only keeping this action stable in a bilingual mode, English and ASL, but also utilizing the performative aspects of sign language adds another layer of dynamic to the storytelling. Maybe it’s Lifetime’s fault or the churn from Netflix originals, but at some point “family drama” became a deprecation. Heder recl aims the prestige film genre through authenticity. Jones is a dimensional young person, perceptive but aware of her need for wisdom. The supporting cast are tough and quirky – like real family – and they all have little moments that don’t advance the plot, a rarity in the indie runtime economy. KODA
WHAT’S THE CATCH?
In a recent oral tradition by Mamma Mia!: Here we go again‘s see-it-for-it-believe-it-end, director Ol Parker berated the critics in the States for giving the tone he was trying to achieve as if it were a mistake. “American critics made fun of it,” he says. “I remember ‘crowd favorite’ being used as an insult, ‘heartwarming’ as an insult. And it’s like, ‘You’re fucking trying. It’s not so easy to please a crowd, to warm a heart.’”
KODA may not resonate with every type of viewer or every type of Oscar voter. It’s cute: Ruby performs a song in front of a crowd and her deaf family begins to understand her passion as those around her are noticeably moved by the performance. That somehow cute. Heder chronicles breakthroughs or family catharsis, and while there are moments of tragedy, it’s no tragedy. A film so light on its feet can float away when it comes to the Best Picture Oscar.
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Photo: Apple TV Plus
A BIG THING NOT TO BE MISSED
KODAHighlights of are the quieter scenes between Jones, Matlin and Kotsur (who also received an Oscar nomination for his work in the film). Each is paired in different heart-to-heart pairs, and the way Heder’s screenplay veers between speech, signs and silence hits hard.
But also the moments of pure comedy – months after seeing KODA, I’m still haunted by the scene where Ruby comes home early from school only to hear Jackie and Frank making sweet loud love with no idea who can hear them. And the way to stop it would be to go in and pat them on the back. Dear God.
WHERE CAN I SEE IT?
KODA is currently available to stream on Apple TV Plus. The movie will too return to theaters for free – Thank you Giant Tech Corporation for wanting people to see their Oscar nominated film! – from Friday 25 February to Sunday 27 February.
Before:
why Don’t look up deserved to win Best Picture
why The power of the dog deserved to win Best Picture
why Westside Story deserved to win Best Picture
why Belfast deserved to win Best Picture
why nightmare alley deserved to win Best Picture
why King Richard deserved to win Best Picture
why dune deserved to win Best Picture
why Liquorice Pizza deserved to win Best Picture
And finally:
why drive my car deserved to win Best Picture
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