Can ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ pull off a ‘CODA’-style clean sweep at Oscars?

Last awards season, Apple’s heartwarming family drama “CODA” became just the seventh Best Picture recipient in history to pull off a clean sweep at the Oscars. That is, it not only claimed the top prize — it won every category in which it was nominated. Can A24’s “Everything Everywhere All at Once” now pull off a similar feat at the 2023 Oscars?

Here’s a quick review of the previous seven clean sweepers:

“Wings,” 1927-28 (2/2)

“Grand Hotel,” 1931-32 (1/1)

“It Happened One Night” 1934 (5/5)

“Gigi,” 1958 (9/9)

“The Last Emperor,” 1987 (9/9)

“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” 2003 (11/11)

“CODA,” 2021 (3/3)

The return of the Oscar clean sweep delivered by “CODA” (which also won Best Supporting Actor for Troy Kotsur and Best Adapted Screenplay for Sian Heder) actually follows a pattern set forth by “Wings” almost a century ago. That is, home runs don’t happen every Oscar night. They’re more of a once every-few-decades phenomenon. (In which case, we’re not really due for another one until the 2040s.)

But could this be the rare exception in which lightning strikes two derbies in a row? I’m not actually predicting it. And I’m not expecting it. But I do believe that anything is possible in this increasingly crazy awards universe. Therefore, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” could conceivably conquer the competition in every upcoming Oscar contest.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY, COSTUME DESIGN, FILM EDITING AND PRODUCTION DESIGN: The film is a visual extravaganza, and seems bound to rack up nominations in numerous craft categories. The mind-bending camera work and accelerated cutting make Cinematography and Film Editing its strongest prospects. And given the challenges of dressing characters and designing sets across multiple universes, both Costume and Production Design would certainly be plausible. Working in its favor is the fact there’s no technical tour de force like “Dune” last year. Sure, there’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” However, both of those are sequels that were previously honored by the academy for their technical marvels. And neither one looks to be a serious threat to win Best Picture this time around (although “Avatar 2” is climbing up Gold Derby’s rankings). If voters desire something a bit more inventive, they might check off “Everything” everywhere on the lower ballot.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: The award might as well be called the “Most Original Screenplay,” as that’s what usually takes the cake. Consider some prime examples from the past two decades. 2004’s “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” 2006’s “Little Miss Sunshine.” 2007’s “Juno.” 2011’s “Midnight in Paris.” 2012’s “Django Unchained.” “2013’s “Her.” 2014’s “Birdman.” 2017’s “Get Out.” 2019’s “Parasite.” 2020’s “Promising Young Woman.” Judging from the category’s history, the wildly original “Everything Everywhere All at Once” should easily overcome the likes of proficiently penned but comparatively conventional entries like “The Banshees of the Inisherin” and “The Fabelmans.”

BEST DIRECTOR: Ten years ago, Steven Spielberg was poised to take home his third Directing trophy for “Lincoln,” after the heavily-favored Ben Affleck was snubbed for his work on “Argo.” Alas, the race took another twist when Ang Lee was announced the champion for “Life of Pi.” Might the race be positioned for a repeat? The Best Director Oscar has increasingly gone to films which exhibit a unique and distinctive directorial achievement. Alfonso Cuarón for 2103’s “Gravity.” Alejandro G. Iñárritu for 2015’s “The Revenant.” Guillermo del Toro for 2017’s “The Shape of Water.” Cuarón for 2018’s “Roma.” Bong Joon Ho for 2019’s “Parasite.” Chloé Zhao for 2020’s “Nomadland.” Jane Campion for 2021’s “The Power of the Dog.” The Latin proverb states that “Fortune favors the bold.” The bold vision of the Daniels (Kwan and Scheinert) on “Everything Everywhere All at Once” could lead them to Oscar fortune.

BEST ACTRESS: While Michelle Yeoh currently ranks second in the official Gold Derby odds (behind Cate Blanchett in “Tár”) she might actually enjoy a number of advantages. Blanchett is already a double Oscar winner, and the academy has shown some reluctance in rewarding thespians with a third statuette. (Frances McDormand’s surprise victory for “Nomadland” was arguably a fluke.) Meanwhile, this will be Yeoh’s first nomination after a career of celebrated films and performances. Yeoh portrays several versions of her character Evelyn Wang throughout “Everything,” showing off her considerable dramatic (and comedic) range. Evelyn is also far more sympathetic in her film than Blanchett’s Lydia, whose abrasiveness could turn off many voters. Of course, Yeoh will still have to contend with the other “Michelle” (Williams) in “The Fabelmans,” who is undoubtedly overdue after four previous losses. And then there are wild cards like Naomi Ackie in “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” Danielle Deadwyler in “Till” and Margot Robbie in “Babylon.” Assuming that the academy likes “Everything” enough, they might say “yes” to Yeoh.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: This might be the easiest acting award for “Everything” to take. Ke Huy Quan currently holds an overwhelming lead in the Gold Derby odds. He was recently named Best Supporting Actor by the highbrow New York Film Critics Circle, which further fuels his momentum. Golden Globe and SAG trophies look likely to go his way. Unless the academy decides to break from the status quo, Quan should ride high across the Oscar finish line.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: You probably think that winning this category will be an uphill battle for “Everything,” especially since there are two talents vying to make the contest. But here’s what I will say about that. It’s high-ranking votes on the nominating ballots that secure a citation. While Stephanie Hsu was absolutely wonderful and will likely appear on many lists, how many people will actually rank her number one? Meanwhile, Jamie Lee Curtis has the type of sharp, scene-stealing role that actors typically go for. And as a Hollywood icon who has yet to be recognized by the academy, she’ll have a large bloc of voters who will want to see her finally nominated. It’s similar to Judi Dench and Ciarán Hinds getting in for “Belfast” last year, while Caitriona Balfe and Jamie Dornan were overlooked. The former had more “passion” votes than the latter. I dare to say that Jamie (Curtis) is more like Judi than Jamie (Dornan) in this year’s supporting sweepstakes. And if Curtis winds up being the only “Everything” entry here, she may have the edge in the likely lineup. A final five that includes both Jessie Buckley and Claire Foy in “Women Talking” plus Kerry Condon in “The Banshees of Inisherin” will inevitably lead to some serious vote-splitting among the British Isles beauties. In short, Curtis could end up crushing it.

BEST PICTURE: A cutting edge concept. A superb script. Dynamic directing. Accomplished acting. Premium production values. Enthusiastic audience reaction. Big box office. That sums up the success of “Everything.” Can any other film this year boast all of that? Sure, “Everything” might seem a bit daring for the academy’s tastes. But the organization’s expanded and more diverse membership has made increasingly defiant decisions, like 2016’s “Moonlight” over “La La Land” and 2019’s “Parasite” over “1917.” Maybe it only happens every three years? If so, 2022’s “Everything Everywhere All at Once” seems timed right for another upset – sweeping the Oscars everywhere, all at once.

PREDICT the 2023 Oscar nominees through January 24

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