Oscars Recap

Everything Everywhere All At Once dominated the awards circuit,

By Emily Wang

Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth.” ese were the viral words uttered by Will Smith at last year's Oscars after delivering the slap heard ‘round the world.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this year’s Oscars following last year’s incident. Luckily, the Academy did not disappoint. Whether it was captivating musical performances, poignant acceptance speeches or awkward cultural references, the 2023 Oscars had it all. Most importantly, the award show marked an incredible step forward for minorities in the lm industry.

e major standout was a performance of “Naatu Naatu” from the Indian blockbuster RRR. Its energetic dance battle and colorful costumes transported viewers into the world of Tollywood, Telugu cinema.

Ruth E. Carter received her second Oscar for her costume design work on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, making her the rst Black woman to win multiple Oscars.

Everything Everywhere All At Once, which revolves around middle-aged Chinese immigrant Evelyn and her relationship with her family, was the center of the night. e movie took home seven wins for Best Picture, Actress, Director, Original Screenplay, Film Editing, Supporting Actress and Supporting Actor.

Both Jamie Lee Curtis and Stephanie Hsu were nominated for Best Supporting Actress for their roles in Everything Everywhere

All At Once. To my surprise and dismay, Curtis, who only played a minor role, took home the title instead of Hsu.

Although Curtis’ acting was not shoddy, her limited screen time and one-dimensional character de nitely did not warrant her win, especially considering that Hsu’s performance outshined her in every way.

Hsu’s depiction of a depressed and queer immigrant daughter struggling to gain her parent’s understanding and acceptance was

Anonymous

I got into college. I still don’t believe it. Everything could’ve, should’ve and would’ve gone the other way.

I was rejected from my Early Decision school. A months-long spiral in which I questioned everything about myself ensued. Lots of tears were shed.

en, three months later, my grades and extracurriculars and demographics the same, I was accepted to schools thought by some to be more selective. I was rejected and waitlisted from many more, including those supposedly easier to get into.

It’s a crapshoot, this college admissions process we dream about and dread. I wouldn’t be the rst to point out its randomness, which also is ironic — disturbing yet simultaneously comforting.

all too real. I am unafraid to admit that Hsu was the reason I ugly-cried at multiple points in the movie; although she was snubbed of the award, she still delivered an Oscar-winning performance in my heart. I hope that her role as Joy will be her stepping stone for even greater performances.

Additionally, the story of Ke Huy Quan, who won Best Supporting Actor for his role as Evelyn’s husband in the same lm, tugged at the heartstrings of all who were watching.

During his acceptance speech, he said, “my journey started on a boat. I spent a year in a refugee camp … somehow I ended up on Hollywood’s biggest stage!” e fact that a young struggling immigrant could grow up and deliver an Oscar-winning performance is a true dark horse story.

After two decades of struggling to nd a role after acting in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Quan made a huge comeback and described his achievement as the American dream. What made the night even more special was the Indiana Jones reunion between Quan and Harrison Ford .

In addition, Michelle Yeoh, Quan’s costar in Everything Everywhere All At Once, became the rst Asian woman to win Best Actress. To say her multi-faceted portrayal of Evelyn did the character justice would be a total understatement.

Yeoh’s claim to fame was in martial arts lms where she became known for doing her own stunt work despite receiving no formal training. Everything Everywhere All At Once was the perfect opportunity for Yeoh to demonstrate her knack for kung-fu, which she still retains after more than 20 years.

Through the television screen, Yeoh encouraged the dreams of young Asian Americans watching. While holding up her statuette, Yeoh said, “for all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibility. is is proof that dreams do come true.” As an Asian American myself, her historic win made me feel incredibly proud.

Yeoh’s character transcends that of a stereotypical tiger mom. Beyond her hard exterior, Evelyn shows a deeply vulnerable and complex side in the movie that many lmmakers choose to ignore while writing an Asian character. Her role showed the world that we don’t want to be con ned to the “token Asian.” Asian characters’ personalities shouldn’t be reduced to a single trope. e population of Asian Americans is not a monolith — each has their own unique experiences. is year’s Academy Awards hopefully marked the beginning of progress for both the Oscars and Hollywood. I look forward to an even better and brighter future for lm. ese are humans on the other side of this process who are fallible; something is bound to get lost or misinterpreted, especially as they read an increasingly insane number of applications each year.

While it is wonderful that many talented individuals are nally recognized for their accomplishments and Hollywood is more diverse than ever, frankly, it is about time. Voices from a variety of backgrounds deserve to be heard.

What’s so brutal about this nearly sixmonth-long undertaking is that we start to believe that we have control over where we end up. After four years in the hyper-collegefocused pressure cooker that is South, we’re convinced that getting into a school validates our e orts, our merit and even who we’ve become as a person.

In reality, however, whether we advance past the rst round of admissions “reading” may have more to do with whether the personal statement, in which we tried so hard to portray our “true selves,” strikes a chord with the admissions o cer.

Whether they get through our supplemental essays may not depend on the creative take on the topic we chose, but instead on factors beyond our control — perhaps they didn’t eat breakfast that morning and skimmed the rest of the le before heading to lunch.

You also can’t predict who you’re compared against by the committee at the next round. Consider a group of great candidates they’ve identi ed — all with great test scores, excellent grades, and impressive extracurriculars. is is where we’re told we need the “it” factor, the extra-impressive insight or experience, something that makes us stand out.

But it’s impossible to know what they will want at that moment. ese decisions come down to the “I already have a sports captain, so I don’t need another” sort of thinking or simply the committee’s overall hopes for the chemistry of the class. It’s impossible to know the pro les of everyone else who applies.

Sure, this randomness sucks because it doesn’t value the persona we’ve cultivated to re ect our proudest elements; we’re essentially selling ourselves to these schools without knowing what they need to buy. To me, this reality actually o ers some relief.

When I came to understand that the admissions decision depended more on the judgment of overworked humans, probably high on ca eine, trying to shape their idea of a perfectly balanced class, than my individual pro le, I believed in myself the most.

I realized that my potential and all I would add to a college campus depends not on how admissions o cers see or rate it, but on what I know I’ve developed over the past four years, as I’ve grown into an adult.

And that, more than the validation or ego that this college process can boost, is what I’ve clung to and realized: ese colleges aren’t the prize for us; we are for them.