On Sunday, the film Everything Everywhere All at Once won 7 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Most of the cast and one writer/director are of Asian descent. Reflecting on the film’s success and recognition, (not on the film itself), I have a range of emotions.
Editorial Note: Everything Everywhere All at Once is rated R by the MPAA rating has been assigned for “some violence, sexual material and language.” Please use wisdom and judgment if you are considering watching this film. For more tips, check out The Gospel Coalition’s “Should I Watch This?” and checking out a content guide.
Excitement: Rooting for the Underdog
The Oscars crowd was buzzing with goodwill for Everything Everywhere All at Once. It had none of the apparent advantages that a winning movie might have: a big budget, cast and crew who had been nominated in previous years, or cast and crew who even looked like anyone that was nominated in previous years. Audience members, presenters, and winners were rooting for this underdog, and it was easy to join in.
Excitement: Rooting for the Hometown Champion
I grew up in the 1980s as a Chinese American in a predominantly White community. I remember my grandparents taking me to the movie theater to see The Goonies” I was amazed to see a character, Data, who looked like me, surrounded by White kids just like I was. Of course I have never met actor Ke Huy Quan, but I feel like he and I go way back. I am thrilled for his recent success.
Vindication as an Ethnic Minority
Do you ever feel like, if only you were granted the opportunity, you could offer something great to the world around you? Many Asian Americans have made notable contributions to American society, but in TV and film, access has been limited. Ke Huy Quan has addressed his 20 year absence from acting, saying there were no roles for him as an Asian American. The overwhelming success of a film that tells the story of a Chinese immigrant family feels like proof that, given more opportunities, Asian Americans would have great work to contribute in arts and entertainment.
Hope for the Future
Asian representation in American media feels like progress. I feel seen. I feel valued. Most of my media-consuming life—watching Mr. Rogers, reading the Anne of Green Gables series, listening to Switchfoot— has been spent considering life from the perspective of a White North American. It’s different for young people today, and I am glad. We Americans have opportunities to consider life from diverse perspectives, and we Asian Americans may even see a story now and then that portrays a viewpoint familiar to our own experience.
Thinking Bigger
The earth is the LORD’S and everything in it,
For he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters. (Psalm 24:1-2)
While I’m glad that this area of American society appears to be improving, I must remember that the world has always belonged to God Almighty. He is the founder, and He is the one whose will and plan matter. Something inside humankind celebrates the triumph of the less-resourced underdog, a champion to represent the underrepresented, and vindication for those who were long denied an opportunity to perform—and these are actually themes that are found in the Bible.
EEAAO and its success echo the goodness, truth, and beauty of God, and they are reasons to give thanks. But ultimately, as a follower of Jesus, my hope should be in God and his plan for a beautifully inclusive world, rather than in my or my society’s view of progress. He is sovereign over all the earth, and that includes the American entertainment industry. Let’s turn to Him with our celebrations and our hopes for the future.