Evelyn Quan Wang: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia
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{{Short description|Fictional characterprotagonist of Everything Everywhere All at Once}}
{{About|the fictional character|the mechanical engineer|Evelyn Wang}}
{{Infobox character
| name = Evelyn Quan Wang
| series = [[Everything Everywhere All at Once]]
| image = Evelyn Quan Wang from EEAAO.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = [[Michelle Yeoh]] as Evelyn Quan Wang
| creator = [[Daniels (directors)|Daniel Kwan<br />Daniel Scheinert]]
| portrayer = [[Michelle Yeoh]]
| species = Verse-jumped human
| full_name = Evelyn Quan Wang
| first = ''[[Everything Everywhere All at Once]]'' (2022)▼
| gender = Female
| title =
| occupation = Laundromat owner
| spouse = [[Waymond Wang]] (husband)
| family = Gong Gong (father)
| children = Joy Wang (daughter)<br>[[Jobu Tupaki]] (daughter; Dimension Alpha)
| significant_others = [[Deirdre Beaubeirdre]] (Hot Dog Dimension)
}}'''Evelyn Quan Wang''' is a [[fiction]]al [[Character (arts)|character]] and the protagonist of the 2022 [[Absurdist fiction|absurdist]] [[comedy drama|comedy-drama]] film ''[[Everything Everywhere All at Once]]''. Portrayed by [[Michelle Yeoh]] and created by [[Daniels (directors)|Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert]],{{efn|Known collectively as Daniels}} Evelyn is a [[Chinese Americans|Chinese-American]] [[Immigration|immigrant]] and [[Self-service laundry|laundromat]] owner. who, whileWhile being [[Income tax audit|audited by the IRS]], Evelyn discovers that she must connect with versions of herself across [[Parallel universes in fiction|parallel universeuniverses]] versions of herself to preventstop an [[Human extinction|omnicidal]] [[nihilist]] version of her daughter from another dimension from destroying her universe, andalong with the [[multiverse]] beyond it. Yeoh also playsportrays numerousmultiple alternate-dimension versions of Evelyn from different dimensions.▼
}}
▲'''Evelyn Quan Wang''' is a [[fiction]]al [[Character (arts)|character]] and the protagonist of the [[Absurdist fiction|absurdist]] [[comedy drama|comedy-drama]] film ''[[Everything Everywhere All at Once]]''. Portrayed by [[Michelle Yeoh]] and created by [[Daniels (directors)|Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert]], Evelyn is a [[Chinese Americans|Chinese-American]] immigrant and [[laundromat]] owner who, while being [[Income tax audit|audited by the IRS]], discovers that she must connect with [[Parallel universes in fiction|parallel universe]] versions of herself to prevent an [[Human extinction|omnicidal]] [[nihilist]] version of her daughter from another dimension from destroying her universe, and the [[multiverse]] beyond it. Yeoh also plays numerous alternate-dimension versions of Evelyn.
TheInitially, the filmmakers initiallyconsidered soughtcasting [[Jackie Chan]] forin the lead role, of Evelyn beforebut the script was later revised to feature a female protagonist,.<ref>{{cite web |urllast=Bhagchandani https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3214290/michelle-yeoh-and-jackie-chans-roller-coaster-friendship-malaysian-oscar-winner-and-her-supercop-co|first=Umesh |date=March 21, 2023 |title= Michelle Yeoh and Jackie Chan's roller-coaster friendship: the Malaysian Oscar winner and her Supercop co-star started acting together in Hong Kong, but she once called him 'a chauvinistic pig' on TV |firsturl= Umesh |last= Bhagchandani |work= [[South China Morning Post]] |date= March 21, 2023 |accesshttps://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3214290/michelle-date= November 1, 2023yeoh-and-jackie-chans-roller-coaster-friendship-malaysian-oscar-winner-and-her-supercop-co |archiveurl-datestatus= November 1, 2023live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20231101114329/https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3214290/michelle-yeoh-and-jackie-chans-roller-coaster-friendship-malaysian-oscar-winner-and-her-supercop-co |urlarchive-statusdate=liveNovember 1, 2023 |access-date=November 1, 2023 |work=[[South China Morning Post]]}}</ref> The character and the film were inspired by the works of Hong Kong film director [[Wong Kar-wai]], the children's book ''[[Sylvester and the Magic Pebble]]|''Sylvester and the Magic Pebble'']], and the video game ''[[Everything (video game)|''Everything]]'']]. Yeoh garnered widespread criticaluniversal acclaim for her performance, winningearning the [[Academy Award for Best Actress|]] at the [[95th Academy Awards]]. She made history as the first Asian to win Best Actress, the second [[Person of color|woman of color]] atto achieve this honor, and the first [[95thMalaysians|Malaysian]] to win any [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]].<ref>{{cite web |date=February 28, 2023 |title=The Cult of Daniels |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/daniels-daniel-kwan-daniel-scheinert-oscars-everything-everywhere-all-at-once.html | title=The Cult of Daniels | date=February 28, 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Guy |first=Zoe |date=March 13, 2023 |title=Everything Everywhere All at Once Did It For the Mommies |url=https://www.vulture.com/2023/03/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-oscars-history.