back to 13.1

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) and Turning Red (2022): Exploring the Mother-Daughter Relationship as a Conduit for Asian Generational Trauma 
by Angeline Castillo, Stony Brook University 

“Be careful. Honoring your parents sounds good, but if you take it too far, well, you might forget to honor yourself” (Turning Red 00:01:11-00:01:22). This is one of the opening lines of Turning Red that boils down the complexity of generational trauma to digestible stories relatable to all audiences, which I believe both films—Turning Red and Everything Everywhere All at Once—successfully achieve, in contrasting ways. My work aims to uncover how these two radically different films approach the same goal of contextualizing mother-daughter relationships, not as a singular connection, but rather as a part of larger cycles of trauma in Asian immigrant families. To do so, my research must engage with conversations surrounding Asian American visibility in media, generational trauma, and the reactions to both films in the context of mainstream culture.

Asian American visibility has become increasingly addressed by audiences, filmmakers, and actors who have started to call out the negative stereotypes perpetuated by media—the Asian character often used for jokes and all Asian cultures often portrayed the same way (Chong). These two films find a uniquely Asian voice in their boldness to confront truths that are ignored in Asian cinema (Coe). There are not many studies on specifically Asian generational trauma, as it has not garnered enough attention in the past. But in the academic works that touch on it, much of the trauma stems from immigration and the fear of separation as well as the silencing of trauma that occurs in immigrant households as they refuse to confront their past with future generations (Cheng). In my research, I add to this by focusing on specifically the mother-daughter relationship as it pertains to Asian generational trauma.

In terms of audience reactions, both films are critically acclaimed and were nominated for Academy Awards (David, Wang). Everything Everywhere All at Once won at every major ceremony during awards season. Despite this, there are many people who criticize the film for being too absurd and complicated, claiming those aspects are obstacles in understanding the plot (Christodoulides). Turning Red was heavily criticized for touching on adult topics of puberty while being a film made for children (O’Connell). And both were criticized for targeting a narrow audience, making it potentially unrelatable to the masses. These judgements were then used as justifications to undermine the richness and depth of the Asian immigrant experience portrayed in the films.

In this essay, I will argue that rather than acting as hurdles to the effectiveness of the message of the films, the eccentricity of Everything Everywhere All at Once and the child-like perspective of Turning Red serve as key components in confronting the trauma deeply ingrained in the Asian immigrant mother-daughter relationship and in breaking apart the cycles that keep them going. Through my analysis of the films, it becomes apparent that media is not simply entertainment; it can be used as a tool in recognizing and raising awareness for society’s larger problems. To make my argument, I have divided the essay into three parts. First, I will give an overview of Asian American cinema and a summary of the films to establish the reason I chose these two specifically. The second part analyzes the role of genre and how the films’ incorporation of the specificities of the Asian immigrant experience serve as a backdrop for the exploration of generational trauma. Finally, I will conclude by contextualizing the mother-daughter relationship as the primary conduit for Asian generational trauma.

From The Joy Luck Club to the Asian American Renaissance
To understand the implications of the films in the context of Asian generational trauma, it is first necessary to understand their significance as it pertains to Asian American culture in general. In 1993, the first Asian American cast led feature film, The Joy Luck Club, was released based on the book of the same name by Amy Tan. At the time of its debut, it was praised by mainstream audiences and revered for exploring Asian Americans as real people rather than as caricatures that exploited their cultural differences. But the actors and filmmakers still struggled to break into the industry even after the film’s success (Chow). And it was not until 25 years after The Joy Luck Club, with the release of Crazy Rich Asians (2018), that another Asian American story portrayed by an all-Asian cast clawed its way onto the big screen. Since then, there have been strides in Asian representation with the release of feature films like The Farewell (2019) and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021).

