The biggest event in the movie calendar, the 95th annual Academy® Awards, took place last night at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, the awards celebrate all the glitz and glamour that is the movie industry. The biggest winner on the night, was A24’s EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE, ALL AT ONCE which took home 7 statues including Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Director, Film Editing, Original Screenplay, Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress.
Michelle Yeoh, who took home the Best Actress Oscar, became the first Asian woman to be recognised in the category. According to Variety, Ke Huy Quan – who won best supporting actor for his performance as Yeoh’s frazzled husband in EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE – 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.
With its multiverse storyline, and off-beat touches such as a character with hot dog hands, EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE represents a radical departure from the kind of staid prestige fare that historically dominated the Oscars, but the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has changed dramatically in recent years. In the wake of the #OscarsSoWhite controversy after no actors of colour were nominated in two consecutive years, the Academy made a big push in 2016 to diversify the pool of voters. In subsequent years its membership has gotten younger, and now includes more people of colour and women.
It was also a wonderful win for the genuinely nice guy, Brendan Fraser, who lifted his first Oscar for his role in THE WHALE.
“I just want to say thank you for this acknowledgement. It’s like I’ve been on a diving expedition,” Fraser says during his acceptance speech, thanking his sons for their support as well as director Darren Aronofsky for “throwing me a creative lifeline.”
See the full Oscars 2023 winner list here.
