Filmmaking / Directing : EEAAO - Oscar predictions by Amanda Toney

Amanda Toney Hmm, the most telling sentence from the article is perhaps this:

"Yet even as “Everything Everywhere All at Once” has brought the excitement of true disruption to awards season — picking up the baton from the history-making dominance of “Parasite” in 2020 — it faces a lot of worthy competition."

I think that is the key word, disruption. We all know Cate Blanchett's a great actress, but I think EEAAO may disrupt the expectations of a notable talent winning the Best Actress.

Michelle Yeoh has been in many amazing films, but never seems to get the big 'western culture' awards. My gut feeling is that this should be the year she breaks through that barrier, because of that disruptive force of the film; from the time I watched it in the cinema and thought "what is happening to my mind?", and when the lights went up, everyone in the theatre was so elated - and on to seeing the joy of the BTS docs of everyone who took part. Amazing.

Cate Blanchett is wonderful, I agree, but she can be much like a singular instrument - the best, mind you, of her type, but can be limited, much like a Stradivarius is to string. Michelle Yeoh's limitations have unfortunately been that she is Asian. And, yet, I believe, that she can be piano, percussion, brass, woodwind, whatever, in major and minor key; and, she can do it in one film. Like she did in EEAAO!

Love both of your opinions Elvis and Geoff. It’s helpful to see your perspectives. Would love to hear more people’s thoughts here, too.

Amanda Toney thank you Amanda. I never thought I’d see the names Elvis and Geoff in the same sentence!!

I agree with most of IndieWire's thoughts when it comes to the Oscar nominations. I would say no to best song and score, best directors, best supporting with Stephanie and Jamie Lee. I actually fell in love with Jamie Lee in A Fish Called Wanda. Though early on in her career, her performance was better there. Overall, I enjoyed the movie and not because her name is Evelyn, :-). I enjoyed the idea that we are all multilayered and it represents (to me), what it might look like to be conscious within your subconscious. I can also appreciate being in your 40s with an Eastern world upbringing while raising a child in the Western world. It creates a unique perspective from the lens of the protagonist. Each experience she had were relatable and at times you do feel as though you are all of those experiences all at once. While, I don't think all eleven Oscar nominations were on point, I do think they created something relatable for a unique audience. What so unique about their audience, the relatability to many types of people all at once. As an aside, my name is Evelyn and my only daughter's name is Joyce who also goes by Joy. Can't get much more relatable than that for me, lol.

I've become an instant fan of yours from this post alone. I predict the convoluted mess that was EEAAO will inspire too many ill-fated screenplay concepts going forward. Every kid coming out of film school has a multi-verse concept in their back pocket. Fans of the film need to look at the bigger picture and the politics behind EEAAO's many awards. It worked this time, for a dozen reasons other than the script itself. It's not likely to work again.

I can see EEAAO winning best original screenplay because it's just that - original, novel and breaks new ground. Personally, I believe Banshees was a better constructed screenplay in the traditional and thematic sense. But the Oscars are very much about the Zeitgeist and also follow a formula for awards given. The last 5 or 6 years the winners have been more independent films that examine the political/cultural zeitgeist, especially with underrepresented communities in both the ethnic, social and economic sense.

Michael David Twas always thus, Michael. Something is successful and then those coming along afterwards try to ape it. Look what happened after The Matrix. Or with something like the music from The Bourne Identity - where you got a lot of sound-alike music on action US TV Shows.

Unfortunately though, the show moves on and by the time they've aped that success of the multi-verse, it's no longer relevant. Do something original, like The Daniels have done. The biggest interest for me about this story of their success, is what will they do next. The pressure will be immense. I hope they cope with it.

Geoff Hall Well said!

Michael David thank you, Michael? How are you doing?

Geoff Hall Very well, thanks for asking. Keeping at it. Hopefully learning all the time. You?

Michael David Busy, busy, busy. Scripts, articles and real family dramas. What are you working on at the moment?

Geoff Hall Sounds good, good luck with those! I hope you mean your are writing real family dramas as opposed to experiencing family drama in real life! Just put the finishing touches on a thriller yesterday. Thinking of a dramatic short next about a teacher who's an excellent educator but who is fired for not being "woke" enough. An examination of the misapprehensions of the high school educational system circa 2023. We'll see! Good luck to you and everything you do! I'm sure it will be great.

Michael David sadly not writing them, but experiencing them. Just trying to get in to writing a Pitch Deck for a film about Big Pharma. It’s proving stubborn at the moment!