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and the related wave of anti-Asian hate crimes in the United States, Asian Americans in the film industry began to speak out about the disparities that are a direct result of the systematic oppression of people of color in America. During a virtual Asian entertainer roundtable discussing the response to anti-Asian hate crimes and Asian American visibility in media, comedian and actor Hari Kondabolu expressed his frustration in the media’s overlooking of Asians as a suitable audience: “Crazy Rich Asians was a huge film. There are so many films that have yet to be made and our old stories are your new stories because you didn’t let us talk until five years ago” (“Asian Entertainers” 35:28-35:38). These conversations served as the perfect backdrop for the release of Everything Everywhere All at Once and Turning Red, which were both released in March 2022, symbolizing a resurgence of Asian American media that strives for nuanced representation rather than the homogenous portrayal that had previously been established through the model minority myth and the smart Asian sidekick trope. 

Everything Everywhere All at Once, written and directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (known professionally as Daniels), is a film about a Chinese American family struggling to stay afloat amongst the taxes and chaos of owning a laundromat as an immigrant family. The matriarch, Evelyn, goes on a journey through the multiverse to discover what is most important in her life: her dreams or her family. The main characters are Evelyn, her daughter Joy, her husband Waymond, her father Gong Gong, and the tax auditor Dierdre. Joy struggles to connect with her mother and Evelyn struggles accepting the fact that she is nothing more than a laundromat owner and a disappointment to her father.

Turning Red tackles the same themes of generational trauma through a rather different lens of childhood. It is an exploration of the challenges of growing up as the daughter of Chinese immigrant parents in 2002 Toronto—including crushes, best friendships, and puberty—through the magical curse of a red panda that appears in the emotional moments of 13-year-old Mei’s life. The main characters are Mei, her mother Ming, her father Jin, her Grandma Wu, and her best friends Abby, Priya, and Miriam. Mei turns into a red panda whenever she feels extremely emotional, and she is caught between her mother—who expects her to undergo a ritual to rid her of the panda curse—and her best friends—who want her to embrace the panda.

Generational trauma describes the culmination of past experiences that shape the trauma of one group but becomes so unbearable that it inadvertently gets passed down to future generations. The films explore this concept through opposing perspectives: in Everything Everywhere All at Once, the mother and in Turning Red, the daughter. Despite their differences, both have sparked conversations about Asian generational trauma that have long been avoided.

Asian Visibility Through Genre and Specificity
A diverse representation of Asian culture is necessary for true visibility in media. Often, Asian characters are left culturally ambiguous with unproductive storylines. In her investigation into Asian American cinema, Sylvia Chong analyzes the meaning of Asian representation in film and considers it in the context of a racialized society. While some contend that an Asian person simply being on screen is enough to fill the representation quota, Chong argues that true visibility would include complex cultural stories that transcend the typical Asian American stereotypes (131). I agree that Asian Americans in the film industry must strive for more than simply being cast in roles written for and by white people and assert that visibility in media is often ill-defined. As a Filipino American woman, I have not encountered many characters in western media with the same heritage. And when I do, they are often the side character put on screen to address diversity. Yet, when my parents and I watch them on screen or hear them speak Tagalog, we are still so excited—a testament to the visibility of which we are so deprived that we will celebrate any breadcrumb tossed our way. Visibility is not only the ability for one’s appearance to be seen, but rather for their entire being and its experiences to be understood.

Some may argue that portrayals of generational trauma intensify anti-Asian bias because of the inherent negativity of passing trauma down to one’s children. However, if done in a way that explores the nuances of the Asian immigrant experience, I believe films can shed light on the reasons for that unconscious transference and rather than enhancing an unfavorable narrative of Asian immigrant villainy, it gives the audience a chance to empathize with the story. And the audience, whether Asian or not, can find a piece of themselves reflected in that story. The specificity of art in any form creates its relatability. In this case, the films explore the complexity of generational trauma through genre and the specificities of the Asian immigrant experience.

