ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR – JORGE GUERRERO
ORIGINALLY PRINTED ON APRIL 6, 2023
Once again, the high-profile entourages of Hollywood were rounded up at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California, to witness the 95th edition of the Academy Awards hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.
This edition of the Oscars was the first time all nominations for actors in a leading role were first-time nominees and the first time the Oscars nominated an Asian- identifying woman for best actress. The magic was in the air, and emotions flew high as this edition of the Oscars saw many heartwarming moments for actors who had always waited for their time to shine.
The first big award of the night was for the best supporting actor, which shook Hollywood as an emotional Ke Huy Quan received his first academy award for his role in Everything Everywhere All at Once. His reception brought tears to spectators’ eyes as he passionately accepted his award and dedicated his win to his wife, Echo, who he explained told him for 20 years that his time to shine would come. Quan famously started his career as a child in the 80s when he played roles in “The Goonies” and “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”. Following these roles, he never quite reached the stardom he had as a child. However, after being inspired by the success of the 2018 film “Crazy Rich Asians”, Quan took the role of Waymond in “Everything Everywhere All at Once”, which saw him get much-deserved from Hollywood.
Unsurprisingly, the winner of best picture was none other than “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” making the win the seventh award the A24 film would be taking home that night. This made the movie the big winner of the night, which is no surprise considering their cast of star- studded underdogs. They also took home awards for best screenplay and best directed.
Similarly, the award for best supporting actress saw fierce competition as Angela Bassett, Stephanie Hsu, Kerry Condon, Hong Chau, and Jamie Lee Curtis were among the nominees. Miraculously, Jamie Lee Curtis was named the winner, to everyone’s surprise. This would be her first Academy Award nomination and first Oscar win despite her extensive portfolio, featuring cult classic horror film, “Halloween”, 1983’s “Trading Places”, and the coming-of-age film “My Girl”. Though much of the younger audience know her from her role as Lindsey Lohan’s mom in “Freaky Friday”, her role as an IRS agent in Everything Everywhere All at Once has again boosted her name the mainstream.
Of course, two of the most anticipated awards of the night were the awards for best actor and best actress. Michelle Yeoh would take the award for best actress which saw her become the first Asian woman to take the award in the history of the Academy Awards thanks to her stunning performance as Evelyn Quan Wang, a mess of a mother with a multitude of problems in her life trying to make ends meet as an immigrant running their own business in Everything Everywhere All at Once. The most emotional award of the night, saw Brendan Fraser pick up the academy award for best actor thanks to his performance as Charlie in “The Whale”. Like Quan, Fraser lived extreme highs at the beginning of his acting career with his leading role in the 1997 adaptation of “George of the Jungle”. This fame would crumble as his leading role in “The Mummy” trilogy saw Hollywood push him to the side for the lackluster trilogy. The result of this trilogy saw Fraser spiral into a deep depression after having a lack of acting opportunities throughout the late 2000’s and most of the 2010’s. Thankfully, as a choked- up Fraser would state in his acceptance speech, “Darren Aronofsky threw me a creative lifeline and hauled me aboard the good ship, The Whale”, which essentially revived his career and cemented his name in Academy Award history. It was a poignant moment for all in attendance.
This year’s Oscar winners proved that smaller actors, films, and actors shunned by Hollywood shouldn’t be underestimated. Sometimes a famous cast isn’t enough to be Oscar worthy, it takes actual quality filmmaking.