Life is a series of choices. At the crossroads of countless decisions, some people give up their dreams, and others give up love to move on. Of all the decisions and regrets in life, the roads laid before Evelyn, the owner of the old laundromat in California, are quite extraordinary. Which will she choose — her ordinary life, or the mission to save the universe? Let us verse-jump into Evelyn’s world of everything, everywhere all at once with the Sungkyun Times (SKT).
EVERYTHING
-Sucked into...Everything Everywhere All at Once
Everything Everywhere All at Once (E.E.A.A.O.) is a 2022 American science fiction comedy film written and directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, known as the Daniels. Michelle Yeoh stars as the main character, Evelyn, and great supporting actors such as Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, and Jamie Lee Curtis enrich the film. Along with the ingenious directing of the Daniels, the actors’ show-stopping performance fascinated both the critics and the audience. The film made over $100 million in profit on only a $15 million budget, attesting to its popularity. Furthermore, the movie won seven awards at the 95th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Actress.
-Synopsis (*Spoiler Alert)
Evelyn Wang, a middle-aged Chinese woman, has been struggling recently. Deirdre, a fastidious Internal Revenue Service (IRS) inspector bothers her family by putting a lien on her laundromat. What is worse, the relationship between Evelyn and her lesbian daughter, Joy, is deteriorating day by day. Amid the chaos, Evelyn experiences an odd event while she and her husband Waymond visit the IRS for a tax audit. Her silly, naive husband suddenly turns into a total stranger by introducing himself as Alpha Waymond from another universe. He explains that Joy in the Alpha Universe, Jobu Tupaki, is trying to destroy the entire multiverse and asks Evelyn for help as she is the only one that can fight against her. Now, what path would Evelyn take?
EVERYWHERE
-Nothing but Everything
E.E.A.A.O. implies the theme of accepting and overcoming nihilism throughout the film. The antagonist, Jobu Tupaki, is an omniscient being that exists in every multiverse all at once, but is also a lonely daughter who wants her mother’s acceptance. Therefore, she falls into nihilism, saying, “Nothing matters.” The “everything bagel” she makes, which sucks up the entire multiverse, represents both sides of her. As Jobu Tupaki, she feels ennui after gaining infinite egos. Simultaneously, as Joy, she suffers emptiness in her relationship with Evelyn. In the middle of the movie, Evelyn is convinced by Jobu’s nihilism. This is because Evelyn also has a pessimistic view of the world, as she was abandoned by her father as a child and suffered from her poor relationship with Deirdre and Joy. However, her husband Waymond saves Evelyn from being eaten away by the bagel. As he appeals to her heart by saying, “Be kind,” Evelyn reminisces about memories she has built with her family and manages to get out of the bagel. Hence, Waymond’s words symbolize the happiness given through the relationships between people, which connects to the movie’s theme of kindness being the path to overcoming nihilism. The googly eyes which Waymond plays with at the beginning well represent this idea. As Evelyn fights against the bagel with googly eyes on her forehead, its reverse figure from the bagel shows how kindness plays a significant role in our lives. Since nothing matters, the film encourages all the Evelyns in the universe to cherish every speck of time.
-Meaning of Life Reflected in Googly Eyes
In the theme of overcoming nihilism, E.E.A.A.O. conveys various messages to the audience. First, the film advises people not to regret their past decisions. The protagonist, Evelyn, lives the worst among all the Evelyns in the multiverse. However, paradoxically, she is capable of anything because she is not particularly good at anything, even when saving the multiverse. Through Evelyn’s life, the film explains that our essence remains priceless regardless of all the choices we made in the past. Furthermore, in the universe where Evelyn becomes a successful actress, she has to sacrifice her love for Waymond. This concept shows that every decision comes with gains and losses, hence none of them are meaningless. In addition, E.E.A.A.O. emphasizes familial love in the age of generational conflict through the story of an Asian immigrant family. Specifically, as a first-generation immigrant, Evelyn lived under the oppression of her coercive father Gong Gong in her early days. Among Wang’s family, the conflict grows worse between Joy, a second-generation immigrant, and Evelyn. Despite being a victim of the patriarchy, Evelyn stubbornly refuses to communicate with Joy, just like her father did. However, Evelyn finally tries to listen to her after realizing Joy would get through all the hardships in her life with her girlfriend Becky, as she and Waymond did. In essence, E.E.A.A.O. claims that love and communication within a family are the keys to overcoming cultural and intergenerational differences.
ALL AT ONCE
“You are not unlovable. There is always something to love.”
“Please. Be kind, especially when we don’t know what’s going on.”
"Of all the places I could be, I just want to be here with you."
People feel remorse and pain after every decision they make. Nevertheless, it is the love of a family that gives people the courage to move on. Therefore, we should live on. Despite every rejection and every disappointment, a mother’s love, that incandescent glow, will become the lighthouse for whichever path you choose.