There are a thousand reasons why Everything Everywhere All At Once deserves to win awards. But if I was to choose just one, I would say that it’s the film’s refreshing take on the meaning of life. Many see the meaning of life as the process of attaining or achieving something extraordinary; whilst others believe that there is no greater meaning to life whatsoever. Everything Everywhere All At Once doesn’t fall into either of these camps, and instead tells us that meaning can be found, not in any substantial thing, but in our everyday relationships to each other.
The film’s humorous symbolism primes us for this philosophical debate. The bagel represents the utter absence of meaning when everything in every universe is bundled together, whilst the googly eye represents the exact opposite, filling the void at the bagel’s centre with purpose. The dualism here is a direct reference to yin and yang, recurring symbols that are used to describe opposite yet interconnected forces. If the googly eye is a direct opposite to the everything bagel, then there must surely be meaning in the seemingly meaningless multiverse.
Before we meet Jobu Tupaki, we learn that Evelyn is struggling with this very dilemma. She is constantly looking outwards, dreaming about grand vocations that might fill her life with more meaning than working at a launderette. Here, Evelyn’s thought process mirrors that of contemporary western philosophy, where the meaning of life is often discussed within the context of extraordinary achievements like curing cancer or producing great works of art. Yet, such milestones are not possible for most ordinary people, Evelyn included. Not everyone can be the next Michelangelo or Mother Theresa. Luckily, not all philosophers take this view. East Asian philosophy, and Confucianism in particular, gives us a much more inclusive perspective.
Confucius taught that meaning wasn’t the preserve of highly intellectual pursuits or grand projects but could instead be found in simple human relationships. By forming loving bonds with siblings, parents, spouses and friends, people are able to demonstrate virtues such as honesty, propriety and loyalty that reverberate through the generations. As Tu Weiming writes, confuscianism leads us to “realize the ultimate meaning of life in ordinary human existence.”
It follows, then, that one of the best places to find meaning in life is the family. It is a fundamental concept that has been repeatedly proven to transcend culture, time, and the film’s multiverse. Familial relationships are the common denominator that links each of the main characters in almost every universe despite the radically different circumstances they live in. The Wangs are, quite simply, everywhere.
Confucius had a lot to say on family. In particular, he viewed the values and character that are learned from parents as playing a foundational role in our development as moral agents. Parents are, after all, responsible for raising happy, healthy and productive children that can lead rich and morally good lives. Since these children will go on to impact human civilization and culture, the project of parenting becomes, according to Confucianism, an important source of meaning and purpose.
We see just how impactful parents can be through the origin story of Jobu Tupacki. In the Alphaverse, after they had discovered Verse Jumping and seen Joy’s potential, Evelyn pushed her too hard. Just like Evelyn from the original universe, Alpha Evelyn was so obsessed with grand accomplishments like curing diseases and ending war, that she forgot about caring for Joy, and raising her to become a force for good. Instead, she became Jobu Tupacki, an all-powerful being with no sense of morality.
ALPHA WAYMOND
Imagine what we could have done with the collective knowledge of all these worlds. Cured diseases, ended war. But there was one who was far and above the most gifted. Our little explorer… <sigh>. You saw her potential, so you pushed her… beyond her limit.
ALPHA GONG GONG
Can’t you see what is happening to your mind? In my universe. You pushed your daughter. And you broke her. You created Jobu Tupaki.
Further fragments of this strained relationship are revealed throughout the film. Evelyn thinks she has been a good mother but has unwittingly pushed her daughter away by choosing to believe that Joy is a different person to who she really is.
EVELYN
Then you know, I have only done what is right for you- for her.
JOBU
“Right”? “Right” is a tiny box invented by people who are afraid. And I know what it feels like to be forced in that box. To share a piece of myself that I was so scared to share only for you to say nothing, drive away, go on with your life as if nothing happened.
But it is not only the parental relationship between Joy and Evelyn that is problematic. The relationship between Evelyn and her father, Gong Gong is just as difficult.
GONG GONG
Do not call me father! No daughter of mine would act this way. Live this way.
Gong Gong’s refusal to accept who Evelyn really is mirrors Evelyn’s own attitude towards her daughter. In particular, she struggles to accept her daughter’s sexuality, and the fact she has a girlfriend, a hesitation that has clearly been inherited from her father.
JOY
Gong Gong… this is Becky. Becky is my… How do you say it again… shit, I mean, crap. She is my…
EVELYN
Good friend. Becky is a very good friend.
On top of this, it’s also clear that Evelyn resents seeing all of her own personal failings being reflected in Joy.
EVELYN
I spent most of her childhood praying she would not end up like me. But she turned out stubborn, aimless, a mess just like her mother.
Here, we start to see the lack of genuine connection and empathy between mother and daughter that ultimately led to the creation of Jobu Tupacki. Joy doesn’t fit the mould of what Evelyn expects of her daughter, so she tries to push her into something she’s not without stopping to think about the consequences. It is this lack of connection between mother and daughter that leads both towards a sense of bleak nihilism, that there is no meaning to be found in the entirety of the multiverse.
EVELYN
Another year… and we are still keeping our heads high, pretending we know what we’re doing. But really we’re just running around in circles. Doing laundry and taxes. Laundry and taxes…
The only one that is able to counteract this meaningless circle of life, as represented by the bagel, is Waymond. Despite not meeting Evelyn’s expectations or being especially remarkable in any way, he’s the only one that seems to be genuinely happy. This is because he chooses not to chase some greater calling or get wrapped up in material distractions but instead focus on nurturing a family that he adores.
WAYMOND
I know you want everything to be perfect for your father’s party, but he’s going to see
you’ve nurtured a happy family, and a successful business
EVELYN
You know that’s not what my father is going to see.
WAYMOND
But, it’s what you and I see, right?
Of course Evelyn doesn’t see this. All she sees are the many roads not taken, the inconvenience of a daughter that doesn’t meet her expectations, the disappointing husband and the inane, materialist details of life.
EVELYN
We have two different white paints, one for the apartment, and one for the laundromat. It has to match or else.
It is only after Evelyn has seen Waymond stay true to this idea of loving relationships above all else, does she truly start to understand that her purpose was staring her in the face this entire time.
WAYMOND (CEO)
So, even though you have broken my heart yet again, I wanted to say… In another life, I would have really liked just doing laundry and taxes with you.
This leads Evelyn to finally see that, for both her and her daughter to lead a life that they find meaningful, she needs to break the cycle of poisoned relationships, and truly connect with Joy.
EVELYN
I am no longer willing to do to my daughter, what you did to me.
Instead of taking her parenting tips from Gong Gong, Evelyn now starts to adopt Waymond’s philosophy of being kind and seeing the good side of things. She forgets about everything in every universe, and instead focuses solely on her relationship with her daughter.
EVELYN
Maybe it’s like you said, maybe there is something out there, some new discovery that’ll make us feel like even smaller pieces of shit. Something that explains why even after seeing everything, and giving up, you still went looking for me through all of this noise. And why no matter what, I still want to be here with you. I will always want to be here with you.
Through everything, Evelyn finds that her true place is with Joy. There is no need for any grandiose achievements. The only thing that truly matters is passing on to her daughter the compassion, support and acceptance that she never received from her own father. Through this act, Evelyn corrects the generational intolerance that has long prevented her from forming loving bonds with her family, which sets up a chain of meaningful relationships to come. This is how Evelyn fulfils her purpose, and finally finds meaning in her life.
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