‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ Dominates Oscars With Seven Wins, Including Best Picture (Full Winners List)
NOTE: This article is a republication- Source: Variety (by Brent Lang/William Earl).
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” was named best picture at the 95th Academy Awards on Sunday, capping off an improbable awards season run by winning the movie business’s highest honor.
The film, a gonzo adventure about a Chinese-American laundromat owner grappling with an IRS audit and inter-dimensional attackers, earned seven statues, including original screenplay and directing honors for its creators Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (collectively known as the Daniels). The victory is a triumph for A24, the indie studio that pushed the zany film to an impressive $100 million at the box office, a stunning achievement at a time when the market for arthouse movies has shriveled. The studio also managed the rare feat of nabbing all four acting honors — three of which were won by “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and one by “The Whale.”
It was a night of comebacks and reassessments. “Everything Everywhere All at Once’s” Michelle Yeoh became the first Asian woman to be recognized as best actress. The honor came after a long career in martial arts and action movies like “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon” and “Yes, Madam.”
“Ladies, don’t ever let anyone tell you that you are past your prime,” Yeoh said. “For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities,” she added.
Brendan Fraser took best actor honors for his performance as a morbidly obese man trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter in “The Whale.” Fraser, once a prominent actor known for his work in popcorn flicks such as “George of the Jungle” and “The Mummy,” had spent the last decade and change away from the spotlight dealing with health and personal struggles. His win continues his remarkable resurgence.
“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, acknowledging his career setbacks. He thanked his director Darren Aronofsky for “throwing me a creative lifeline and hauling me aboard.”
Ke Huy Quan won best supporting actor for his performance as Yeoh’s frazzled husband in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” A former child star who appeared in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and “The Goonies,” Quan had given up on acting in recent years, frustrated by his lack of opportunities. Accepting his award, he fought back tears while sharing his personal history.
“My journey started on a boat,” he said. “I spent a year in a refugee camp and somehow I ended up here on Hollywood’s biggest stage. They say stories like this only happen in the movies. I cannot believe it’s happening to me. This is the American dream.”
“Dreams are something that you have to believe in,” he added. “I almost gave up on mine. To all of you out there, please keep your dreams alive.”
Jamie Lee Curtis, a veteran headliner of horror hits such as “Halloween” and the daughter of Hollywood legends Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis, won best supporting actress for her turn as an IRS inspector in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”
To read the full article click here