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313091242/https://www.vulture.com/2023/03/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-oscars-history.html |archive-date=March 13, 2023 |access-date=2023-03-13 |website=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Fuster |first=Jeremy |date=March 12, 2023 |title=Oscars: A24 Is First Studio to Win Top 6 Awards in Same Year |url=https://www.thewrap.com/oscars-a24-record-sweep-top-categories/|website=[[TheWrap]]|access-date=March 13, 2023|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313103243/https://www.thewrap.com/oscars-a24-record-sweep-top-categories/ |archive-date=March 13, 2023 |access-date=March 13, 2023 |website=[[TheWrap]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Eng |first=Joyce |date=March 12, 2023 |title=A Best Picture champ hasn't won multiple acting Oscars in a long time, but 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' can end that dry spell |url=https://www.goldderby.com/article/2023/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-oscar-predictions-picture-acting/|website=[[Penske Media Corporation#Other properties|GoldDerby]]|access-date=March 13, 2023|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230312213821/https://www.goldderby.com/article/2023/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-oscar-predictions-picture-acting/ |archive-date=March 12, 2023 |access-date=March 13, 2023 |website=[[Penske Media Corporation#Other properties|GoldDerby]]}}</ref>
==Development==
The character that would become ''EverythingEvelyn EverywhereQuan All at Once''Wang was originally written to be portrayed bywith [[Jackie Chan]] in mind, untilbut directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert reconceivedlater decided to revise the protagonistrole as a woman, feeling it would makethat the husband–wifehusband-wife dynamic inwould the storyresonate more relatable,strongly with audiences.<ref name="Bergeson 2022">{{cite web |last=Bergeson |first=Samantha |date=March 15, 2022 |title=Michelle Yeoh's Role in 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' Was Originally Written for Jackie Chan |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2022/03/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-michelle-yeoh-jackie-chan-1234708097/|website=[[IndieWire]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220424171436/https://www.indiewire.com/2022/03/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-michelle-yeoh-jackie-chan-1234708097/ |archive-date=April 24, 2022 |access-date=April 11, 2022 |website=[[IndieWire]]}}</ref> namingInitially the characternamed Michelle Wang, after their favoritefirst tochoice cast infor the role, [[Michelle Yeoh]], whoKwan and Scheinert said, "If you ask the Daniels, when they started on this draft, they focused on, 'Well, weWe are doing this for Michelle Yeoh.'"<ref>{{cite web |last=Smart |first=Jack |date=April 13, 2022 |title=Michelle Yeoh on the roller coaster ride of Everything Everywhere All at Once |url=https://www.avclub.com/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-michelle-yeoh-interv-1848785883|website=[[The A.V. Club]]|publisher=[[G/O Media]]|access-date=April 17, 2022|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220417195646/https://www.avclub.com/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-michelle-yeoh-interv-1848785883 |archive-date=April 17, 2022 |access-date=April 17, 2022 |website=[[The A.V. Club]] |publisher=[[G/O Media]]}}</ref> TheYeoh, character'showever, firstinsisted namethat wasthe eventuallycharacter be changedrenamed to Evelyn. Withto give her resemblancean toindependent identity, separate from Yeoh’s own persona, particularly as one of the versionalternate versions of Evelyn aswas a martial artist and film star, like Yeoh herself.<ref name="Radulovic 2022">{{cite web |last=Radulovic |first=Petrana |date=April 11, 2022 |title=Michelle Yeoh's personal guide to Everything Everywhere All at Once's vast multiverse |url=https://www.polygon.com/23020865/michelle-yeoh-interview-everything-everywhere-all-at-once|website=Polygon|access-date=April 17, 2022|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220417195646/https://www.polygon.com/23020865/michelle-yeoh-interview-everything-everywhere-all-at-once |archive-date=April 17, 2022 |access-date=April 17, 2022 |website=Polygon}}</ref> Yeoh opposed naming the character Michelle.explained, "Evelyn deserves her own story to be told. This is a very ordinary mother [and] housewife who is trying her best to be a good mother to her daughter, a good daughter to her father, a wife that's trying to keep the family together [...] I don't like to integrate me, Michelle Yeoh, into the characters that I play, because they all deserve their own journey and their stories to be told"."<ref name="Radulovic 2022" />
ItIn wasAugust announced2018, init Augustwas 2018announced that Yeoh had been cast toas the starlead in what was described as an "interdimensional action film" from Kwan and Scheinert, with [[Russo brothers|Anthony and Joe Russo]] attached to produceproducing.<ref>{{cite web|last=Galuppo|first=Mia|date=August 30, 2018|title=Michelle Yeoh, Awkwafina in Talks for Film From 'Swiss Army Man' Directors|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/michelle-yeoh-awkwafina-reunite-film-swiss-army-man-directors-1138633|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|access-date=August 30, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411074205/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/michelle-yeoh-awkwafina-reunite-film-swiss-army-man-directors-1138633|archive-date=April 11, 2021}}</ref>
==Fictional characterCharacter biography==
Evelyn Quan Wang was born in [[China]]. In the main universe, as a young woman, she elopes with her husband, Waymond Wang, to the United States, defying her father's wishes and risking disownment.
