50 free CODA Movie trivia questions with answers — entertainment quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
This CODA trivia quiz covers Sian Heder's 2021 Best Picture winner, the story of Ruby Rossi, the only hearing member of a deaf fishing family in Gloucester, Massachusetts. It follows Ruby from signing up for choir to impress Miles, through Mr. V's private lessons, the federal observer on the boat, the Coast Guard fines, the family's own fish business, the recital her father feels through her throat and the Berklee audition she signs as she sings. Behind the scenes it covers the French film La Famille Bélier it remakes, why Heder moved the story from a dairy farm to a fishing town, Marlee Matlin's ultimatum that deaf actors play deaf roles, Troy Kotsur's discovery at Deaf West Theatre, the nine months Emilia Jones spent learning ASL, the Rockport locations, Apple's record $25 million Sundance deal and the fight over the film's rating. It ends with the 94th Academy Awards, where CODA won every award it was nominated for, Kotsur made history and the ceremony was overshadowed by a slap. Every answer was checked against encyclopaedia entries before publishing.
30 of 50 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01Who wrote and directed CODA?
Sian Heder
Her earlier film was Tallulah; she learned ASL while writing the script.
Q 02What does the acronym CODA stand for?
Child of deaf adults
Ruby is the only hearing member of her family.
Q 03Who plays Ruby Rossi?
Emilia Jones
The British actress learned ASL and took voice lessons for the better part of a year before filming.
Q 04CODA is a remake of which 2014 film?
La Famille Bélier
The French original was set on a dairy farm.
Q 05In which Massachusetts town is CODA set?
Gloucester
Heder knew it from childhood summers on the North Shore.
Q 06What is the Rossi family business?
Fishing
The French original's family ran a dairy farm instead.
Q 07Why does Ruby sign up for choir?
Her crush Miles signs up for it
Mr. V then assigns her a duet with him.
Q 08Who plays the choir director Mr. V?
Eugenio Derbez
Heder based him on her college rhythm teacher and her high school drama and English teachers.
Q 09Where does Mr. V push Ruby to audition?
Berklee in Boston
It's his alma mater.
Q 10Who plays Frank Rossi, Ruby's father?
Troy Kotsur
He became the first male deaf actor to win an Oscar.
Q 11Who plays Jackie Rossi, Ruby's mother?
Marlee Matlin
She was the first person cast and threatened to quit unless deaf actors played the deaf roles.
Q 12Who plays Leo, Ruby's brother, in his feature debut?
Daniel Durant
He, Kotsur and Matlin had worked together on Deaf West's Spring Awakening.
Q 13What does Frank announce at the fisheries board meeting?
He'll start his own company and sell fish directly
He invites other local fishermen to join him.
Q 21Roughly what proportion of the script is in American Sign Language?
40%
Heder was helped by two deaf 'ASL masters', Alexandria Wailes and Anne Tomasetti.
Q 22Which director gave Heder feedback on the script?
Kenneth Lonergan
He'd made Manchester by the Sea, set in a nearby town.
Q 23Where did Heder find the actor who plays Frank?
A Deaf West Theatre production
Matlin used her Deaf West connections to help find deaf actors.
Q 24How long did the actress playing Ruby study ASL and voice before filming?
Q 14Why are Frank and Leo intercepted by the Coast Guard?
They fail to respond to horns and radio calls
A federal observer aboard didn't know they were deaf; Ruby was off swimming with Miles.
Q 15On what condition do Frank and Leo get their licence back?
A hearing person must be aboard at all times
Ruby then announces she's skipping college to join the business.
Q 16Who reacts angrily when Ruby says she'll forgo college?
Leo
He tells her she'll regret it forever and that the family can manage without her.
Q 17How does Frank experience Ruby's singing after the recital?
He feels her vocal cords as she sings
It's the moment he decides to drive her to Boston.
Q 18Which song does Ruby sing at her Berklee audition?
'Both Sides, Now' by Joni Mitchell
She signs it as she sings so her family in the balcony can follow.
Q 19How does Mr. V help Ruby restart her nervous audition?
He deliberately makes a mistake on the piano
She gains confidence when she spots her family in the balcony.
Q 20What single word does Frank say aloud to Ruby as she leaves for college?
Go
She signs back 'I really love you'.
Nine months
Heder auditioned hundreds of teenage girls for the role.
Q 25Which closed building stood in for the high school in the film?
Briscoe Middle in Beverly
It was being converted into an arts and living complex.
Q 26Where was the Berklee audition scene filmed?
The Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport
The quarry scenes were shot at Rockport's Steel Derrick quarry.
Q 27Who composed the score?
Marius de Vries
He called scoring a film with mostly deaf lead characters his biggest challenge.
Q 28What is the original song Jones sings over the end credits?
Beyond the Shore
The soundtrack was released by Republic Records on the same day as the film.
Q 29At which festival did CODA premiere?
Sundance
It won the US Grand Jury Prize, Audience Award and a special ensemble award there.
Q 30How much did Apple pay for the film, a festival record?
$25 million
It beat Amazon Studios among others; the film's budget was $10 million.