Oscar Nominee CODA Is Playing In Theaters For Free Later This Month

If you haven't had a chance to watch the Apple TV+ film "CODA" yet, you have a chance to do it now — even if you don't have the streaming service. "CODA" was nominated for three Academy Awards including best adapted screenplay, best picture, and best supporting actor for Troy Kotsur, the first deaf man to earn an Oscar nomination for acting. If that doesn't convince you to watch, maybe this will: "CODA" is hitting theaters for free!

If you feel safe going to a theater in your area, this limited theatrical run will happen in major cities across the United States and London with open captions. The screenings will run from Friday, February 25 through Sunday, February 27, 2022. If you can and it's safe for you to do so, this film is worth seeing. It's the story of Ruby, a young CODA — child of deaf adults — who wants to be a singer. The film is a remake of the 2014 French film "La famille belier." 

Many of us have been staying away from theaters, and speaking from my own experience, it does make me a little nervous to go back. That said, a free film is certainly one way to remind us all of what we're missing when we watch films at home. As much as I like my own TV, going to a recent (vaccinated and masked) screening almost brought me to tears. If you're going to go back, this is a beautiful choice for your return flick.

Here is the official synopsis for "CODA:"

17-year-old Ruby (Emilia Jones) is the sole hearing member of a deaf family – a CODA, child of deaf adults. Her life revolves around acting as interpreter for her parents (Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur) and working on the family's struggling fishing boat every day before school with her father and older brother (Daniel Durant). But when Ruby joins her high school's choir club, she discovers a gift for singing and soon finds herself drawn to her duet partner Miles (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo). Encouraged by her enthusiastic, tough-love choirmaster (Eugenio Derbez) to apply to a prestigious music school, Ruby finds herself torn between the obligations she feels to her family and the pursuit of her own dreams.

"CODA" was written and directed by Siân Heder and produced by Vendome Pictures and Pathé. "CODA" has also received an AFI Award, BAFTA Award nominations, a PGA nomination, NAACP Image Award nominations, nine Hollywood Critics Association Awards nominations, and a SAG Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. This is the first film with a predominantly Deaf cast to receive a nomination for this SAG award.