For Alabamian, it's 'Everything Everywhere All at Once'

When young singer, actor and comedian Daniel Scheinert was a kid in Birmingham, his mother Becky used to tease him that when he grew up and became famous, he had to promise to make her his date to the Oscars.

And, tonight, on national television, Becky Scheinert will accompany her son as his “plus-one” at the 95th Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards. Daniel Scheinert and his writing/directing colleague Daniel Kwan have been nominated for 11 Academy Awards – the most of any film nominated by the Academy in multiple categories – for their highly acclaimed film, “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”

Scheinert Family photo: (L-R) Tomoyo Ochiai, Brett Scheinert, Aunt Vicki Robb, Ken Scheinert, Becky Scheinert, Daniel Scheinert (Becky Scheinert/Contributed)

Scheinert and Kwan co-wrote and co-directed the film which has already won a British Academy Film Award; five Critics’ Choice Movie Awards; two Gotham Awards; two Golden Globe Awards; and a record-breaking seven Independent Spirit Awards.

“He said it is a thank you for driving him to so many rehearsals and coming to see practically every one of his performances,” Becky Scheinert said.

Becky and her husband Ken live in Guntersville where she is retired from the Mountain Valley Arts Council. She said her son spent a lot of time in Guntersville because his grandparents lived there.

Becky Scheinert moderating a Q&A with Daniel Kwan (center) and Daniel Scheinert (R) after a film screening in Los Angeles in December (Photo: Becky Scheinert)

“He has promised to come back soon to speak to the Arts Council about the film,” she said.

Scheinert said Daniel caught the entertainment bug in middle school.

“He went on to do a lot of musical theater with the award-winning Shades Valley Theater Academy before attending Emerson College in Boston where he was in the honors program,” she said.

“He graduated with a custom designed degree in theater and film, but he did a lot of comedy and extracurricular improvisation too, while he was there.”

Daniel was known as “a triple threat” because he could sing, dance and act, Scheinert said, but he was always interested in screenwriting and directing, too. He entered into a film director’s competition while in school, beating out even his teachers.

After graduation, he headed to Los Angeles and since then, Daniel and Kwan have made two other films, Swiss Army Man in 2016 and The Death of Dick Long in 2019.

“Daniel has won over 100 awards for his work,” said his mother.

How many more trophies will the team accumulate after Sunday night’s awards?

(L-R) Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan depiction of Everything Everywhere All at Once (The Verge contributed)

According to the description on IMDb, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” is about a middle-age Chinese immigrant who is swept up into an insane adventure in which she alone can save existence by exploring other universes and connecting with the lives she could have led.

It stars Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, and Jamie Lee Curtis, who have been nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role; Best Actress in a Leading Role; and two nods for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.

It has also been nominated for Best Costume Design; Best Directing; Best Original Score; Best Original Song; Best Picture; and Best Original Screenplay; and Best Film Editing by another Birmingham native, Paul Rogers.

In addition to the awards it has won and hopes to win Sunday night, the film was named one of the top 10 films of 2022 by the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute. It also won top prizes from Directors Guild of America Awards, Producers Guild of America Awards, Writers Guild of America Awards, and Screen Actors Guild Awards, where it won a record-breaking four awards.