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Last week, Entertainment Weekly confirmed with Warner Bros. that the studio would be campaigning for a nomination for Heath Ledger specifically in the supporting actor category, putting to rest all the speculation and suggestions that he could contend for the Best Actor Oscar. Now all the awards pundits seem to agree that Ledger is a definite lock for a posthumous nomination. As for The Dark Knight’s hopes for other categories, though, it’s still up in the air as to how many nominations the comic book movie might garner.
While its predecessor, Batman Begins, only received one Oscar nomination, for Wally Pfister’s cinematography, there’s at least some likelihood that The Dark Knight could be recognized in as many as a dozen categories. That’s about as many as it’s legitimately eligible for, anyway, and in a year that keeps looking slimmer and slimmer in terms of Oscar-worthy pictures, there’s no reason to completely deny The Dark Knight’s full capability. Unfortunately, it’s a popular genre picture, so regardless of how critically acclaimed it is, and regardless of how the Academy has historically lauded similar titles, there will be a lot of doubt and debate concerning this movie’s prospects all the way up until January 22, when the nominations are announced.
Yesterday, John Foote of In Contention, commented on the increasing chances of The Dark Knight in such a lackluster Oscar season. In some ways, though, it’s not just about onetime Oscar hopefuls turning out to be hopeless; it’s also the constant problem of so much Oscar bait being held away from viewers and voters until the last possible second. Even those films that end up being fairly good can be disappointments after so much premature awards season hype. Sure, audiences have short attention spans and typically a film released midyear is easily forgotten by voting time, but a movie as memorable, as successful and as well-made as The Dark Knight can come out in the summer and easily be in the forefront of voters’ minds as an easy and deserving fallback. Therefore so many Oscar bloggers shouldn’t suddenly be surprised to see that The Dark Knight’s hopes for multiple Oscar nominations is “brightening” or “shaping up.” It’s always been a contender. Let’s break down its chances, category by category, after the jump:
Best Picture
The greatest difference in opinion among the experts so far is with the movie’s chances in the Best Picture race. The majority consensus seems to be that The Dark Knight has little to no shot at the top award (apparently only The Hollywood Reporter’s T.L. Stanley and Rolling Stones‘ Peter Travers are seriously considering it), primarily because it’s a superhero movie. However, deserving or not, there’s really no viable argument against the plausibility of a Best Picture nom. Rather, the movie’s chances for inclusion in the category already outweigh its chances for exclusion. And as more Best Picture hopefuls are either released to underwhelming response or pushed back to 2009, the balance in The Dark Knight’s favor only increases.
So what if there’s never before been a superhero comic book movie up for Best Picture (despite Superman being far more deserving than An Unmarried Woman)? The Dark Knight still could fall in with that ever-increasing list of genre flicks, including Star Wars and the Lord of the Rings movies, which have shown us that quality fanboy fodder is also capable of appealing to the Academy. And while it’s true that box office success doesn’t necessarily translate to Oscar contention, The Dark Knight has the right combo of being the biggest moneymaker and one of the most critically acclaimed films of 2008, which was hardly the case with another high-grossing blockbuster Best Picture, Titanic.
It’s believed that if the Academy does nominate a box office winner with critical acclaim, they’ll go with Wall-E, because they’ve nominated an animated feature for Best Picture in the past. But that thinking goes against the whole present logic of the Oscars. There will never again be an animated feature up for the top award as long as the Best Animated Feature category exists. That award was pretty much conceived for the purpose of sidelining films like Wall-E in order to give them separate recognition. If the Academy isn’t going to nominate something as brilliant as Ratatouille for Best Picture, they’re not going to nominate Wall-E either.
On the other side of the argument, there’s just as much of a mistaken defense for why the movie will be nominated. Contrary to some early conjecture, though,The Dark Knight’s chances aren’t improved at all by the fact that the Oscar ceremony needs a ratings boost. Sure, a Best Picture nom for the film would be great for the Academy in terms of telecast viewership, but it’s probably not permitted or likely for the show’s producers to encourage Academy members to vote for more popular fare.
Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay:
If The Dark Knight does receive a Best Picture nomination, it will be one of those occasional cases where the director is not nominated. Due to a sometimes-problematic issue of having different people voting for different categories, The Dark Knight’s flaws will be clearer to the filmmakers who pick the nominees for Best Director, and so Christopher Nolan will be excluded there (although Awards Daily still has him as a front runner anyway). However, Nolan and his writing partners, Jonathan Nolan and David S. Goyer should have a decent shot at the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for their success at turning a superhero comic into a realistic film with a smart, topical, complex and fairly original story.
Acting Categories:
As for the acting awards, The Dark Knight can really only count on Ledger’s nomination. The film lacks any substantial female performances, and despite the fact that Christian Bale seriously deserves an Oscar nomination and despite the belief that he puts more into the Bruce Wayne/Batman character than is necessary, it’s simply not his time. If there is any other actor besides Ledger worthy and at all probable to receive a nomination, it’s Gary Oldman, for Best Supporting Actor, but there’s not much likelihood that Academy voters would water down Ledger’s lauds like that.
Technical and Craft Categories:
Finally, with the tech and craft categories, Pfister should very easily pick up another nomination for his cinematography work, while The Dark Knight is expected to better Batman Begins‘ Oscar glory by turning up in both the sound categories. Score and Editing are total longshots, despite their respective talent’s past Oscar success. And as much as makeup and costumes are significant to the film, The Dark Knight may only be a dark horse in those categories. Still, it’s probably about time the Academy ignored its period piece tradition with the latter category and took notice of Lindy Hemming’s accomplishment of making superhero movie costumes that are more realistic and believable than the typically flashy, costumey costumes of the genre. The film even reflexively addresses the issue of plausible and practical superhero wear in the real world.
Then, of course, there’s the other craft categories that could suffer from the film’s efforts to be more natural than most comic book adaptations. Best Art Direction? Not enough obvious design there. Best visual effects? The Dark Knight could be one of the rare genre movies nominated for Best Picture that doesn’t place in the effects category, due to its lack of showy CG work. Like In Contention’s Gerard Kennedy, I won’t be shocked if the film manages an effects nomination simply because it’s so respected, but the odds are mostly against its modestly functional effects spectacle.
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filmcouch-114
if dark knight doesn’t win any awards im boycotting Oscar!! im still mad that will smith didn’t win for Ali!!
Batman should get nominated alot.
This is one of the BEST films ever made! Period! I’m not saying it has to win anything, but it needs to be nominated for multiple awards. It deserves the recognition. They took a genre that traditionally isn’t done for awards, but for the fanboys. They took it and made it into something that even conventional film connoisseurs could appreciate, and should appreciate. Look at it this way, at every Oscar ceremony you have five films get nominated, but going in you have two films that are the most favored and those usually, if not always end up winning. My logic is, if your going to nominate five, nominate The Dark Knight. The other three are usually there to fill up spots anyway. If the Academy doesn’t nominate The Dark Knight for multiple awards, then that’ll show how elitist it is.
you forgot one category dude, the music! without that music, I wouldn’t have been squirming in my seat or felt all tense, scratching my nail polished nails as I watched.
popular fare?, what about those geek lord of the rings movies? they weren’t popular fare? They were a phenomenon I hear and they nominated it like three geeky times.
But I hope that it gets nominated alot, because it is much more than heath ledger’s role, he is only part of that great movie. And if it does get nominated for best picture, it would be an honor for it to be nominated. even better for it to win.
Surely it ll win more than 5 awards….. One award is sure for LEDGER’s amazing performance……
Heath Ledger will get the nomination and how fitting that the shortlists are announced exactly a year after his death. Bale is super talented and it’s a crime he hasn’t been nominated before particularly when you consider this is the guy who played the walking skeleton in The Machinist and a POW in Rescue Dawn. He won’t be nommed for the Dark Knight though because the script gives him very little chance to shine and show what we all know he can do. If he would have been given a strong scene after Rachel’s death then maybe, but I think the writers had more love for the Joker in this film. Shame. Bale is very under-rated and should be a double oscar winner by now.