Evelyn Quan Wang is a middle-aged [[Chinese people|Chinese]] immigrant who runs a laundromat with her husband, [[Waymond Wang|Waymond]]. Two decades earlier, they eloped to the [[United States]] against Evelyn's father's wishes and had a daughter, Joy, Evelyn having had numerous hobbies over the years. In the present day, the laundromat is being audited by the [[Internal Revenue Service|IRS]]. Waymond is trying to serve Evelyn divorce papers in an attempt to get her attention so they can talk about their marriage. Evelyn's demanding father Gong Gong is visiting for her [[Chinese New Year]] party; meanwhile, Joy is dealing with [[Depression (mood)|depression]] and has a strained relationship with her mother, which includes Evelyn's reluctance to accept Joy's relationship with her non-Chinese girlfriend Becky.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ruiz |first1=Rebecca |title='Everything Everywhere All At Once' has the best take on mental health you never expected |url=https://mashable.com/article/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-meaning |website=Mashable |date=March 13, 2023 |publisher=Ziff Davis |access-date=11 April 2023}}</ref>▼
Upon settling in [[California]], Evelyn becomes disillusioned with their modest lifestyle and the monotonous task of running a [[Self-service laundry|laundromat]]. Although she initially finds joy in the birth of their daughter, Joy, she later struggles with the challenges of raising her as a rebellious teenager.
At a tense meeting with IRS inspector [[Deirdre Beaubeirdre]], Waymond's body is taken over by Alpha-Waymond, a version of Waymond from the "Alphaverse." Alpha-Waymond explains to Evelyn that many [[Parallel universes in fiction|parallel universe]]s exist because every life choice creates a new alternative universe. In the Alphaverse, the late Alpha-Evelyn developed "verse-jumping" technology, which enables people to access the skills, memories, and bodies of their parallel selves by performing bizarre actions that are statistically unlikely. The [[multiverse]] is threatened by [[Jobu Tupaki]] (Alpha-Joy), whose mind was splintered after Alpha-Evelyn pushed her to verse-jump beyond her endurance; Jobu experiences all universes at once and can verse-jump and manipulate matter at will. She has created a black hole-like "[[Everything bagel|Everything Bagel]]" topped with literally everything,<ref name="WSJReview">{{cite web |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-jamie-lee-curtis-michelle-yeoh-daniel-kwan-daniel-scheinert-the-daniels-stephanie-hsu-ke-huy-quan-james-hong-11648158899 |title='Everything Everywhere All at Once' Review: A Maximal Take on the Absurd |last=Nicholson |first=Amy |date=March 24, 2022 |website=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |access-date=April 17, 2022 |archive-date=June 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220615144524/https://www.wsj.com/articles/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-jamie-lee-curtis-michelle-yeoh-daniel-kwan-daniel-scheinert-the-daniels-stephanie-hsu-ke-huy-quan-james-hong-11648158899 |url-status=live}}</ref> which appears as a [[Torus|toroid]] [[Gravitational singularity|singularity]] that could destroy the multiverse.
Throughout her life, Evelyn harbors many unfulfilled ambitions, including dreams of becoming a professional singer. The story hints at her numerous attempts to pursue various paths, such as writing a novel, becoming a chef, teaching, becoming a singing coach, and even working as a masseuse, all of which ultimately ended in disappointment.
Evelyn is given verse-jumping technology to fight Jobu's minions, who are converging on the IRS building. She discovers other universes in which she made different choices and flourished, such as becoming a kung fu master and film star; she also learns of Waymond's plans with the divorce papers. Alpha-Waymond believes that Evelyn, as the greatest "failure" of all Evelyns in the multiverse, has the untapped potential to defeat Jobu. Gong Gong is taken over by Alpha-Gong Gong, who instructs Evelyn to kill Joy to stop Jobu from using her to enter Evelyn's universe. Evelyn refuses and decides to face Jobu by gaining powers through repeated verse-jumping. Alpha-Gong Gong, convinced that Evelyn's mind has been compromised like Jobu's, sends soldiers after Evelyn. While they fight, Jobu locates and kills Alpha-Waymond in the Alphaverse. As Jobu confronts Evelyn in her universe, Evelyn's mind splinters, and she collapses.▼
== Character storyline ==
Evelyn uncontrollably verse-jumps alongside Jobu across bizarre and diverse universes. Jobu reveals she does not want to fight at all, but that instead, she has been searching for an Evelyn who can see, as she does, that nothing matters, while killing the Evelyns that do not agree with her. She brings Evelyn to the Everything Bagel, explaining that she wants to use it to allow herself and Evelyn to truly die. Upon looking into the Bagel, Evelyn is initially persuaded, and behaves cruelly and [[Nihilism|nihilistically]] in her other universes, hurting those around her.▼
{{Main|Everything Everywhere All at Once}}
[[File:Michelle Yeoh Cannes 2017 2 (cropped).jpg|thumb|195px|[[Michelle Yeoh]] portrays Evelyn.]]
