I find laughing and crying at movies to be much less draining than laughing and crying at the state of the world, so in place of doom scrolling, I’ve been switching between comedies and tear jerkers lately. Today, I’d like to introduce you to a beautiful film called Coda. The 2021 film was the winner of three Oscars and multiple awards at Sundance, and for good reason. It’s the story of a hearing child who lives in Gloucester, Mass, with her deaf parents and brother. As the only hearing member of the household, she is relied upon heavily by her family. But the young woman, skillfully played by Emilia Jones, dreams of going to Berklee College of Music, something that’s completely alien to this high-school-educated, non-hearing family. The story is told with incredible sensitivity, and we get to feel just how claustrophobic this life is for young Ruby. I highly recommend you watch the film with a full box of tissues. The wonderful/painful scenes are pretty incredible.

You can watch Coda on Apple+. The first video below is my favorite moment from the movie, and watching it made me cry all over again. Where did I put those darned tissues… If you don’t want a spoiler for the end of the movie, cut off the video at 2:47.