What's Happening?
The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has ruled that the documentary film 'You Can See Everything,' which focuses on Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, is ineligible for its top award for directorial achievement in theatrical feature film. This decision
stems from the DGA's strict eligibility guidelines, which explicitly exclude documentaries, re-releases, and animated films from this category. Despite the film's critical acclaim and commercial success, and efforts by its distributor, A24, and awards strategists to argue for its inclusion due to its non-traditional documentary elements like staged reenactments and the inclusion of an actor, the DGA confirmed it would only compete in the documentary category. The film's co-directors are Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim.
Why It's Important?
The DGA's ruling is a significant setback for 'You Can See Everything' in the context of the broader awards season. The DGA Award for feature film is historically a strong predictor for the directing Oscar and often for the Best Picture Oscar. By being excluded from this key category, the film's momentum for these prestigious awards could be impacted. While A24 plans to submit the film for Oscar consideration in multiple categories, including Best Picture and Documentary Feature, the DGA's decision highlights a persistent tension within the film industry regarding the classification and recognition of non-traditional documentaries. Oscar voters in the documentary branch are also noted for often shying away from popular, unconventional, or celebrity-focused documentaries, further complicating the film's awards prospects.
What's Next?
A24 intends to pursue Oscar nominations for 'You Can See Everything' in several categories, including Best Picture, Supporting Acting, Documentary Feature, Editing, Cinematography, Score, and Directing. The film's performance in these Oscar categories will reveal whether the Academy's voters share the DGA's strict classification or are more open to its unconventional approach. The debate surrounding the film's genre and eligibility may also prompt further discussions within the film industry about the evolving nature of documentaries and awards criteria. The film's critical and commercial success, despite the DGA's decision, suggests it will remain a prominent title throughout the awards season.
Beyond the Headlines
This situation underscores a broader discussion about the definition of 'documentary' in contemporary filmmaking. 'You Can See Everything' challenges traditional documentary formats through its use of staged reenactments and an actor, blurring the lines between performance, nonfiction, and truth. This artistic approach, while innovative, has led to its exclusion from certain awards categories, raising questions about how film academies and guilds adapt to new forms of storytelling. The incident also highlights the influence of awards strategists and distributors in navigating these classifications to maximize a film's awards potential, and the potential for such decisions to shape public perception and critical discourse around a film's artistic merit and genre.