▲EvelynIn Quanthe Wangpresent is a middle-aged [[Chinese people|Chinese]] immigrant who runs a laundromat with her husbandday, [[WaymondEvelyn Wang|Waymond]]. Twois decadesstressed earlier,out theyas elopedshe tries to thesort [[Unitedpiles States]]of against Evelyn's father's wishes and had a daughterreceipts, Joy, Evelyn having had numerous hobbies over the years. In the present day,as the laundromat is being audited by the [[Internal Revenue Service|IRS]]. WaymondHer husband isWaymond tryingtries to serve Evelyn divorce papers in an attempt to get her attention so they can talk about their marriage. Evelyn'sShe demandingis fatheralso Gongconcerned Gongabout is visitingpreparing for hera [[Chinese New Year]] party; meanwhile,at Joythe islaundromat dealingthat withevening, [[Depressionwhich her demanding father (moodGong Gong)|depression]] andwill hasbe aattending. strainedWhen relationshiptheir adult daughter Joy arrives to help them, along with her mother,non-Chinese whichgirlfriend includesBecky, Evelyn's reluctancesays tothat acceptshe accepts their gay, mixed-race relationship, but implies that her own father would not approve, and avoids Joy's relationshippleas withto herdiscuss non-Chinesewhether girlfriendor not Becky is welcome at the party.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ruiz |first1=Rebecca |title='Everything Everywhere All At Once' has the best take on mental health you never expected |url=https://mashable.com/article/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-meaning |website=Mashable |date=March 13, 2023 |publisher=Ziff Davis |access-date=11 April 2023}}</ref> Unable to have a meaningful conversation with her mother, Joy leaves the laundromat in tears with Becky, and Evelyn is left subdued.
In the elevator at the regional IRS office, Evelyn has her first encounter with Alpha-Waymond, a version of Waymond from the "Alphaverse", and sees a flashback of her own life. She is distracted and unable to focus during a meeting with IRS inspector [[Deirdre Beaubeirdre]], who questions their business expenses, and scolds her for not taking the meeting seriously and for not bringing their daughter to help translate as promised. Meanwhile, Evelyn is having discussions in parallel in a janitor's closet with Alpha-Waymond, who tells her that every disappointment and failure she has experienced in life has made her uniquely qualified to save every world in the infinite [[multiverse]] from catastrophe. Deirdre gives the family an extension until 6 pm that evening, but Evelyn – confused by Waymond's sudden mention of divorce and berated by her father for never completing anything – punches Deirdre, landing them in trouble with security.
Just as Evelyn enters the Bagel with Jobu, she pauses to listen to Waymond's pleas in her universe for everybody to stop fighting and to instead be kind, even when life does not make sense. Evelyn has an [[Existentialism|existentialist]] epiphany and decides to follow Waymond's [[Absurdism|absurdist]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Perry |first1=Lauren |date=July 15, 2022 |title=Everything, Everywhere, Nihilism, and Absurdism, All At Once |url=https://movieweb.com/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-nihilism-absurdism/ |access-date=15 March 2023 |website=[[MovieWeb]]}}</ref> and [[Humanism|humanist]]<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mooney |first1=Darren |title=''Everything, Everywhere All at Once'' Finds Meaning in the Multiverse |url=https://www.escapistmagazine.com/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-finds-meaning-in-the-multiverse/ |access-date=13 March 2023 |work=[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]] |date=16 May 2022 |archive-date=January 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124153840/https://www.escapistmagazine.com/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-finds-meaning-in-the-multiverse/ |url-status=live }}</ref> advice, using her multiverse powers to fight with [[empathy]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Barrett Edwards |title=Fighting With Kindness: Is Empathy the Biggest New Movie Superpower? |url=https://gamerant.com/empathy-biggest-new-movie-superpower/ |website=Game Rant |date=February 4, 2023 |publisher=Valnet Inc. |access-date=4 April 2023}}</ref> and bring happiness to those around her; in doing so, she repairs her damage in the other universes and neutralizes Alpha-Gong Gong and Jobu's fighters. In her home universe, Evelyn reconciles with Waymond, accepts Joy and Becky's relationship–and tells Gong Gong of it–while Waymond convinces Deirdre to let them redo their taxes. Jobu decides to enter the Bagel alone while, simultaneously in Evelyn's universe, Joy begs Evelyn to let her go. Evelyn tells Joy that even when nothing makes sense and even though she could be anywhere else in the multiverse, she will always want to be with Joy. Evelyn and the others save Jobu from the Bagel, and Evelyn and Joy embrace.▼
Alpha-Waymond reappears to help Evelyn out of this difficult situation. She learns, as they dodge security officers and more monstrous versions of Deirdre together, that many [[Parallel universes in fiction|parallel universe]]s exist because every life choice creates a new alternative universe. In the Alphaverse, the brilliant late Alpha-Evelyn developed "verse-jumping" technology, which enables people to access the physical skills, knowledge, and memories of their parallel selves by performing bizarre actions that are statistically unlikely. As chaos ensues around them, Evelyn herself experiences verse-jumping, briefly discovering other versions of herself including the glamorous [[kung fu film]] star that she could have been if she had refused to marry Waymond all those years ago.
All universes are now under threat of complete annihilation due to the all-powerful [[Jobu Tupaki]], whose mind was splintered due to excessive pressure from Alpha-Evelyn; she can verse-jump and manipulate matter at will. When Evelyn has her first direct encounter with Jobu Tupaki, who is dressed like Elvis and coldly and disrespectfully destroys two police officers, it finally hits home with her that Jobu is simply another version of Joy, who is extremely unhappy. Evelyn and Jobu, dressed in a tennis outfit, face off in a tense one-on-one conversation. Evelyn blames Jobu for all of Joy's "failures", while Jobu starts to entice Evelyn with the empty [[nihilism]] of the [[Everything bagel|Everything Bagel]] she has built, which has eased her pain with the realization that "nothing matters". As the force of the bagel starts to destabilize the multiverse, Alpha-Gong Gong appears in an electronic wheelchair to temporarily crush Jobu.
