LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chaotic, wild, creative, emotional and unique. If it were a bagel, “Everything Everywhere All At Once” would be the one that carries everything.
On Sunday the film swept the Oscars eliciting multiple moving moments and making history for Asians and Asian-Americans in Hollywood as well.
And as for The SmackDown, the ceremony actually felt like a big hug, with moving and heartfelt speeches that were a potent antidote to the haunting memory left behind by last year’s Will Smith incident.
The winners of the film walked one after another onto the stage, Ke Huy Quan, who went up to receive the best supporting actor award, shed contagious tears of happiness while talking about his life story. His co-star Jamie Lee Curtis, speaking eloquently about acting as a collaborative endeavor, and the directing duo known as The Daniels, who thanked public school teachers and their families for fueling their creativity.
Michelle Yeoh put the long-awaited icing on the cake of her incredible career by becoming the first Asian woman to win in the best actress category. Yeoh spoke about many things, but perhaps her most heartfelt words were for mothers, whom she called “superheroes.” And on this particular Oscar night, many winners joined her in giving special thanks to her mothers, perhaps none like costume designer Ruth E. Carter, who remembered her recently deceased mother to the 101 years.
Nor could there be a lack of thanks to the children, parents, husbands and wives. “I am his son, and I love you,” Mexican director Guillermo del Toro told his late parents, winning the first prize of the night for best animated feature film. Some of the most moving words of the night were from a wife to her husband: “Stay strong, my love,” Yulia Navalnaya said to her imprisoned husband, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Here are some of the highlights of the night.
AS FOR LAST YEAR…
In reprising his role as emcee, Jimmy Kimmel was clearly going to bring up the subject of The SmackDown, as it seems he will forever be known. It took about seven minutes of his monologue to get to that point, with a sarcastic joke about the passive reaction after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock over a joke about his wife. “We have strict policies in place,” Kimmel said. “If anyone in this theater commits an act of violence at any time during the ceremony, they will be awarded the Best Actor Oscar and will be allowed to give a 19-minute acceptance speech.” He later referenced Smith’s performance as Hitch and also paraphrased one of his songs, but without mentioning him by name.
QUAN DROPS TEARS SOON
Emotions were running high for the second award of the night, when the effusive Quan won his supporting actor trophy, which was a highly anticipated award, but no less exciting for that. In fact, host Ariana DeBose was barely able to say Quan’s name, as the Puerto Rican-born actress was already crying. “My journey began on a ship. I spent a year in a refugee camp,” said Quan, 51, who is of Vietnamese origin. “Somehow I ended up here on the biggest stage in Hollywood. They say that stories like this only happen in the movies. I can’t believe this is happening to me. This, THIS is the American dream.” Quan also thanked his 84-year-old mother, who said she was watching from home.
CURTIS: “I AM HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE”
On the heels of Quan, Curtis won her best supporting actress award and gave another impressive acceptance speech about collaborating in the industry. “I know it looks like I’m standing here alone, but I’m not,” she said. “I am hundreds of people.”
The actress addressed all the fans and colleagues “who support the genre films that I have made all these years, the hundreds and thousands of people. We just won an Oscar, together!” Curtis also dedicated words to her famous parents, the late actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, whom she highlighted, were also nominated at the Oscars. “I just won an Oscar!” she told them.
STAY STRONG, MY LOVE
Navalny is in solitary confinement in Russia. So his wife, Yulia Navalnaya, spoke for him when the documentary “Navalny” won the Oscar. “My husband is in prison for telling the truth. My husband is in prison for defending democracy,” Navalnaya said. “Alexei, I dream of the day when you will be free and our country will be free. Stay strong, my love.”
Director Daniel Roher dedicated his Oscar to Navalny and to all the political prisoners in the world. “Alexei, the world has not forgotten your vital message to all of us: We must not be afraid to stand up to dictators and authoritarianism wherever they are found.”
No one knows how to master glamor better than Lady Gaga, and she arrived on the Oscars carpet (which was champagne-colored for the first time) wearing dramatic makeup and a fabulous Versace gown from the fashion house’s latest collection. But when she appeared on stage, in a performance billed at the last minute, for a powerful rendition of “Hold My Hand” from “Top Gun: Maverick,” the glamorous look was gone and she was replaced with a simple T-shirt and pants. ripped denim There was no makeup left on her face. Never stopping to innovate and surprise, Gaga delivered another moving live performance at the Oscars in this understated outfit.
CARTER MAKES HISTORY AGAIN
Four years ago, Carter won her first statuette, becoming the first black woman to win in the costume design category for her work on “Black Panther.” On Sunday she made history again by winning again in the category, this time for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” (“Black Panther: Wakanda forever”) becoming the first black woman to win two Oscars. She dedicated her award to Mabel Carter, her mother, who said she died last week at age 101. “This movie prepared me for this moment,” she said. “Chadwick, please take care of Mom,” she said, referring to the late actor Chadwick Boseman, star of the original “Black Panther” movie.
THE DANIELS THANK THEIR TEACHERS AND MOMS
Directors Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan, known as The Daniels, took the stage several times, taking home the best original screenplay and best directing awards before taking the top prize for best picture for “Everything Everywhere.” The first time they arrived on stage, Scheinert joked that he was going to name all the teachers who had disciplined him and his brother at school. But then he ended up thanking the teachers who “raised me and inspired me and taught me to be less of a jerk.”
Kwan thanked his mom “who protected me as a child and protected my inner storyteller.” Winning the best directing award, they both returned to the stage and thanked, in Scheinert’s words, “the mommies of the world…specifically my mom and dad for not squashing my creativity when I was making really disturbing horror movies.” or really kinky comedy movies or dressing as a transvestite as a kid, which isn’t a threat to anyone!” the audience cheered.
YEOH GREETS MALAYSIA AND HIS MOM
In “Everything Everywhere” one of Yeoh’s most memorable scenes is a reconciliation with his young adult daughter (played by Stephanie Hsu ), a scene that speaks to the essence of parenthood with all its challenges and rewards.
So it was fitting that Yeoh, in accepting her best actress award, also focused on motherhood. “I have to dedicate this to my mom, to all the moms in the world because they really are the superheroes,” she said, “and without them none of us would be here tonight.” She added that her mother was watching from Malaysia with her family: “She is 84 years old and I will bring this home to her.” Yeoh, 60, also won applause for her praise for older women in Hollywood, telling them, “Don’t ever let anyone tell you they’re past her prime!”
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