Anyone Anywhere Can Be Anything Anytime They Want
For so many Asians that have pursued an art form, there is a similar story: being told you can’t do something. Personally, I was told in high school theater that I couldn’t play family cause I was the only Asian, that I couldn’t play age cause I looked too young. My theater teacher said that the tall white dudes “looked like leads.” So I was relegated to bit roles with a few lines. I used to be a musician. I auditioned for a band, and they told me I didn’t look punk (If you have a story like this, I’d love to hear it).
Today things are different. What a beautiful time to grow up, especially as an artist. You get to scoff at someone when they tell you that you can’t do something because of the way you look. You can be the hero, the villain, a rock star, a pop star, painter, dancer, designer, writer, sculptor, any kind of creator. Everything Everywhere All at Once, an independent film, just demolished every single awards ceremony. It was led by an action star who played a comedic role, surrounded by uncovered geniuses who could seamlessly transition between multiple characters mid scene. The editing and cinematography, devoid of any blockbuster style CGI, felt like another character itself. The directors made a Kung Fu movie about the multiverse deeply relatable. Yes, it is a predominantly Asian cast, but so many underdogs can relate to being dismissed because you don’t look the part.
On screen, Everything Everywhere All at Once is nothing short of a masterpiece. Off screen, it proves that anyone anywhere can do anything anytime they want.