▲Evelyn is given verse-jumping technology to fight Jobu's minions, who are converging on the IRS building. She discovers other universes in which she made different choices and flourished, such as becoming a kung fu master and film star; she also learns of Waymond's plans with the divorce papers. Alpha-Waymond believes that Evelyn, as the greatest "failure" of all Evelyns in the multiverse, has the untapped potential to defeat Jobu. Gong Gong is taken over by Alpha-Gong Gong, who instructs Evelyn to kill Joy to stop Jobu from using her to enter Evelyn's universe. Evelyn refuses and decides to face Jobu by gaining equivalent powers through repeated verse-jumping. Alpha-Gong Gong, convinced that Evelyn's mind has been compromised like Jobu's, sends soldiers after Evelyn. While they fight, Jobu locates and kills Alpha-Waymond in the Alphaverse. As Jobu confronts Evelyn in her universe, Evelyn's mind splinters, and she collapses.
▲Evelyn uncontrollably verse-jumps alongside Jobu across bizarre and diverse universes. Jobu reveals she does not want to fight at all, but that instead, she has been searching for an Evelyn who can see, as she does, that nothing matters, while killing the Evelyns that do not agree with her. She brings Evelyn to the Everything Bagel, explaining that she wants to use it to allow herself and Evelyn to truly die. Upon looking into the Bagel, Evelyn is initially persuaded, and behaves cruelly and [[Nihilism|nihilistically]] in her other universes, hurting those around her.
▲Just as Evelyn enters the Bagel with Jobu, she pauses to listen to Waymond's pleas in her universe for everybody to stop fighting and to instead be kind, even when life does not make sense. Evelyn has an [[Existentialism|existentialist]] epiphany and decides to follow Waymond's [[Absurdism|absurdist]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Perry |first1=Lauren |date=July 15, 2022 |title=Everything, Everywhere, Nihilism, and Absurdism, All At Once |url=https://movieweb.com/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-nihilism-absurdism/ |access-date=15 March 2023 |website=[[MovieWeb]]}}</ref> and [[Humanism|humanist]]<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mooney |first1=Darren |title=''Everything, Everywhere All at Once'' Finds Meaning in the Multiverse |url=https://www.escapistmagazine.com/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-finds-meaning-in-the-multiverse/ |access-date=13 March 2023 |work=[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]] |date=16 May 2022 |archive-date=January 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124153840/https://www.escapistmagazine.com/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-finds-meaning-in-the-multiverse/ |url-status=live }}</ref> advice, using her multiverse powers to fight with [[empathy]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Barrett Edwards |title=Fighting With Kindness: Is Empathy the Biggest New Movie Superpower? |url=https://gamerant.com/empathy-biggest-new-movie-superpower/ |website=Game Rant |date=February 4, 2023 |publisher=Valnet Inc. |access-date=4 April 2023}}</ref> and bring happiness to those around her; in doing so, she repairs her damage in the other universes and neutralizes Alpha-Gong Gong and Jobu's fighters. In her homethe universe, Evelynwhere reconcileshumans with Waymond, accepts Joy and Becky's relationship–and tells Gong Gong of it–while Waymond convinces Deirdreevolved to lethave themhot redodogs theirfor taxes. Jobu decides to enter the Bagel alone whilefingers, simultaneously in Evelyn's universe,reconciles Joy begs Evelyn to letwith her go.partner Evelyn tells Joy that even when nothing makes sense and even though she could be anywhere else in the multiverse, she will always want to be with Joy. Evelyn and the others save Jobu from the Bagel, and Evelyn and Joy embraceDeirdre.
In her home universe, Evelyn reconciles with Waymond, accepts Joy and Becky's relationship – and tells Gong Gong of it – while Waymond convinces Deirdre to let them redo their taxes. Jobu decides to enter the Bagel alone while, simultaneously in Evelyn's universe, Joy begs Evelyn to let her go. Evelyn tells Joy that even when nothing makes sense and even though she could be anywhere else in the multiverse, she will always want to be with Joy. Evelyn and the others save Jobu from the Bagel, and Evelyn and Joy embrace.
Sometime later, with the family's relationships improved, they return to the IRS building to refile their taxes. As Deirdre talks, Evelyn's attention is momentarily drawn to her alternative selves, before she grounds herself back in her home universe.
