Podcast Summary: Stephanie Hsu on “Everything Everywhere All at Once”; and the 2023 Brody Awards

Podcast: The New Yorker Radio Hour
Host(s): David Remnick
Guests: Stephanie Hsu, Gia Tolentino, Richard Brody, Alexandra Schwartz
Release Date: February 28, 2023

Overview

This episode delves into two major segments: an intimate conversation between Gia Tolentino and rising star Stephanie Hsu about her role in the Oscar-nominated film Everything Everywhere All at Once, followed by an annual tradition: film critic Richard Brody and Alexandra Schwartz present the “Brody Awards”, their unorthodox picks for the best films and performances of 2022, often diverging from the Oscars.

Segment 1: Stephanie Hsu on “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

(00:09–13:47)

Exploring the Film’s Surprising Impact

• Everything Everywhere All at Once stands out as a genre-bending film, combining sci-fi, martial arts, and heartfelt family drama. It centers on the complex relationship between Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh) and her daughter Joy/Jobu (Stephanie Hsu).
• The film and Hsu’s performance have resonated widely, earning Oscar nominations amid tumultuous global times.

The Character and the Meaning of the Film

• Stephanie Hsu describes the Evelyn-Joy relationship as “very fraught… a story of a daughter who’s a lesbian who is deeply longing for her mother’s acceptance.” (01:06)
• Hsu reflects on the sense of "overwhelm" felt by the characters—and by audiences—amid a world filled with crisis, and how the film offers hope in the midst of nihilism.
  • “I think the movie’s stance is like, yeah, there are a million other universes that we could be in… But there’s a lot that we don’t know… When I was working on this project, I would say that nihilism in some ways saved my life. Because if nothing matters, then it’s true that we’re all just trying to figure it out together.” (02:22)
• Gia Tolentino notes that Joy moves from "nothing matters" to "it all matters" throughout the film. Hsu agrees, noting the underlying continuity between Joy and her alter-ego Jobu:
  • “The center of their beings, these two characters, were actually from the same heartbeat. That spirit of nihilism… can either pull you off the deep end... or, you know, slingshot you into the other direction, which is, I will just create as much chaos as possible.” (04:10)

Acting Process and Insights

• On differentiating the roles of Joy and Jobu, Hsu relied on the idea of both as “hyper, hyper empaths.”
  • “It’s feeling the world, like the absolute weight of not only this universe but all the universes that come before ... then imagining what future lies ahead, just really tapping into that.” (05:13)
• For Joy, Hsu focused on embodying “intimate sadness.” For Jobu, improvisation and physical transformation were key, channeling “amoeba slash noodle energy.” (05:13–06:36)

The Film and Asian-American Identity

• The film’s embrace of an Asian immigrant story was deeply meaningful to Tolentino and Hsu.
• Hsu reflects on the progress in representation but hopes for a future where identity is part of a story’s texture rather than “the only fruit that that piece bears.”
  • “I’m looking forward to continue to, like, broaden our horizons so much that… identity isn’t something that we’re using as a flex and more of just a part of a texture of a story that is crucial and critical, but also not the only fruit that that piece bears.” (07:23)
• They note the unique power of giving a “universe saving hero” role to a suburban Asian mother type.
  • Tolentino: “I was so moved by the centering of a suburban Asian mom in her sneakers and her bootcut weekday pants as this… universe-saving hero.” (08:42)

Intergenerational Response and Healing

• Hsu recounts her mom’s reaction to the film:
  • “She pointed to the movie screen and she goes, ‘I cried. That’s me.’ … The biggest gift has been that I very palpably feel that it is offering people healing. And that is all I could ever wish for, for any piece of art that I put out into the world.” (10:20)

Responsibility and the Power of Art

• Hsu discusses how her experience with Everything Everywhere has affirmed her artistic calling:
  • “It’s immense, actually. There’s great responsibility in being a person who shifts culture… If that is the toolbox I’ve been given, then I better use it wisely and hold it with grace and enjoy it and celebrate it.” (12:48)

Segment 2: The 2023 Brody Awards—Best in Cinema

(13:47–30:59)

Introduction to the Brodies

• Richard Brody looks at cinema as high art, not just entertainment; his annual “Brody Awards” tend to go against Oscar convention.
• There’s anxiety in the Academy about declining moviegoing and award show viewership. This leads to more populist nominees like Top Gun: Maverick for Best Picture. (15:27–16:28)

Critique of the Oscars

• Remnick: The Oscars are “aspirational, a kind of futures market,” showcasing what the industry wishes to be.
• Brody contends the Oscars are “for the industry” and not the “final arbiter of cinematic taste.” (16:49)

Key Award Picks & Arguments

Best Actor

• Brody Award Nominees: Jeremy Pope (The Inspection), Christian Bale (Amsterdam), Jafar Panahi (No Bears)
• Winner: Jafar Panahi (No Bears), notable for being a director playing himself under quasi-house arrest in Iran:
  • “By being a non-actor, he brings a kind of presence to the world of acting that the actual professional world could very well learn from.” (17:54–18:38)
• Brody is unimpressed by mainstream nominees such as Austin Butler and Paul Mescal, criticizing performances that are technically competent but artistically limited by weak films. (19:11)

