Murray State University’s Cinema International is debuting a new season of films this week from around the world for the 2024-2025 school year consisting of various genres including noir, comedy, and drama.
The first film of the season is Everything, Everywhere All at Once, an Academy Award-winning epic that blends sci-fi, martial arts, comedy and family drama. It tells the story of a Chinese immigrant who goes on a multiverse odyssey in order to save her small business from an IRS auditor.
WKMS Morning Edition host Daniel Hurt talked with Murray State assistant professor of history Tamara Feinstein and associate professor of Spanish Ben Post, the new directors of Cinema International, about the film, its elements, and what they hope viewers will take away from the screenings.
Post said the film certainly lives up to its name as being everywhere, all at once.
“It is what the title says. It's everything. One of the central metaphors of the film is an everything bagel that literally has everything on it. And that's really what the film feels like: so many genres, so many styles, but this really strong, powerful heart and drama to it, that's just such a great story,” Post said. “In addition, you have all these amazing martial arts, action and references and everything else. It's like sci fi, but it's also martial arts, it's all kinds of stuff.”
Feinstein said that they chose this film to open the season after consulting with fellow faculty members for suggestions but also because it was a hit film. The 2022 film won seven Oscars including best picture, best original screenplay and best director. Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Lee Curtis and Ke Huy Quan all won Academy Awards for their performances in the film.
“It had these grand performances. I grew up in the 80s, and so I remember one of the key leads (Quan) was in Indiana Jones and The Goonies, but he had kind of disappeared from acting, and so he's reappeared like and has revitalized his acting career. I was just bowled over with how great it was.” Feinstein said.
“This is a great way to start off a new [Cinema International] season, a big tentpole movie that really talks about family, generational differences, and love. And it has a little bit of everything in it, including kung fu, multiverse, and film references to The Matrix and Ratatouille.”
Post said the casting was outstanding, leading to the film’s success, but points out the connections between this film and homages to other films and pop culture.
“One of the directors, Daniel Kwan, is the child of an immigrant from Hong Kong and to Taiwan, so it really feels true to that kind of experience,” he said.
“But also just great performance, not only from Ke Huy Quan, who Tamara referenced,but Michelle Yeoh, [who’s] recently very famous for her role in Crazy Rich Asians… whose real breakthrough into American cinema, it was not a Hollywood film, but was Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” Post said. “This is someone who has a lot of experience with martial arts, and she's playing a character who knows nothing about martial arts, but acquires it through her experiences with multiverse, alternate versions of herself. So you really get to see her play both a bumbling klutz and Michelle Yeoh from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”
Post said Everything Everywhere All At Once has several themes that some viewers can easily identify with.
“There's just so much you can connect with: family, this multi-generational family conflict, this very real, everyday, mundane experience. It's just so grounded, and I think that groundedness is part of what differentiates it from lots of other multiverse films that display everywhere.” said Post.
Cinema International is screening Everything Everywhere All at Once on Thursday, Sept.12 and Saturday, Sept. 14 at 7:30 p.m. in Faculty Hall room 208 on the main campus of Murray State University.