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===Actress Evelyn===
As part of the film's [[wikt:metatextual|metatextuality]] with the "real world" of the viewer,<ref name=":1">{{cite web |title=Everything Everywhere All at Once |url=https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/everything_everywhere_all_at_once |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220504013539/https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/everything_everywhere_all_at_once |archive-date=May 4, 2022 |access-date=May 3, 2022 |website=Encyclopedia of Science Fiction}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-features/michelle-yeoh-interview-everything-everywhere-all-at-once-1321833 |title=Michelle Yeoh Conquers the Universe(s) |last=Fear |first=David |date=April 7, 2022 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=May 3, 2022 |archive-date=May 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220502090011/https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-features/michelle-yeoh-interview-everything-everywhere-all-at-once-1321833/ |url-status=live}}</ref> one of the alternate versions of Evelyn—a famous martial arts movie star—is a portrayal of Yeoh herself, with footage of her from the red carpet of ''[[Crazy Rich Asians (film)|Crazy Rich Asians]]'' and other films being used toeto represent the character.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="NYT Sway 2022">{{cite news|last=Swisher|first=Kara|date=April 12, 2022|title=How Michelle Yeoh Took Jackie Chan's Role|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/14/opinion/sway-kara-swisher-michelle-yeoh.html|newspaper=The New York Times|url-access=subscription|access-date=May 3, 2022|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220503014258/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/14/opinion/sway-kara-swisher-michelle-yeoh.html|archive-date=May 3, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theringer.com/movies/2022/3/28/22996343/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-michelle-yeoh |title=It's Right There in the Title |last=Nayman |first=Adam |date=March 28, 2022 |website=[[The Ringer (website)|The Ringer]] |access-date=May 3, 2022 |archive-date=June 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220604171419/https://www.theringer.com/movies/2022/3/28/22996343/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-michelle-yeoh |url-status=live}}</ref>
===Miscellaneous===
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==Reception==
[[Michelle Yeoh]]'s performance as Evelyn Wang garnered universal acclaim, with many critics hailing it as the best of her career.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ehrlich |first=David |date=12 March 2022 |title='Everything Everywhere All at Once' Review: 'The Matrix' Meets the Multiverse in Daniels' Instant Classic |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2022/03/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-review-1234707051/ |access-date=9 April 2022 |website=IndieWire}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Sun |first=Rebecca |date=15 March 2022 |title=Michelle Yeoh Finally Loses Her Cool: 'What Have I Got to Lose?' |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/michelle-yeoh-interview-everything-everywhere-all-at-once-1235111436/ |access-date=15 March 2022 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Rose |first=Steve |date=13 May 2022 |title='I told Jackie Chan, your loss, my bro!': how Everything Everywhere gave Michelle Yeoh the role of a lifetime |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/may/13/i-told-jackie-chan-everything-everywhere-all-at-once-gave-michelle-yeoh-the-role-of-a-lifetime |access-date=13 May 2022 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref>
Most reviewers called [[Michelle Yeoh]]'s performance as Evelyn as the best of her career,<ref>{{cite web|last=Ehrlich|first=David|date=12 March 2022|title='Everything Everywhere All at Once' Review: 'The Matrix' Meets the Multiverse in Daniels' Instant Classic|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2022/03/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-review-1234707051/|website=IndieWire|access-date=9 April 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Sun|first=Rebecca|date=15 March 2022|title=Michelle Yeoh Finally Loses Her Cool: 'What Have I Got to Lose?'|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/michelle-yeoh-interview-everything-everywhere-all-at-once-1235111436/|website=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=15 March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Rose|first=Steve|date=13 May 2022|title='I told Jackie Chan, your loss, my bro!': how Everything Everywhere gave Michelle Yeoh the role of a lifetime|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/may/13/i-told-jackie-chan-everything-everywhere-all-at-once-gave-michelle-yeoh-the-role-of-a-lifetime|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=13 May 2022}}</ref> [[Rotten Tomatoes]] calling her "outstanding",<ref>{{cite web|title=Everything Everywhere All at Once|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/everything_everywhere_all_at_once|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|publisher=[[Fandango Media]]|access-date=October 16, 2023|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231005045410/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/everything_everywhere_all_at_once|archive-date=October 5, 2023}}</ref> and David Ehrlich of ''[[IndieWire]]'' calling it the "greatest performance [she] has ever given".<ref>{{cite web|last=Ehrlich|first=David|date=March 12, 2022|title='Everything Everywhere All at Once' Review: 'The Matrix' Meets the Multiverse in Daniels' Instant Classic|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2022/03/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-review-1234707051/|website=[[IndieWire]]|access-date=April 8, 2022|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220313142239/https://www.indiewire.com/2022/03/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-review-1234707051/|archive-date=March 13, 2022}}</ref> Marya E. Gates of ''[[RogerEbert.com]]'' also called Yeoh "the anchor of the film, given a role that showcases her wide range of talents, from her fine martial art skills to her superb comic timing to her ability to excavate endless depths of rich human emotion, often just from a glance or a reaction."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gates |first=Marya E. |date=March 12, 2022 |title=Everything Everywhere All at Once movie review (2022) |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531020040/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-2022 |archive-date=May 31, 2022 |access-date=April 8, 2022 |website=[[RogerEbert.com]]}}</ref> [[Maureen Ryan]] of ''[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]'' highlighted how "Yeoh imbues Evelyn with moving shades of melancholy, regret, resolve, and growing curiosity" and adding that she "makes her embrace of lead-character energy positively gripping."