Best Actress

• Brody Award Nominees: Danielle Deadweiler (Till), Tilda Swinton (The Eternal Daughter), Guslagie Malanda (Saint Omer)
• Winner: Danielle Deadweiler (Till):
  • “Danielle Deadweiler’s performance is extraordinary... raises the passion and the calculation… to a kind of prophetic passion.” (20:14–21:05)
• Brody and Remnick lament that the Academy overlooked Till, possibly due to its challenging subject matter and focus on Black experience:
  • “There’s unfortunately a very long history of the Academy membership simply not even going to see movies that are about the black American experience.” (Richard Brody, 21:05)

Best Actress Oscar Race Commentary

• Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere) vs. Cate Blanchett (Tár):
  • Brody: “I think it’s Michelle Yeoh’s year for the simple reason that Cate Blanchett has won Oscars before. I think Cate Blanchett’s performance is quite showy, but again, I don’t think she had a lot to work with in Tar.” (22:46)

Best Director

• Brody Award Nominees: James Gray (Armageddon Time), Jordan Peele (Nope), Terence Davies (Benediction), Alice Diop (Saint Omer), Jafar Panahi (No Bears)
• Winner: Jordan Peele (Nope):
  • “Jordan Peele does something in Nope that I think is exceptionally difficult—which is, he takes a big Hollywood spectacle and does something completely original with it.” (25:11–25:52)

Best Picture

• Academy noms include: Avatar, Everything Everywhere, Top Gun, Banshees of Inisherin, Women Talking, The Fabelmans, All Quiet on the Western Front, Elvis, Triangle of Sadness, Tár.
• Brody Award Nominees: Benediction, Nope, Armageddon Time
• Winner: Benediction (Terence Davies)
  • “Benediction is the greatest First World War film of the 21st century. [...] Sassoon, as Davis depicts in this film, spent the rest of his life in a state of grief, rage and trauma over his experiences in the First World War.” (28:52–29:44)

Brief Remarks on Other Oscar Contenders

• Tár is labeled an “Oscar-y” movie, with its focus on prestige, but feelings on it are mixed—Brody finds it emotionally hollow, Schwartz feels it critiques the toxic culture it depicts. (23:03–24:26)
• Everything Everywhere All at Once is expected to win, called “a very sentimental, almost facile film about family life. And that’s exactly what the Oscars love.” (Brody, 27:54–28:35)
• Women Talking is praised for its screenplay adaptation (Schwartz, 27:54).
• The Fabelmans likely won’t be ignored due to Spielberg’s stature, but Brody says it “seems to me to be less a work of autobiography than of autohagiography.” (30:17–30:41)

Notable Quotes

• Stephanie Hsu: “Nihilism in some ways saved my life. Because if nothing matters, then it’s true that we’re all just trying to figure it out together.” (02:22)
• Stephanie Hsu: “She pointed to the movie screen and she goes, ‘I cried. That’s me.’ … I very palpably feel that it is offering people healing. And that is all I could ever wish for, for any piece of art…” (10:20)
• Richard Brody: “By being a non-actor, he [Jafar Panahi] brings a kind of presence to the world of acting that the actual professional world could very well learn from.” (18:38)
• David Remnick: “It’s immense, actually. There’s great responsibility in being a person who shifts culture.” (12:48)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:09–01:06: Introduction to Everything Everywhere All at Once and cast/character setup
• 02:22: Hsu on nihilism, meaning, and survival
• 04:10: Discussion of the connection between Joy and Jobu
• 05:13–06:36: Hsu describes her acting approach to both roles
• 07:23: Hsu on identity and the future of representation
• 10:20: Hsu shares her mother’s emotional response to the film
• 13:47–15:27: Transition to Brody Awards; Oscars and changing movie landscape
• 17:54: Brody’s pick and reasoning for Best Actor
• 20:14: Brody and Remnick on Danielle Deadweiler in Till
• 22:46: Yeoh vs. Blanchett for Oscar Best Actress
• 25:11: Brody’s pick for Best Director: Jordan Peele
• 28:52: Brody’s pick for Best Picture: Benediction
• 30:17: End discussion: Spielberg and The Fabelmans

Tone & Language

The episode retains The New Yorker’s signature mix of casual insight and critical rigor, with warmth from Stephanie Hsu and lively, well-argued debate between Brody, Schwartz, and Remnick.

Takeaways

• Everything Everywhere All at Once is celebrated for its bold approach to genre, representation, and emotional depth; Hsu’s personal reflections highlight the film’s broader cultural and personal impact.
• The “Brody Awards” remind listeners that critical perspectives can—and perhaps should—diverge sharply from mainstream awards, focusing on overlooked artistry, depth, and cultural relevance.