Daniel Kwan, one half of the writer-director duo behind “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” asked fans to be “gracious and kind” should the film come up short at Sunday’s Academy Awards.
In a post reflecting on the anniversary of the “Everything Everywhere” premiere at SXSW, Kwan announced that he would be taking a social media hiatus after the Oscars ceremony.
“The last thing I ask of any fans of our film is to be gracious and kind tomorrow, especially if we don’t pick up awards that you might have felt we deserved,” he wrote on Saturday.
“I love every one of the films we are up against for different reasons,” he added. “More importantly, I have grown to love the people behind each of the films as I have gotten to know them this year. I already have everything I could ever want, and there is no need to be angry on our behalf.”
“Everything Everywhere” is up for 11 nominations, more than any other film this year, and is considered the frontrunner for Best Picture. Unlike much of his passionate fan base, Kwan said he doesn’t believe in a “sweep” for his film or any other contenders.
“No movie deserves to sweep, no matter how good it is, and I am rooting wholeheartedly for my fellow nominees,” he continued. “Thank you for coming along with me on this wild ride, all of your support has meant the world to me. Byeeeeeee.”
Kwan also shared a series of notes and photographs titled “a meandering brain dump of thoughts I’ve written down to try to make sense of the wildest year of my life.”
He recalled the audience’s rollercoaster reactions at the premiere, from “roaring laughter and screams of shock” and a “gently rolling sea of sniffling” to “stunned silence when the credits hit” before a standing ovation.
“That weekend we were all floating a few inches above the ground,” he wrote. “It was one of the rare moments in my life when I felt content with where I was and who I was.”
He expressed pride for all the recognition the cast and crew have received, noting that “we never once thought of this film as an awards contender.”
The film’s success is even sweeter in context of a “record year” for Asian actors and actresses. Realizing his film “could be part of making that history,” is “overwhelming” for Kwan.
After thanking his fellow nominees and his wife, “Marcel the Shell” animation director Kristen Lepore, Kwan acknowledged “everyone who came along with me on this ride, cheering from the sidelines, supporting us in any way you could.”
“I don’t even care what happens tomorrow at this point,” he wrote, “this year has given me more rewards than I could have asked for in several lifetimes.”
