“CODA,” a U.S. remake of 2014 French dramedy “La famille Bélier,” is about the only hearing member of a deaf family who discovers she’s a gifted singer. CODA is an acronym for “child of deaf adults.”

The film centers around 17-year-old Ruby (Emilia Jones) and the tensions that arise when her passion for music pulls her away from her deaf parents and brother.

Ruby Rossi lives with mom Jackie (Marlee Matlin), dad Frank (Troy Kotsur) and big brother Leo (Daniel Durant) — all three deaf — in Gloucester, Massachusetts, where she toggles between school and her job as a deck hand on the family’s fishing boat. Though her ability to hear sets her apart from her parents and sibling, the four function as a unit; Ruby has been communicating in ASL (American Sign Language) since before she could speak, and acts as an interpreter for the other Rossis — their liaison to the hearing world. Working from her own adapted screenplay, director Sian Heder establishes the dynamic between Ruby and her family — the push-pull of love and annoyance, the blurring line between closeness and codependency — in a few early scenes.

We see Ruby wince at the loud noise of a deaf household — the clanging pots and pans, the un-silenced smartphone and an instance of unchecked flatulence. Heder makes enough space in her frames for Jackie, Frank and Leo, too, catching their reactions and capturing their personalities.

One day at school, Ruby sees her crush, popular Miles (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo), signing up for choir. Ruby also likes to sing — the opening scene finds her belting Etta James’ “Something’s Got a Hold on Me” as she works on the boat. So before long, she’s singing alongside Miles, under the instruction of conductor Mr. V (Eugenio Derbez). Ruby’s so good that Mr. V urges her to apply to Boston’s selective Berklee College of Music.

Heder keeps the choir scenes short, snappy and refreshingly free of “Glee”-style vocal histrionics; the kids’ voices are lovely in an everyday kind of way.

The film’s primary interest is the painful distance that opens up between Ruby and her family as she nurtures her talent and thinks about a future beyond home. As a hearing person, Ruby is a key part of the Rossis’ fish sales business; they literally may not be able to afford for her to go away to college. It also runs deeper than that. Music is something Ruby’s family can’t fully appreciate, and Jackie feels that exclusion acutely.

With a light touch and lived-in sensitivity, Heder and her cast make the storm of mixed emotions set off by Ruby’s singing: Ruby’s unconditional devotion to her family but also her resentment at never having been able to put herself first, and her guilt about doing so for the first time; her parents’ hurt mixed with pride in their daughter and yearning for her happiness; Leo’s frustration, his sense that he’s considered less important to the family’s well-being than his sister.

Heder keeps things moving, never lingering on dramatic scenes or pumping them up with unearned sentiment. This thoughtful underplaying of major moments extends both to Ruby’s budding romance with Miles, and to the big spring choir concert.

Instead of delivering the usual bring-down-the-house climax, Heder considers the experience from the perspective of each family member, shifting seamlessly among them to create a mini roller coaster of worries, awkwardness, relief and delight.

(SD-Agencies)