In Everything Everywhere All at Once, Evelyn makes her way through a multiverse consisting of every genre of film: sci-fi, fantasy, romance, comedy, etc. This vast array of genres play an important role in creating the atmosphere of chaos of everyday life that the Daniels were trying to capture. As Kwan explained, the central themes of the film pivot around chaos: “There’s no bad guy in the movie except for chaos itself—existence, so we could touch all those things: intergenerational [issues], sexuality, queer identity, Asian American identity, taxes!” (Geisinger). The chaos stemming from combining all the genres together in one film embodies the overwhelming chaos that is being an Asian immigrant family trying to assimilate into American culture as they struggle to be understood, both literally due to the language barrier, and metaphorically due to the cultural barrier. At the beginning of the film, Evelyn does her best to hide signs of disorder in the household—the mess of their apartment and her frantic preparations for the New Year’s party. But the chaos ends up exploding in the portrayal of the multiverse.

Though this struggle between Asian Americans and white culture is inherent in any Asian immigrant experience, the true conflict explored in this film is the one that exists within the Asian American family. Only when she is plucked out of her own universe is Evelyn able to recognize the disfunction in her life. The multiverse of genres in the film provides different backdrops in which Evelyn can explore herself as a main character in other versions of her life. Author Jason Coe analyzes Everything Everywhere All at Once, focusing on the Daniels’ free use of genre as a way to broaden the target audience. In his article, Coe argues the power of genre in film: “to know and understand others through the stories they love and with which they identify” (44). I agree with this assertion and allege that references to many familiar genres throughout the film give all members of the audience the opportunity to find a connection. Those who grew up watching Michelle Yeoh in martial arts movies may find nostalgia in the action sequences. And those who have a soft spot for romance may find solace in the hot-dogs-for-fingers universe that centers a relationship between Evelyn and Dierdre. With their references to classic and absurd film, the Daniels offer a plethora of narratives for audiences to choose from and identify with.

In contrast, the genre of Turning Red is incredibly narrowed: a Disney animated feature film. Though the film is targeted toward children, it is appealing to the whole family. In an article that Domee Shi wrote about the process of making the film, she explained that animation is a powerful tool in processing complex issues: “It might be hard to talk about puberty or growing apart or intergenerational trauma with members of your family, but it’s easy to sit down and watch an animated film and feel those everyday, human emotions together” (Shi). In films that everyone watches together, it is just as or even more important to touch upon concepts that are not talked about in everyday life to serve as a way for families to break into those tough conversations.

Continuing with Coe’s analysis of Everything Everywhere All at Once, he emphasizes the idea of an intimate public, wherein audiences connect with the way mainstream media captures and expresses emotions (41). I agree with Coe’s claim of the importance of this phenomenon in Everything Everywhere All at Once in that Asian immigrants from all backgrounds can relate to the story despite the differences between culture. Further, I believe this is exacerbated by the specificity of the experiences portrayed in the film. Evelyn and Waymond struggle to run their laundromat; the initial problem of the film being that they are called to the IRS for a tax audit. Even though owning a laundromat as an immigrant is not applicable to everybody, the relatability stems from the emotions captured by the characters through these specific experiences.

Audiences resonated with these specificities as evident by the positive critic reviews and the film’s sweep at all major awards ceremonies. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Stephanie Hsu, who plays Joy, described her mother’s reaction at the premiere: “after the movie, she was crying, and she pointed to the screen and she said, ‘That’s me’” (Wang). Critic Nichole David expressed her physical reaction to the film: “I howled with laughter at the things that were hysterically funny and at things that were painfully relatable, and then sobbed like a baby so much I could hardly make myself stop even after the movie itself moved past the moment” (David). She, and many other non-Asian people expressed the similar sentiments in their first viewing of the film, revealing that the Daniels succeeded in bringing together audiences of all cultures through the emotional specificity of the film.

In Turning Red, the specificities of the Asian immigrant experience are built on the setting through which the themes are explored. The period of life—a 13-year-old growing up in middle school—is what is relatable for children watching the movie. But the period of time—Toronto during the early 2000s—is what is relatable to the adults watching the movie with their children. The viewer is transported back in time through the specific outfits that the characters wear and the pop culture references incorporated into the film—the Tamagotchi and the hyper popularity of a boyband called 4*Town. These images draw upon the experiences of Shi, who decided to make the film a 2000s period piece because of the fond memories it brought back for her growing up at that time and the specificity of the culture (Goldman). This immerses the audiences into the culture that Mei wants so badly to be a part of, giving them a greater understanding of Mei as a character in her attempts to be accepted by her friends. Again, specificity allows the film to capture relatable emotions in a way that is unachievable with the typical generic Asian plotlines.

