2022 was a splendid year for cinema, with massive box office hits like Avatar and Top Gun alongside introspective moments like The Whale and Women Talking. While bets were cast before the Academy Awards, no one could predict the twists and turns of the night.

The 95th Academy Awards were held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 12 and hosted by late night TV talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. 

One elephant in the room: the controversy of last year’s Oscars with Will Smith delivering “the slap heard around the world” to Chris Rock. The Academy tried its best to remove all mentions of the slap, but Kimmel was not to be deterred, opening up the night with a zinger: 

“If anyone in this theater commits an act of violence at any point during the show, you will be awarded the Oscar for best actor and permitted to give a 19-minute-long speech,” Kimmel said. 

Fortunately, the awards show was classier than past years and left its mark on history through a multitude of positive landmarks. 

This year was a night of firsts. Telugu action film RRR dazzled as the upbeat and dancy “Naatu Naatu” by M.M. Keeravani and Chandrabose made it the first ever Indian film to win an Oscar in the Best Original Song category. 

Another foreign film that dominated the competition was All Quiet on the Western Front, which went home with four Oscars. The film was an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque, based on Erich’s own experience fighting, and follows the military journey of  German soldier Paul Baumer during WWII. A dramatic and somber piece of cinematography, All Quiet on the Western Front won Best Original Score, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design and Best International Feature Film. 

In a feat not accomplished since 1935, all actors nominated for the Best Actor award were first-timers. The award went to Brendan Fraser for his acting in The Whale. The movie was a poignant insight into the life of Charlie, an English teacher who slowly descends into becoming morbidly obese. The Whale examines his strained relationship with his teen daughter and follows his journey toward redemption. 

Another highly anticipated nominee for the award was Austin Butler for his performance in Elvis. Surprisingly, the movie took home no Oscars. 

Another key moment was Ruth E. Carter becoming the first Black woman to win two Oscars. She won Best Costume Design for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. If this sounds familiar, the original Black Panther won the same award in 2019.

In the haze of history being created, one movie still managed to stand apart.

A24’s 2022 film Everything Everywhere All At Once stars Michelle Yeoh as Evelyn Wang, a Chinese-American immigrant who is forced to connect with parallel universe versions of herself while in the midst of being audited by the IRS as she prevents an overpowered being from destroying the multiverse. 

The movie came into the night with 11 nominations––heads and shoulders ahead of any other film––and started off with directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert winning the Oscar for Best Director. Kwan became the first director of Chinese descent to win an Oscar. 

Yeoh then became the first Asian woman to win a Best Leading Actress award. In her speech, she made sure to reassure others that this was just the first step. 

“For all the little boys and girls that look like me tonight, this is a beacon of hope,” Yeoh said. “This… this is proof that dreams do come true.”

One of the most touching moments of the night was when Ke Huy Quan, who plays Waymond Wang, the unassuming husband to Evelyn in Everything Everywhere All At Once, won Best Supporting Actor prior to a tearful reunion with Harrison Ford. 

The two starred beside each other when Quan was a child who played Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. After an almost 20-year break from acting, Quan came back to the screen for Everything Everywhere All At Once and delivered a stunning performance. 

“My journey started on a boat. I spent a year in a refugee camp. And somehow I ended up here on Hollywood’s biggest stage,” Quan said. “They say stories like this only happen in the movies. This is the American dream.”

Quan became the first Vietnam-born actor and the first person portraying a character speaking Mandarin or Cantonese to win an Oscar.

Somewhere along the way, Everything Everywhere All At Once turns away from your expectations of a gaudy diversity-check superhero movie and becomes a reflection on neurodivergence, depression and generational trauma while showing a deep intertwining of concepts such as existentialism and nihilism. 

The film ended the night with seven awards. Along with Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor, it also won Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Supporting Actress and Best Picture. 

In other words, if you had not heard of Everything Everywhere All At Once by March 12, you certainly became familiar with it. It is now the most decorated movie in cinematic history with 165 accolades, surpassing Peter Jackson’s 2003 Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.

The 95th Academy Awards became a night to remember, especially for the history created for the Asian community. 

“Dreams are something you have to believe in. To all of you out there, keep your dreams alive,” Quan said.

Find a complete list of all winners and nominees here.

Follow TJ (@TvishaJindal) and @CHSCampusNews on Twitter.