<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Ryan |first=Maureen |date=April 8, 2022 |title=Ambitious, Outrageous 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' Is All That and More |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/04/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-movie-review |url-status=live |magazine=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409155255/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/04/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-movie-review |archive-date=April 9, 2022 |access-date=April 10, 2022}}</ref> Adam Nayman of ''[[The Ringer (website)|The Ringer]]'' called the film "a love letter to Yeoh [and] extremely poignant, giving its 59-year-old star a chance to flex unexpected acting muscles while revisiting the high-flying fight choreography that made her a global icon back in the 1990s".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nayman |first=Adam |date=March 28, 2022 |title='Everything Everywhere All at Once' Fulfills the Promise of Its Title |url=https://www.theringer.com/movies/2022/3/28/22996343/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-michelle-yeoh |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220604171419/https://www.theringer.com/movies/2022/3/28/22996343/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-michelle-yeoh |archive-date=June 4, 2022 |access-date=April 10, 2022 |website=[[The Ringer (website)|The Ringer]]}}</ref> Tasha Robinson of ''[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]'' named the scene of Evelyn and Joy Wang as rocks with their dialogue appearing as on-screen subtitles, all while trying to find common ground, as one of the best movie scenes of 2022, saying "...it's a perfect moment. Like so many ''EEAAO'' sequences, it turns between emotions on a dime. But the quiet of the moment is essential. Out of context, it's just an odd moment between rocks. But within the context of the film, it's a breather the audience and characters both desperately need, and the emotions are so heightened that just the sight of rock-Joy and rock-Evelyn sharing a companionable laugh is remarkably heartening and hilarious",<ref>{{cite web |last=Volk |first=Pete |date=December 27, 2022 |title=The best movie scenes of 2022 |url=https://www.polygon.com/23516876/best-movie-scenes-moments-2022 |website=Polygon|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203133254/https://www.polygon.com/23516876/best-movie-scenes-moments-2022 |archive-date=February 3, 2023 |access-date=January 21, 2023}}</ref> [[Armond White]] of ''[[National Review]]'' writing of the same sequence how "Yeoh brings adult stability to the blackout-skit chaos and cast of "stupid human" clowns",<ref>{{cite news|last=White|first=Armond|date=July 8, 2022|title=2022 Midyear Reckoning|url=https://www.nationalreview.com/2022/07/2022-midyear-reckoning|newspaper=National Review|access-date=June 8, 2023}}</ref> and Robert Lee III of ''[[Collider (website)|Collider]]'' complimenting her "surprisingly effective emotional core".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://collider.com/action-movies-of-the-2020s-ranked/ | title=The 10 Best Action Movies of the 2020s So Far, Ranked | website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] | date=December 9, 2023 }}</ref> ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' included Evelyn Wang on its list of the "15 Best Movie Moms Of All Time," with Cindy White writing that the character's "...love for her daughter crosses universes and spans realities. It's so strong, you can feel it coming through the screen, even when the two of them are rocks."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/15-best-movie-moms-and-the-5-worst-1850429914/slides/15|title=The 15 best, and 5 worst, movie moms|website=[[The A.V. Club]]|first1=Cindy|last1=White|date=May 12, 2023|access-date=December 10, 2023}}</ref>
[[Rotten Tomatoes]] described her as "outstanding," and David Ehrlich of ''[[IndieWire]]'' called it the "greatest performance [she] has ever given."<ref>{{cite web |title=Everything Everywhere All at Once |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/everything_everywhere_all_at_once |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231005045410/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/everything_everywhere_all_at_once |archive-date=October 5, 2023 |access-date=October 16, 2023 |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |publisher=[[Fandango Media]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Ehrlich |first=David |date=March 12, 2022 |title='Everything Everywhere All at Once' Review: 'The Matrix' Meets the Multiverse in Daniels' Instant Classic |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2022/03/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-review-1234707051/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220313142239/https://www.indiewire.com/2022/03/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-review-1234707051/ |archive-date=March 13, 2022 |access-date=April 8, 2022 |website=[[IndieWire]]}}</ref> Marya E. Gates of ''[[RogerEbert.com]]'' praised Yeoh as the "anchor of the film," highlighting her versatility—from martial arts prowess to comedic timing to expressing deep human emotion.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gates |first=Marya E. |date=March 12, 2022 |title=Everything Everywhere All at Once movie review (2022) |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531020040/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-2022 |archive-date=May 31, 2022 |access-date=April 8, 2022 |website=[[RogerEbert.com]]}}</ref> [[Maureen Ryan]] of ''[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]'' emphasized how Yeoh portrayed Evelyn with "melancholy, regret, resolve, and curiosity," making her performance "positively gripping."<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Ryan |first=Maureen |date=April 8, 2022 |title=Ambitious, Outrageous 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' Is All That and More |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/04/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-movie-review |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409155255/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/04/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-movie-review |archive-date=April 9, 2022 |access-date=April 10, 2022 |magazine=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]}}</ref>
===Accolades===▼
