By: Colin Schroyer

March 16th, 2023:

On March 12th, the Academy Awards returned to acknowledge the cream of the crop within the art of filmmaking. This year’s awards can be described as nothing short of historic.

Each year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hands out the highest honors to films from around the world during the Academy Awards ceremony, otherwise known as the Oscars. 2023 saw the 95th Academy Awards, with many landmark awards presented during the incredible evening.

Undeniably, the big winner of this year’s Oscars was Everything Everywhere All at Once. Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, known collectively as the Daniels, the film took home seven of the eleven awards the Academy nominated it for. In addition to Best Editing, Best Original Screenplay, Best Directing (for the Daniels), and Best Picture, the stars of the film — Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, and Jamie Lee Curtis — all won Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress, respectively. Additionally, Stephanie Hsu was likewise nominated for Best Supporting Actress alongside Curtis.

These wins and nominations mark a historic day for these actors and actresses. Jamie Lee Curtis has starred in iconic roles since her debut in John Carpenter’s Halloween, and this film marked her first Oscar nomination and win. Ke Huy Quan was known for his roles as a child actor in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Goonies but could not find work as an adolescent, mainly due to difficulties as an Asian actor for the time. It was not until he watched Crazy Rich Asians that he was reinspired to pursue acting. Quan’s first role returning to the big screen made enough of a splash to secure him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, for which he is only the second Asian performer to have received the award. Finally, starring in the leading role of Evelyn Wang in Everything Everywhere All at Once, Michelle Yeoh made history as the first Asian to be nominated for Best Actress, which she subsequently won.

But Everything Everywhere and its wins weren’t the only highlights of the evening. In his first major leading role in several years, much like Ke Huy Quan, Brendan Fraser was awarded the Oscar for Best Actor in his performance in The Whale. This award was the culmination of what fans have dubbed the “Brendanaissance,” referring to the actor’s return and revival of his career. In his speech, he thanked those closest to him, such as friends and family, but also he thanked the film’s director, Darren Aronofsky, for allowing him to join the project. The Whale also received the Oscar for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, for which Fraser was made to appear morbidly obese for his role as Charlie, a 600-pound recluse.

Looking at the technical awards, All Quiet on the Western Front did well, winning four awards. The film won Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, and Best Original Score, in addition to winning Best International Feature Film. Everything Everywhere All at Once, All Quiet on the Western Front, and The Whale were the three films that won more than one Oscar that evening. However, that does not detract from the other films which won in other categories.

Women Talking won the award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio won Best Animated Feature Film, while The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse won Best Animated Short Film. Best Costume Design went to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Best Sound was awarded to Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way of Water won Best Visual Effects. Navalny and The Elephant Whisperers won Best Documentary Feature and Short Subject, respectively, and finally, “Naatu Naatu” from RRR won Best Original Song.

Looking at these awards and their winners, it is clear just what the Oscars mean as one of the most prestigious award ceremonies for the art of film. Celebrating both the old and new, acknowledging years of hard work and struggle, and presenting honors to individuals who broke boundaries and accomplished the impossible.

Congratulations to this year’s Academy Award winners!