The writing-and-directing duo the Daniels won double Oscars on a dominant night for “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”
In victories that were entirely expected Sunday but might have seemed like a sci-fi fantasy a year ago, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert won Academy Awards for best director and best original screenplay, two of seven won by their multiversal dramedy. The Daniels topped talented fields that included Hollywood royalty Steven Spielberg in both categories.
“There is greatness in every single person,” Kwan said as he accepted the best director. “It doesn’t matter who we are. There is genius in every single person; you just have to find it. Thank you to the people who unlocked my genius.”
But Kwan assured his young son he would not impose similar expectations on him.
“This is not normal; this is kind of crazy,” he said. “I will love you no matter what.”
The Daniels came into the night the favorites for the directing Oscar, and “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” the top nominee with 11, had immense awards season momentum. It also won best picture, best actress for Michelle Yeoh, best-supporting actress for Ke Huy Quan, and best supporting actress for Jamie Lee Curtis.
Scheinert dedicated the director Oscar to “all the mommies in the world” and to his own parents.
When they won for the screenplay, Scheinert railed off the names of his favorite school teachers, saying, “you guys all inspired me and taught me to be less of a butthead.”
And Kwan said, “my impostor syndrome is at an all-time high.” He called Scheinert “my confidence. He is the person who told me I was a storyteller before I believed it.”
Each 35 years old, the Daniels were the youngest and least experienced filmmakers in a group of directing nominees that also included 76-year-old Spielberg (“The Fabelmans”), 48-year-old Ruben Ostlund (“Triangle of Sadness”), 59-year-old Todd Field (“Tar”) and 52-year-old Martin McDonagh (“The Banshees of Inisherin”).