Being a film targeted primarily toward children, Turning Red was more tediously scrutinized for relatability and mature topics. A heavily circulated review by Sean O’Connell criticized it for its Asian American specificities: “Some Pixar films are made for a universal audience. Turning Red is not. The target audience for this one feels very specific, and very narrow. If you are in it, this might work well for you. I am not in it. This was exhausting” (@Sean_OConnell). O’Connell retracted the review with an apology due to the backlash he received, but his opinion implied that only stories written from the white male perspective are universal, despite the overarching themes of generational trauma and acceptance that transcend racial lines.

Overall, both films depict their stories through a specific lens, but that should not limit their audiences. Audiences should be able to reconcile the universal emotions in films where the culture differs from the traditionally portrayed white perspective, both to empathize with those being portrayed and to reflect on their own role in the non-white experience.

Breaking (Down) the Mother-Daughter Bond
Generational trauma manifests itself when one tries to escape their past without confronting it. Amy S. Cheng explores what she calls the “silence of trauma” in her clinical psychology doctoral dissertation. Drawing on her interviews with first-generation Asian American children, she explores the feeling of abandonment, betrayal, and separation that stem from immigration as the primary source of generational trauma. Through her interviews, she concludes that children of immigrants feel an immense responsibility to live up to their parents’ sacrifice and in doing so, choose to hide their pain so as not to add to that of their parents. She explains that this is an adaptive technique to cope with issues that are too intense to face head on: “The circumstances of life seem unbearable, and not speaking about it helps to contain the horror. At the same time, not speaking allows the trauma to exert an extremely powerful influence as it takes an emotional toll” (Cheng 74). I agree with Cheng’s argument and contend that the “silence of trauma” is the backbone of all forms of generational trauma. The secrets and avoidance of previous generations become so overwhelming that they manifest into new trauma for the current generation that continue to be passed down. In Asian immigrant households, these cycles often present themselves through the mother-daughter relationship. In my experience, saying nothing becomes easier than speaking up to avoid disappointment on both sides—for the mother in finding a lack of respect in the defiance and for the daughter in the realization that the cycle can never be broken.

The fragility of the mother-daughter relationship stems from a patriarchal society that assigns responsibility for a child’s welfare to the mother. This pressure creates a bond that can be easily broken. Professor Janneke van Mens-Verhulst pioneered an international research project on intergeneration relationships between women. In an article following that research, Mens-Verhulst observes that girls “must behave as perfect (obedient) daughters in order to confirm their mothers’ godliness” (529). I agree with her assessment that daughters carry the burden of their mothers’ reputation and I believe a cycle emerges from this weight of responsibility. One of society’s central tenants of womanhood is raising a proper daughter, encouraging the mother to put high expectations of success on the daughter. This puts immense pressure on the daughter to live up to those expectations so that Western society’s expectations of motherhood are met. The cycle of trauma begins when the expectations of one party do not align with the goals of the other. For example, society expects the mother to raise a daughter that one day becomes a mother herself, so the mother expects the daughter to get married and have a family. But, if the daughter does not want children, tensions forms, causing the relationship to fracture. This fragile bond makes the mother-daughter relationship the perfect conduit for generational trauma.

In Turning Red, one of the most prominent examples of this is the introduction to the film. Images of Mei growing up flash across the screen as she narrates: “The number one rule in my family? Honor your parents. They’re the supreme beings who gave you life, who sweated and sacrificed so much to put a roof over your head, food on your plate, an epic amount of food. The least you can do in return is every single thing they ask” (Turning Red 00:00:47-00:01:11). Though Mei references both her parents, the photos that are shown on screen center Mei and Ming, revealing that Mei’s sense of self is defined by her mother’s approval. The narration exemplifies the innate trauma Cheng described in her thesis through Mei’s unwavering desire to please her mother because of the sacrifices of an Asian immigrant parent.

