"So, even though you have broken my heart yet again, I wanted to say, in another life, I would have really liked just doing laundry and taxes with you."
I'll be the first to admit that I cry sometimes at the movies. But when I do, it's almost always during a sad scene. A scene where a character dies or disappears right out of reach of the protagonist. The protagonist cries, you cry, everyone sheds a tear. It's great. Cathartic really. But rarely do I cry during non-sad moments. In fact, only this one moment while watching Everything Everywhere All at Once, did I catch myself crying for an entirely different reason. It wasn't tears of sadness, but of pure elation. The elation of experiencing the full potential of what movies can do. What movies could do and accomplish when intense imagination, heart, and rewarding storylines all come together and pay off in a spectacular sequence. What movies really are meant to do. The accession that Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh) undergoes as she climbs a formidable staircase towards the end of the film shook me. It was the best sequence I've seen in a movie in the past decade. Sausage finger hands down the best. And I bet the tears I shed then tasted sweeter than a refreshing sip of Coca-Cola.
Everything Everywhere All at Once is refreshing. I didn't know movies could be so powerful AND original these days. With superhero movies still floating around harnessing nostalgia as their main power source and Pixar popping out movies less like golden eggs from the goose and more like Grade AA eggs from "cage-free" (I'll give them that at least) chickens, who could have expected a film like EEAaO to emerge from the Hollywood coop?
The film may seem like a sci-fi, fantasy adventure on the outside, but that's just the eggshell that contains and delivers a story about family, about truly caring about those around you, and about loving life, the life that you have, and that you chose. That message is the core, the ooey-gooey yolk. The sci-fi aspect is such a creative and extremely fun way to present that message to the audience.
I'm a strong believer that animation has an edge when it comes to creativity because the medium allows for unlimited possibilities. But EEAaO breaks that live-action barrier and does what movies like Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse do. The movie makes you believe that anything is possible, both in the movie narrative and in your actual life. And in doing so, the movie becomes unpredictable. You don't know what it'll show you next, but regardless, you want to see it. And maybe for a second time.
I highly encourage everyone to see the movie. Everything Everywhere All at Once is a film that everyone, everywhere, should watch at least once. Even your grandpa should buckle down and see it. Sure, the film focuses on an Asian American family struggling both financially and emotionally. But it's relatable. Don't give me the excuse that you couldn't possibly relate to a middle-aged Chinese woman. How do you think most of the world feels when they see another movie starring Chris Pratt or Benedict Cumberbatch? As a "young" (I'll give myself that at least) Korean American man, I relate to none of the above 100%. But I can confidently say that I relate to Michelle Yeoh's character more than I do with any of Benedict Cumberbatch's. Not because we're both ethnically from East Asia, you fucking racist (Korea and China are two vastly different countries), but because her character is human. Evelyn Wang struggles to do her taxes. She forgets to appreciate her life and what she has. She is a racehorse wearing blinders, incapable of receiving and giving real love. Her problems are universal. I'd even say that most white men would probably relate with her more than they would with snarky superhero Dr. Strange or charismatic rancher Phil Burbank. Most white men probably just don't want to admit it.
I hate to bring race into my reviews, but with the current climate in America, it's helpful to show that everyone, everywhere draws from the same fears, ideals, and wishes. Everyone wants the best life possible. And everyone has laundry and taxes to do (at least in America).