“Everything, Everywhere, All at Once” won best picture at the 95th Academy Awards on Sunday, capping off an incredible awards season with the film industry’s highest honor.
The film, a gonzo adventure about a Chinese-American laundromat owner dealing with an IRS audit and inter-dimensional attackers, won seven statues, including best original screenplay and best directing for its creators Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (collectively known as the Daniels).
The win is a victory for A24, the indie studio that pushed the zany film to an impressive $100 million at the box office, a stunning achievement in an era when the market for arthouse films has shrunk. The studio also accomplished the rare feat of winning all four acting awards, three of which went to “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once,” and one to “The Whale.”
BREAKING: Ke Huy Quan just won an #Oscar at the Academy Awards for best supporting actor for his role in 'Everything Everywhere All at Once'
"Mom, I just won an Oscar!!"
For those unaware Ke Huy Quan spent a year with his family in a Hong Kong refugee camp before arriving in… https://t.co/KqUPSJVYfe pic.twitter.com/yeRxujYzcU
— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) March 13, 2023
It was a night of comebacks and rethinking. Michelle Yeoh of “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once” became the first Asian woman to be named best actress. The award followed a long career in martial arts and action films such as “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and “Yes, Madam.”
“Do not ever let anyone tell you that you are past your prime, ladies,” Yeoh advised. “This is a beacon of hope and possibilities for all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight,” she added.
Brendan Fraser won best actor for his performance in “The Whale” as a morbidly obese man attempting to reconnect with his estranged daughter.
Fraser, a once-famous actor known for roles in blockbusters like “George of the Jungle” and “The Mummy,” had spent the last decade and a half away from the spotlight dealing with health and personal issues. His victory extends his remarkable comeback.
“I started in this business 30 years ago, and this – they certainly didn’t come easily to me, but there was a facility that I didn’t appreciate at the time until it stopped,” Fraser said.