While Turning Red explores the turbulence of the mother-daughter relationship through the magic of a red panda, Everything Everywhere All at Once explores it through the fantasy of multiple universes. The character Jobu Tupaki embodies the dangers of the cycles of unmet expectations. Jobu is Joy originating from another universe, known as the alphaverse. There, Joy had a gift for verse jumping—the ability to access other universes. Recognizing this, alpha Evelyn pushed her too far past her limit, causing her mind to fracture and enter all universes at once. As alpha Waymond explains to Evelyn, “Now her mind experiences every world, every possibility at the same exact time, commanding the infinite knowledge and power of the multiverse. Now she’s seen too much. Lost any sense of morality, any belief in objective truth” (Everything Everywhere All at Once 00:50:25-00:50:40). The existence of Jobu Tupaki was born from alpha Evelyn’s voracious need for her daughter’s success to validate her own life of mediocrity. Here, another cycle of trauma emerges in the daughter’s need for her mother’s validation, which is dependent on the daughter’s validation of the mother’s sacrifices.

There are two sides to the unconscious nature of generational trauma: the mother’s misguided belief that she is doing what is best for her daughter and the daughter’s blind acceptance of those beliefs. In Turning Red, when Ming catches Mei drawing pictures of her crush Devon, rather than communicating her hesitance with her daughter, Ming confronts him at his workplace in front of her classmates. As she slams the drawings on the counter, she exclaims, “She’s just a sweet, innocent child. How dare you take advantage of her!” (Turning Red 00:13:27-00:13:36). Ming’s protectiveness of her daughter demonstrates the Asian mother’s deep care for her daughter that often overlooks the daughter’s feelings and the way her actions will affect her. This becomes exacerbated by the daughter’s desire to fit into Western culture while seeking her mother’s validation, two goals that are often in conflict with one another. When talking with her friends Abby, Priya, and Miriam, Mei describes the reason she must eliminate the panda: “All her [Ming’s] hopes and dreams are pinned on me” (Turning Red 00:57:41-00:57:44). Here, Mei recognizes the pressure she is under, but rather than finding the flaws in making one’s happiness contingent on a child’s success, she accepts her fate. However, the guise of Mei and Ming’s perfect relationship depicted at the top of the film begins to crumble as Mei chooses her friends over her family when she skips out on the ritual to join them at a 4*Town concert. Mei shows up, apologizing to her friends for throwing them under the bus, explaining “I’ve been, like, obsessed with my mom’s approval my whole life. I couldn’t take losing it but losing you guys feels even worse” (Turning Red 1:12:03-1:12:12). Mei, for the first time, chooses herself over her mother’s happiness without any shame or guilt weighing her down. This serves as a turning point in the film where Mei and Ming can begin to repair their relationship and heal the wounds of generational trauma that have yet to scar over.

A similar shift occurs after Evelyn learns that Jobu is a version of her Joy, Jobu shows her the object of her creation that led her to adopt a nihilistic perspective of the universe: the everything bagel. Here, we get a pivotal scene in the movie where Joy gives Evelyn the reason behind her destruction of the multiverse:

JOBU. I got bored one day and I put everything on a bagel. Everything. All my hopes and dreams, my old report cards, every breed of dog, every last personal ad on craigslist. Sesame. Poppy seed. Salt. And it collapsed in on itself. ‘Cause you see, when you really put everything on a bagel, it becomes this. The truth.

EVELYN. What is the truth?

JOBU. Nothing matters.

EVELYN. No, Joy. You don’t believe that.