[...] I read Christopher Cambell’s piece on TDK’s chances over at the Spout, and I realized that we’re not going to get away from this movie anytime soon. Neither is the [...]
The Academy sounds to me as though it’s made up of a bunch of snooty selectors who will only nominate movies and actors if they fill roles that are, in my opinion, becoming quite boring and conventional. It doesn’t matter if Christian Bale gives up his life for a role, because if he’s not ruining his appearance or playing a complete wacko (which some think Batman is), then he cannot win an Oscar. So what if a movie garners a lot of publicity and money?If it’s good, there’s no denying it, as Stan Marsh states. And I totally agree with joker’s lady, the music is brilliant and epic, and I could actually listen to it all day long if I was in a dramatic mood. And no one has EVER played a role like Heath Ledger! The joker’s depth is thought-provoking and his entire relationship with Batman is so complementory. Plus, the screenplay and direction will live on in my mind for ever. I’d want my grandkids to watch this film.
Ledger must run for Best Lead Actor. Eckhart or Oldman for Supporting.
Music certainly. Screenplay and Director for sure. Rest to their
fancy. If it runs for Best Picture, even if does not cruelly win,
Screenplay or Director win would do justice. Ledger shall win. It is
masterpiece teamwork. Hearts will break if it does not win few main
awards let alone the nominations.
[...] I read Christopher Cambell’s piece on TDK’s chances over at the Spout, and I realized that we’re not going to get away from this movie anytime soon. Neither is the [...]
Well altough Heath deserves to be nominated as Best Actor,any nomination would do…as long as his fantastic performance is recognized an aknowledged by the Academy I’ll be happy…he deserves it,didn’t get the right recognition whit his amazing role as Ennis on BBM remember? Academy owes Heath…R.I.P love<33
[...] SpoutBlog. 2008. 22 Oct 2008 http://blog.spout.com/2008/10/20/the-dark-knights-oscar-potential-goes-much-further-than-heath-ledge... [...]
When I think of “The Dark Knight” in the Oscar playground, I go back to 1993 when “The Fugitive” got 7 nominations. Both come from Warner Bros., and the first one was a contender one the big one (while Tommy Lee Jones scored the acting trophy). So, I anticipate Best Picture for the Batman sequel and Best Supporting Actor for Ledger. The rest goes into the ghetto’s categories (Cineamtography, Editing, Sound, Sound Effects & Original Score).
[...] The Dark Knight’s Oscar Potential Goes Much Further Than Heath Ledger | SpoutBlog (tags: to-read movies) [...]
Let’s face it people that vote for the academy just aren’t hip enough to vote for this film for all the oscar nods it deserves. Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, at least two supporting actor nods, Score, Cinematography, Sound editing, Makeup, Costumes…and should win at least 4-5 of those, including of course Ledgers brillant performance…but as I said, just not hip enough to know whats good unless they’re told it good. Expect some crappy period pieces or some contrived movie like Flash Of Brillance to steal The Dark Knights spot/s in the top awards. Such a shame
The Dark Knight.. i don’t know why some ppl underestimate this film.. one can write books on the film, if not now, then surely after some years.. this film is without a doubt a masterpiece and still its intensity is hard to digest..from the music score, to the script, to the cinematography, to the acting.. you name it, this film has it..
Heath Ledger? well Academy should stop doing oscars if they don’t give him the Oscar for his role..
Best Picture it is.. not for this year but for years to come.. i call TDK an accidental film, films which are accidental are not made, they just come out…
This is all BS. Who cares? Why does the “Academy” matter? If you like a movie, you like it. The Dark Knight is one of the best movies ever made in my opinion but if it doesn’t get nominated, so what? What should matter is how you feel about it. I love movies that others hate. Does that mean I should hate those movies too? Of course not. Stop relying on other people’s advice on movies and just enjoy. After all, IT’S JUST A MOVIE.
