The higher its box office total, the more rapturous its reviews, the more people will start to wonder: Does You Can See Everything, Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s documentary about Elizabeth Holmes have a shot at a nomination for Best Picture at next year’s Academy Awards? And beyond that: Can it get nominated in the first place? After all, no prior documentary in the 90+-year history of the Academy has ever received a Best Picture nom. That would suggest that the odds are not in Fielder and Oppeheim’s favor.
They may not be, but it’s not technically impossible even if it has never happened (yet). A documentary can be nominated for Best Picture, provided it meets the same eligibility requirements as any other feature film that wants to win the biggest Oscar.
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According to the Academy’s eligibility rules, any film that wants to be considered for Best Picture must be meet three distinct requirements.
Rule 1
A week of being “publicly exhibited for paid admission” in one of six different U.S. markets: Los Angeles, New York, the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Atlanta. That run must last “at least seven consecutive days” with screenings “at least three times daily” with “at least one screening beginning between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. daily.” The film must also “be advertised during its qualifying theatrical release in a manner normal and customary to theatrical feature distribution practices.”
Rule 2
After that initial run the film must play “in nine additional markets, separate and in addition to the market being utilized for the film’s General Entry qualifying run, resulting in a total of at least ten markets” among the top 50 markets in the country. This is known as a “Best Picture Expanded Theatrical Run,” and it must occur within 45 days of the film’s qualifying run.
Rule 3
The third: “The motion picture must meet the requirements of two out of the four Representation and Inclusion Standards.”
Long story short: Yes, You Can See Everything can receive a Best Picture nomination, in addition to a nomination for Best Documentary.
But will it?
Again, it’s never happened before. And there are reasons to think it’s a long shot. The Director’s Guild of America recently ruled that You Can See Everything cannot compete for its top award, outstanding directorial achievement in theatrical feature film. That’s because that group’s rules explicitly state that “re-releases, animated films and documentaries are not eligible” for that category at the DGA awards. You Can See Everything can compete for outstanding directorial achievement of a documentary film at the DGA Awards — but it’s that “theatrical feature film” award that’s often considered a key forerunner to the Academy Awards. And You Can See Everything definitely won’t win that one.
Of course, there are a lot of preliminary awards before the Oscars, many of them voted on by critics groups, many of whom have been overwhelmingly ecstatic in their praise of the film. If the movie wins a few of the key critics’ awards — and You Can see Everything keeps performing well in theaters — that could be enough momentum to help it break new ground at the Academy Awards.
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