JOBU. Feels nice, doesn’t it? If nothing matters, then all the pain and guilt you feel for making nothing of your life, it goes away. (Everything Everywhere All at Once 1:00:15-1:01:30)

The bagel represents the inevitable consequences of a mother attempting to correct her life choices through her daughter’s experiences: she will eventually collapse in on herself, leaving her trapped where she has no chance of escaping the pressure. In her ability to peer into every universe, Jobu concludes that life has no purpose. Finding meaning in the ordinary, the Daniels assign the bagel as the all-knowing truth of the universe. Like the red panda in Turning Red, it becomes a blessing and a curse: since nothing truly matters, the pain of a mediocre life goes away, leaving nothingness in its place.

At the end of the film, Jobu reveals that the real reason she built the bagel was to destroy herself. Speaking to Evelyn, she admits “I wanted to see if I went in, could I finally escape? Like, actually die” (Everything Everywhere All at Once 1:42:23-1:42:31). Here, the audience can begin to understand the true pain that Joy has felt in every universe. She thought the only way to break free from the cycle of trauma was to eliminate herself entirely. In her fear of breaking the tradition of generational trauma, Joy continues the cycle as she runs toward the bagel to avoid confronting her mother. In the final moments of the film, she proposes that they go their separate ways to avoid any more agony, and instead of walking away, Evelyn chooses Joy: “I will always, always want to be here with you” (Everything Everywhere All at Once 2:06:40-2:06:48). The film ends with the Wong family working together through their tax audit, giving a glimpse of hope to those who feel trapped in their own cycles of trauma. Though Evelyn and Joy’s relationship has not instantly healed, they are actively trying to do better for each other and for themselves.

Despite the critical acclaim of the film, some reviewers, found the absurdity of the bagel unnecessary and distracting. One describes the film as the Daniels “attempt to prosecute and resolve a minor family drama via the plot trappings of an over-the-top superhero film” (Christodoulides). In simplifying the core components of the film—complex intergenerational issues heightened by the mother daughter-relationship and an exploration of genre—to a “minor family issue” and an “over-the-top superhero film,” Christodoulides becomes one of many white male reviewers who seemed to ignore the nuance of Asian immigrant experience that drives the story forward. By dismissing years of trauma and Asian girlhood as insignificant because of the normality of the Wong’s life in the main universe, he misses the goal of the film to find the relatability in the banal—to point out how small instances of rejection play a significant role in continuing larger cycles of trauma.

The ending of Turning Red is similar in its theme of acceptance. To bring Mei back to the ritual, Ming transforms into her panda, which turns out to be the biggest of all the women in the family, revealing that Ming has bottled-up the strongest emotions that she has yet to let out until this point. After a tumultuous battle that almost leaves Ming trapped in her panda body, the entire family—with the help of Mei’s friends and boyband 4*Town—was able to carry out the ritual. Ming makes the same choice to get rid of her panda, but this time, she allows Mei to decide on her own: “I see you, Mei-Mei. You try to make everyone happy but are so hard on yourself. And if I taught you that, I’m sorry. So don’t hold back. For anyone. The farther you go, the prouder I’ll be” (Turning Red 1:25:38-1:26:06). In these final moments of the movie, Ming recognizes her role in Mei’s unhappiness and perceived rebellion. She sees the unhealthy habits from her own life that her daughter adopted and accepts her unconditionally. By embracing the panda, Mei chooses to proudly display her emotions to the world, unlike many Asian immigrant families who hide them away to silence their trauma.

Both films end with mother and daughter coming together and accepting one another. Though some may argue this is aspirational and unrealistic, I contend that examples of reconciliation on screen can give the audience solace and show them it is possible. I concede that not all problems can be solved with a simple apology, but the journey to that first apology is the most harrowing and after it is reached, true generational healing can begin.

Let the Healing Begin!
The films Everything Everywhere All at Once and Turning Red use the absurd and magical as backdrops for an in-depth exploration into the Asian immigrant mother-daughter relationship as a conduit for generational trauma. And though the subject of my research is Asian immigrant families, it has larger implications on society as a whole. It highlights the role media plays in unlearning behaviors weaved into our development. Media can be used as a vehicle to point out flaws in society and films like these hold a mirror up to the audience, helping them to reflect on their role in perpetuating the problems and giving them the courage to dismantle the current systems that keep them going. Pop culture is often dismissed as entertainment, but its far-reaching influence makes it the perfect platform to explore common, yet seldom discussed themes of the human experience: taxes, puberty, and generational trauma.

