‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ Revives the Movie Industry
The 95th Oscars may not have given us a celebrity fist fight or a violent outburst. But, it was definitely an emotional night that required everyone to grab a box of tissue. And all eyes were on the cast of “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”
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In an era dominated by streaming services, the eccentric, science-fiction film shined at this year’s award ceremony, winning seven awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Editing, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Screenplay.
Many critics were surprised by the film’s success while others praised the storyline, calling it a “dizzying kaleidoscope of entertainment.” However, despite the negative critiques, “Everything Everywhere All a Once” grossed over $100 million worldwide, a record for its independent distributor, A24.
Although this year’s Oscars sparked hope for the traditional film industry, it left us with a concerning question- are stories like “Everything Everywhere All at Once” enough to keep movie theaters alive? As someone who frequently went to the theaters growing up, I am worried the answer to this question is no.
In recent years, Former Paramount CEO Barry Diller has expressed his own opinion on the dying movie industry, calling it an “antiquity.” According to Diller, streaming has altered the film industry in substantial ways, including the quality of movies now being made.
"The movie business is over," Diller said in an exclusive interview with NPR. "The movie business as before is finished and will never come back."
Like with every aspect of life, the pandemic was not kind to the movie industry, as theaters were forced to close and production companies had to postpone over 100 different projects. In 2020, the box office plunged 80% to just $2.3 billion, and over half of that money was made during the first three months of the year before COVID-19 turned the screens black.
Fast forward three years, and the traditional movie industry has yet to fully recover.
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When searching for movie showtimes right now, the options to choose from include “Cocaine Bear,” a Super Mario movie no one asked for, and the twelfth “Fast and Furious” film. And let’s face it, none of these movies are breaking any box office records.
However, those in the traditional film industry are not ready to give up.
“The world is changing rapidly, and I fear that our stories are not keeping at pace. And sometimes it’s a little scary knowing that movies move at the rate of years, and that the internet is moving at the rate of milliseconds,” said Co-director Daniel Kwan during his best picture speech for “Everything Everywhere All at Once” at the Oscars. “But I have great faith in our stories. These stories have changed my life and they’ve done that for generations, and I know that we’ll get through this.”
If this year’s Oscars proved anything, it's that the film industry is not willing to go down without a fight against streaming services. So don’t get your funeral outfits out yet because traditional movies are still alive and breathing.
Strike out,
Writer: Madison Sloan
Editor: Ainsley McCullen
Saint Augustine