Chad,
The academy matters to itself but we should still care to support the most renowned and largest cinematic cultural insitution in the history of the world. We should hope for its own sake at least that it enhances its image and reputation through balanced considerations in recognizing both the films the public love but also the ones that ar euniversally acclaimed. Hollywood and the Academy are the backbone to the finest films made and we are indebted to them for encouraging such high lievels of competition.
ALL THE MORE REASON for us to care if they dont recognize- the largest most influential film insitution in the world that is, - the films the public loves as well as what the Academy mebers believe is the best is the best we do get disappointed. It does not make us love our personal picks for best mopvie any less- rather, it is an insult to us the moviegoign public to know the major film institution of the world, AMPAS does not consistently represent the broader interests of the film goign public they represent and this is what is upsetting.
OF COURSE THE DARK KNIGHT SHOULD BLOODY BE NOMINATEE AND WIN BUT THE DEBATE OF A FILM BEING TOO GOOD FOR OSCAR IS BACK IN TOWN AS IT WAS WHEN FOTR AND TTT (RINGS FILMS) were snubbed at the winning stage, as Saving PRivate Ryan was disgracefully snubbed for best pic.
This year is incocnlusive analysts maybe convinced by Slumdogs appeal to this point but its biggest tests are yet to come suffice to say, oscar still love a blockbuster when combined with a masterpiece they certainly have improved their position on embracing fully as best picture in the new millenium a massive blockbuster./ cultural phenomena AND / amongst the msot universally acclaimed masterpieces made in contemporary cinema up there with the ‘Rings’ anyhow see my blog and forthcoming blogs on my views on the perception and cultural shifts in attiue and limitations that this year may? prove that the Academy and Hollywood face.
Just cos indie movies need their fair share pf recognition DOES NOT MEAN that they should take over from the blockbusters all the time. Blockbusters like TDK only come once a decade. When was the last time you encountered a blockbuster that was as dark and twisted and menacing and powerful as tdk with the exception of lotr? popcorn flick? not a chance at all! If it was a opocorn flick there would be NO STAND OUT performances. All of them were superb.
David can take on goliath -in moderation. But a genre breakthrough IS a bigger deal than a 15 million funded indie flick - its been done before with such a low budget no country for old men- last year for instance. Even then the last few years since ROTK HAVE gone the way of lesser budget films.
Do not forget the more significant poitn here: the AMPAS and all that support it incl the Golden Globes have had a proud history of recognizing the finest and best of the best in arts. AMPAS should give recognition to a balnce between innovation and bold ideas and the message between them when was the last time YOU saw such a fine balance.
The reality is TDK is perfection- unless you want to dismiss the themes of terror, the consequences of the pursduit for justice and the toll it takes personally as well as insitutionally and socially speaking as ordered societies decend into chaos. Can you honestly dub that popcorn? MAJORITY of critics and by the way TDK is way atop most critics list if you go to movie city news it is higher than slumdog. And yet you call it popcorn?
Try telling that to Heath LEdger or the actors who had to act out the toughest by far emotion of all- the feeling of loss, despair to fight against the odds to fight for justice against chaos to battle their own inner conflicts and temptations.
These are themes that resonate in TDK not just thematically but visually too. NOBODY can decalre that as popcorn- when was the last time anyway something so dark and dramatic and powerful in its themes entertained so extensivley and no, the answer its ‘cos its batman vs. joker’ doesn’t cut it. And when, was the last time IMAX cameras were used to the Blockbuster? TDK contribution to film and cinema is big and deservedly so in every way and compared to Slumdog which is NOTHING.
The Academy are awaree the consequences to their appeal enmasse each time they make the wrong decision. They know they were formed on the basis of innovations in film making. IF it isn’t innovative enough for a film as dark and twisted and grim as The Dark Knight to be as high grossing as it has been (very few dark themed films rise to the level TDK HAS) THEN TO FUSE THE STYLES and overlasys in terms of philosophy to convey its messages rather than the literal approach that slumdog pitches for is a far greater achievement than slumdog has achieved.
see this link and tune in to my blog to learn more
http://www.orble.com/the-dark-knight-the-terrifying-phenomena-why-so-terrifying/