Thoughts on Everything Everywhere All At Once

Family dynamics are often complicated. My daughter and I are big fans of A24 production, so when we saw an advertisement for a sic-fi fantasy film that appeared to be addressing family dynamics with a off beat comedic approach, we knew we were going to see this movie in the theater. For this film critic, Everything Everywhere All At Once was one of the best films of 2022. Below I have included a clip from the movie. I think the beauty of this scene, which includes spoilers and likely will not make complete sense without seeing the whole film, is that it doesn't "solve" all of the family issues with a beautiful monologue.

"No matter what, I still want to be here with you.
I will always, always want to be here with you."
- Evelyn Wang

A few thoughts from Everything Everywhere All At Once:

Having the conversation 

My wife is a talented proponent of this phrase, "Have the conversation." Whenever there is conflict, especially with those that you love, it is rarely the answer to walk away from the issue. Rather, you must lean into the awkwardness or the pain so that you can begin a conversation to address the issues and work towards a resolution. In the clip above, mom doesn't give a beautiful speech, but she does give a heartfelt one and it lands with her daughter. The speech doesn't solve everything but it opens the door for understanding and starts the momentum for the next steps. 

The work is never done 

Love is a choice, not just a feeling. So, if we choose to love each other, rather than assuming that because we are family it is a given, then we are constantly working to love, to be loving, and to explore what that means with those we choose to love. Mom starts her monologue off with, "You are getting fat..." What stuck with me after watching this film is the recognition that our loving relationships are not perfect. We are imperfect people doing the best that we can to show love to one another. Often times we miss the mark and sometimes we even hurt the ones we love. Moving forward does not, and should not, require perfection. Love does require the effort to understand and engage. 

Movie: Everything Everywhere All AtOnce
Director: Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
Cast: Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu
Release date: 2022
Producer: A24
Genre: Sci-fi fantasy, drama,  comedy