I Haven’t Cried That Much During a Movie in a While

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As someone who is moved to tears rather easily, I was surprised to realize that it’s been over five years since I last wrote about a movie that really had me crying.

That movie was A Man Called Ove and here’s part of what I wrote about that movie:

It’s not that the movie is overly sad, it’s just that many of the scenes got to me, for whatever reason. There were some humorous scenes, some triumphant scenes, some feel-good scenes, and of course, some sad scenes.

As it turns out, I could say the same thing about the movie my wife and I just watched – CODA.

Here is a description from Wikipedia:

CODA is a 2021 coming-of-age comedy-drama film written and directed by Sian Heder. An English-language remake of the 2014 French film La Famille Bélier, it stars Emilia Jones as the eponymous CODA (child of deaf adults), the only hearing member of a deaf family, who struggles to balance her attempts to help her family’s struggling fishing business and her own life aspirations.

CODA had its world premiere on January 28, 2021 at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival as one of the opening-day films. At Sundance, the film won the U.S. Grand Jury Prize, U.S. Dramatic Audience Award, and a Special Jury Ensemble Cast Award. The film’s director Sian Heder won Best Director in the U.S. Dramatic section. It is also a finalist for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

It currently has a 95% Tomatometer score, and a 93% Audience Score from the Rotten Tomatoes website.

So apparently, my wife and I aren’t the only ones who enjoyed this movie. It is currently being streamed on Apple TV +.

Here is a clip from the movie:

Perhaps what impressed me the most about the movie was that the star, 19-year-old English actress Emilia Jones, needed to master so many skills for her part: how to sign and understand American Sign Language, how to speak in an American accent, how to sing, and how to fish.

Jones was the only member of her four-person on-screen family who was not deaf, both in the movie and in real-life. It seemed apparent to me that Jones embraced the role, and that is part of what makes the movie so successful.

I highly recommend CODA.

But if you are going to watch, keep a box of tissues close by…

*image from Screen Rant

Published by Jim Borden

A 60-something guy trying to figure out the world, and his place in it. Happily married for 40-plus years, three wonderful sons. Accounting teacher, fitness enthusiast, blogger, reader.

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58 thoughts on “I Haven’t Cried That Much During a Movie in a While”

  2. Hey Jim. I enjoyed this post. I am also one who is frequently brought to tears by scenes in movies. I have been trying to think of some of the ones that get to me the most regularly, regardless of how many times I have seen them.

    The first one that comes to mind is “Field of Dreams”. That happens to be my favorite movie of all time, as you may have seen on my blog. The scene at the end where Ray plays catch with the ghost of his father will probably always get to me as long as I watch that movie. I have read that particular scene is thought to have provoked that reaction from men more than any other movie. I believe it. Throw in that the music from the film is beautiful and that really contributes to the emotion as well.

    My wife and just watched another of my favorite movies, “Children of a Lesser God”. That was brought to mind by the recent passing of William Hurt. It also starred Marlee Matlin in her Oscar winning first movie role. Marlee plays the mom in the movie you mentioned – “CODA”. The final scene where Hurt and Matlin finally get back together on the pier is one that has always affected me as well.

    There are others and as I think of them I will try to remember to post to your blog.

    Thank you for the “CODA” recommendation. My wife and I watched a number of You Tube videos about that movie tonight. That included the official trailer for the movie, a “Making of”, and also we watched the hearing star sing “Both Sides Now” at the BAFTA awards – the British Oscars.

    We don’t have Apple+ so right now we can’t even rent “CODA”. I assume that you must have Apple+? Hopefully I’ll figure out a way. Maybe I’ll have to take out a trial membership of Apple+.

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    1. Field of Dreams is a classic, and it doesn’t surprise that it has affected so many men.

      I have not seen Children of a Lesser God, but Marlee was great in CODA, so I will check it out.

      Apple+ seems to be the service the fewest number of people have. We have it because we had bought an Apple product, and it came with a one-year subscription.

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  3. If you have not seen it, I really recommend that you watch the “Making of CODA” video on You Tube. You mentioned how impressed you were about how the hearing star had to learn so many new abilities for this movie. She talks about that as well in that video.

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  4. I thought of a couple more. One is “The Time Traveler’s Wife”. When the traveler meets the daughter he never actually lived to see, that is always pretty emotional. Also, if you have never seen the following movie, I highly recommend you try to find it – 1963’s “Soldier in the Rain” starring Jackie Gleason and a very young Steve McQueen. It is mostly a comedy about a tough old sergeant (Gleason) and his young protegee, McQueen. I can almost guarantee that the scene at the very end of the movie will get to you. “Until that time, Maxwell. Until that time.”

    Just thought of another old one – 1962’s “Lonely are the Brave” starring Kirk Douglas. It is the story of how a cowboy is not able to coexist in modern society. The scene where his beloved horse dies is a serious tear-jerker.

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      1. I do have Apple TV+ (I think) but not all movies are available in Australia. It’s disappointing sometimes to not be able to find them on any service.

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  9. I loved ove and it led me to read all of the author’s books and he is one of my fav authors now. cannot wait to see ‘coda’ and I have no doubt I’ll be weeping right along with it

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  10. This one was already on my ‘to be watched’ list, and your recommendation has helped push it higher! I’m glad you thought it was as good as all of the reviews suggest.

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  16. Kelly Clarkson couldn’t listen to the sing+sign* scene when played on her show cause the movie made her so emotional. I want to see it but don’t have Apple.

    *That’s actually a common sign class assignment and one of the few things I’ve retained from sign classes.”I just can’t get enough” is my fave phrase to sign.

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  18. I have been waiting to see this wonderful film! This is a true story, a fisherman family here in Massachusetts. I will cry my eyes out and be filled with joy, and will probably bring even more music and sign language into my classroom. Thank you so much, Jim!

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  20. I’m so pleased it’s not just me my family laugh at me…I shed tears over an advert…I can download Coda on Utorrent,, Thank you for the recommendation and tissue alert, Jim…lol 🙂 x

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