Works Cited

“Asian Entertainers Talk Activism Efforts and Giving Back.” YouTube, uploaded by Entertainment Weekly, 18 Mar. 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=934IFRbJ1hI.

Cheng, Amy S. “Results and Discussion/ The Impact of Immigration on the Family: The Repetition of Trauma.” Narratives of Second-Generation Asian American Experience: Legacies of Immigration, Trauma, and Loss, University of Massachusetts Amherst, United States — Massachusetts, 2005, pp. 57-108. ProQuest, http://proxy.library.stonybrook.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/narratives-second-generation-asian-american/docview/304999915/se-2.

Chong, Sylvia Shin Huey. “What Was Asian American Cinema?” Cinema Journal, vol. 56, no. 3, 2017, pp. 130-135. JSTOR, DOI: 10.1353/cj.2017.0028.

Chow, Andrew. “In 1993, ‘Joy Luck Club’ Changed Hollywood. Until It Didn’t.” The New York Times, 9 Sep. 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/09/movies/joy-luck-club-crazy-rich-asians.html.

Christodoulides, Phedias. “The Worst winner of the Oscar for Best Picture? Everything Everywhere All at Once.” In-Cyprus, Philenews, 14 Mar. 2023, https://in-cyprus.philenews.com/whats-on/the-worst-winner-of-the-oscar-for-best-picture-everything-everywhere-all-at-once/.

Coe, Jason. “Everything Everywhere All at Once and the Intimate Public of Asian American Cinema.” Film Quarterly, vol. 76, no. 4, 2023, pp. 35–45, DOI: 10.1525/fq.2023.76.4.35.

David, Nicole. “‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ swears that even your worst life is worth living, and as a mother, I want to believe that.” Subjectify, 10 Mar. 2023, https://subjectifymedia.com/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-review/.

Everything Everywhere All at Once. Directed and written by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, performances by Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, and Stephanie Hsu, A24, 2022.

Geisinger, Gabriella. “Everything Everywhere All At Once directors explain the vital significance of laundry.” Digital Spy, 7 May 2022, https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a39914624/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-directors-interview-daniels/.

Goldman, Eric. “How Pixar’s ‘Turning Red’ Became a 2002 Period Piece.” Fandom, 9 Mar. 2022, https://www.fandom.com/articles/pixar-turning-red-2002.

@Sean_OConnell. “Some Pixar films are made for a universal audience. #TurningRed is not. The target audience for this one feels very specific, and very narrow. If you are in it, this might work for you. I am not in it. This was exhausting.” Twitter, 7 Mar. 2022, 6:20 a.m.

Shi, Domee. “Guest Column: ‘Turning Red’ Writer-Director Domee Shi on Making Her ‘Magical Puberty Story.’” The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Mar. 2023, https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/turning-red-writer-director-domee-shi-guest-column-1235337989/.

Turning Red. Directed by Domee Shi, written by Domee Shi and Julia Choperformances by Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh, and Orion Lee, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2022.

van Mens-Verhurlst, Janneke. “Reinventing the Mother-Daughter Relationship.” American Journal of Psychotherapy, vol. 49, no. 4, 1995, pp. 526-539. DOI: 10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.1995.49.4.526.

Wang, Jessica. “Stephanie Hsu feels at peace with the multiverse.” Entertainment Weekly, 6 Mar. 2023, https://ew.com/movies/stephanie-hsu-profile-everything-everywhere-all-at-once/.

—
Angeline recently graduated from Stony Brook University with a major in Chemistry and a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies. As an Asian American woman, she hopes her work not only engages with cultural discourse about Asian visibility in media but also helps facilitate interpersonal conversations regarding generational trauma.

back to 13.1