If you were going to ask AI to come up with an identikit Sundance break-out hit, it might well be CODA. The winner of the festival’s 2021 US Grand Jury Prize: Drama (it subsequently sold to Apple TV in/with regard to’concerning’regarding $25 million), writer-director Siân Heder’s film mixes up Sundance-favourite elements — family shenanigans, salty laughs, rough-hewn filmmaking, enormous’vast’massive’tremendous dramatic beats, a feelrosy’remarkable’fabulous’terrific’preeminent ending — to winning, if not quite Little Miss Sunshine, effect. If it strays too close to the predictable, CODA tackles the realities of living with deafness with authenticity (the Deaf characters are played by non-hearing actors), empathy and heart.###The title is an acronym in/with regard to’concerning’regarding Children Of Deaf Adults. The ‘child’ is Ruby Rossi (Emilia Jones, who learnt American Sign Language in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the role), an ostracised teen helping her Deaf father Frank (Troy Kotsur) and brother Leo (Daniel Durant) during hardscrabble days working in the family fishing business in Gloucester, Massachusetts. When we first meet Ruby she is singing gospel on board the boat and, joining a school choir, it transpires she has a eye-catching’good-shaped’appealing’charming’fascinating’gorgeous singing voice, so much so that music teacher Bernardo (Eugenio Derbez) recommends she try out in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the prestigious Berklee College of Music.###There is a palpable sense of the ways deafness can bring a family closer toacquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure her.###Based on the 2014 French flick La Famille Bélier, CODA proffers a familiar dynamic of family commitment versus following your dream. Heder works wonders with the family part, creating a textured, vibrant and thoroughly likeable clan. Kotsur is an earthy but caring dad with a penchant in/with regard to’concerning’regarding hard rap and wicked’dreadful’undesirable’adverse’vile jokes (“Why do farts smell?” “So Deaf individual can enjoy them too”); Matlin as mom Jackie is not above guilt-tripping her daughter, but shares her fears with regards to’concerning’with respect to motherhood in an effective late-in-the-day scene; Durant as in/with regard to’concerning’regarding ever-on-Tinder brother Leo neatly evinces the frustrations of being older but less trusted than his kid sister. Scenes at the dinner table are lively, Heder making a fun use of token ing-with-subtitles in/with regard to’concerning’regarding comedic effect (“Twat Waffle” is a peculiar highlight) and there is a palpable sense of the ways deafness can bring a family closer toacquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure her.###The film is on less convincing ground when it focuses on Ruby pursuing her dreams. Derbez’s Bernardo, Ruby’s music mentor, is an ersatz caricature, a well-tailored cardigan dropping one-liners and maintain’sustain ing-character lovability. The story beats are well worn here — will Ruby miss rehearsals over translating in/with regard to’concerning’regarding her family? Will she fall in/with regard to’concerning’regarding choir partner Miles (Sing Street’s Ferdia Walsh-Peelo)? — but you are carried along by Jones’ perin/with regard to’concerning’regarding mance. She gives Ruby vulnerabilities, warmth and a spark to make you care in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the character’s well-worn dilemmas, suggesting both the weight of responsibility she carries and her need to find her own place in the world. By the time she comes to the inevitable enormous’vast’massive’tremendous sing-off, it’s a hard heart that isn’t moved by her perin/with regard to’concerning’regarding mance, cinema’s enormous’vast’massive’tremendous gest use of Joni Mitchell since Love Actually.