At the [[95th Academy Awards]], [[Michelle Yeoh]] won the [[Academy Award for Best Actress]] for her performance as Evelyn Wang,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nordyke |first=Kimberly |date=March 12, 2023 |title=Oscars: Complete Winners List |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/2023-oscars-winners-list-1235349224/|website=The Hollywood Reporter|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313042718/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/2023-oscars-winners-list-1235349224/ |archive-date=March 13, 2023 |access-date=March 15, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Vlessing |first=Etan |date=2023-03-16 |title='Everything Everywhere All at Once' Wins Big at 2023 Critics Choice Super Awards |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/critics-choice-super-awards-2023-winners-list-1235354402/|website=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=2023-03-19}}</ref> making her the first Asian Best Actress, the second [[woman of color]] Best Actress, and the first [[Malaysians|Malaysian]] to win any Academy Award.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pulver |first=Andrew |date=2023-03-13 |title=Jamie Lee Curtis wins first Oscar for best supporting actress in Everything Everywhere All at Once |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/mar/13/jamie-lee-curtis-wins-best-supporting-actress-oscar-for-everything-everywhere-all-at-once |access-date=2024-02-02 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>▼
Critics also noted the poignancy of the film as a showcase for Yeoh's talents. Adam Nayman of ''[[The Ringer (website)|The Ringer]]'' called the movie "a love letter to Yeoh," providing her the opportunity to display both her acting range and the iconic fight choreography from her earlier career.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nayman |first=Adam |date=March 28, 2022 |title='Everything Everywhere All at Once' Fulfills the Promise of Its Title |url=https://www.theringer.com/movies/2022/3/28/22996343/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-michelle-yeoh |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220604171419/https://www.theringer.com/movies/2022/3/28/22996343/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-michelle-yeoh |archive-date=June 4, 2022 |access-date=April 10, 2022 |website=[[The Ringer (website)|The Ringer]]}}</ref> Tasha Robinson of ''[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]'' pointed to a key scene between Evelyn and her daughter Joy (in the form of rocks) as one of 2022's best movie moments, praising its emotional resonance and humor.<ref>{{cite web |last=Volk |first=Pete |date=December 27, 2022 |title=The best movie scenes of 2022 |url=https://www.polygon.com/23516876/best-movie-scenes-moments-2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203133254/https://www.polygon.com/23516876/best-movie-scenes-moments-2022 |archive-date=February 3, 2023 |access-date=January 21, 2023 |website=Polygon}}</ref> [[Armond White]] of ''[[National Review]]'' lauded Yeoh for bringing "adult stability" to the film's chaotic energy, while Robert Lee III of ''[[Collider (website)|Collider]]'' complimented her for being the "emotional core" of the film.<ref>{{cite news |last=White |first=Armond |date=July 8, 2022 |title=2022 Midyear Reckoning |url=https://www.nationalreview.com/2022/07/2022-midyear-reckoning |access-date=June 8, 2023 |newspaper=National Review}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=December 9, 2023 |title=The 10 Best Action Movies of the 2020s So Far, Ranked |url=https://collider.com/action-movies-of-the-2020s-ranked/ |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]]}}</ref>
Additionally, Evelyn Wang was recognized as one of the "15 Best Movie Moms of All Time" by [[The A.V. Club|''The A.V. Club'']], with Cindy White highlighting the character's profound love for her daughter, which "crosses universes and spans realities."<ref>{{Cite web |last1=White |first1=Cindy |date=May 12, 2023 |title=The 15 best, and 5 worst, movie moms |url=https://www.avclub.com/15-best-movie-moms-and-the-5-worst-1850429914/slides/15 |access-date=December 10, 2023 |website=[[The A.V. Club]]}}</ref>
▲=== Accolades= ==
▲AtFor theher [[95thportrayal Academyas Awards]]Evelyn Wang, [[Michelle Yeoh]] won the [[Academy Award for Best Actress]] forat the [[95th Academy Awards]], making her performancethe asfirst EvelynAsian WangBest Actress, the second [[woman of color]] Best Actress, and the first [[Malaysians|Malaysian]] to win any Academy Award.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nordyke |first=Kimberly |date=March 12, 2023 |title=Oscars: Complete Winners List |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/2023-oscars-winners-list-1235349224/|website=The Hollywood Reporter|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313042718/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/2023-oscars-winners-list-1235349224/ |archive-date=March 13, 2023 |access-date=March 15, 2023 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Vlessing |first=Etan |date=2023-03-16 |title='Everything Everywhere All at Once' Wins Big at 2023 Critics Choice Super Awards |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/critics-choice-super-awards-2023-winners-list-1235354402/|website=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=2023-03-19 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref> making her the first Asian Best Actress, the second [[woman of color]] Best Actress, and the first [[Malaysians|Malaysian]] to win any Academy Award.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pulver |first=Andrew |date=2023-03-13 |title=Jamie Lee Curtis wins first Oscar for best supporting actress in Everything Everywhere All at Once |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/mar/13/jamie-lee-curtis-wins-best-supporting-actress-oscar-for-everything-everywhere-all-at-once |access-date=2024-02-02 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
Her performance also earned her the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy]] at the [[80th Golden Globe Awards]], and the [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role]] at the [[29th Screen Actors Guild Awards]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nordyke |first=Kimberly |date=January 10, 2023 |title=Golden Globes: Full List of Winners |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/golden-globes-2023-winners-list-1235294541/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231022103815/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/golden-globes-2023-winners-list-1235294541/ |archive-date=October 22, 2023 |access-date=October 22, 2023 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=See the full list of SAG Award winners |url=https://ew.com/awards/sag-awards/sag-awards-2023-winners-list/ |access-date=2024-09-21 |website=EW.com |language=en}}</ref>
She also received nominations for the [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role]] at the [[76th British Academy Film Awards]], and the [[Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress]] at the [[28th Critics' Choice Awards]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-01-19 |title=Baftas 2023: The winners and nominees in full |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-64328586 |access-date=2024-09-21 |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Critics Choice Awards 2023: The full winners list |url=https://ew.com/awards/critics-choice-awards-2023-full-winners-list/ |access-date=2024-09-21 |website=EW.com |language=en}}</ref>
==See also==
* [[Asian Americans in arts and entertainment]]
==Notes==
{{Notelist}}
==References==
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