SubscribeDoes Heath Ledger have an Oscar I.O.U. for 'The Dark Knight'?
Let's forget for just a moment about all of the hallelujah reviews surrounding Heath Ledger's performance in "The Dark Knight." Can Heath Ledger win an Oscar just because he's holding an I.O.U.?
Many stars win an Academy Award because they're overdue. No one — not even Paul Newman — thinks that Newman gave the best performance of his career in the movie that earned him academy gold: "The Color of Money." But he won merely because voters felt guilty that they had stiffed him in seven previous nominations. Same thing for Al Pacino. What a pity that voters finally caved in and gave him an Oscar for his cornball attempt to pretend he's blind in "Scent of a Woman."
Considering that Heath Ledger didn't finish shooting his role in "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," "The Dark Knight" is probably the last chance Oscar voters will get to catch up with the actor, whom they stiffed in 2005. The New York Film Critics Circle got it right when it gave its best-actor laurels to Ledger for "Brokeback Mountain." Everybody else heaped overblown kudos that year upon Philip Seymour Hoffman for a lousy, historically dishonest portrayal of Truman Capote. As everyone knows, Capote was a flamboyant firecracker, not the quiet, mousy doormat Hoffman gave us while trying too hard to portray a clichéd, angst-haunted artiste. But "Capote" had snooty, art-house pretense, so it swept the awards scene. Lucky for Hoffman, that movie came out a few months before the much better, more accurate "Infamous," which spotlighted the same period in the novelist's life with a luminous, perfect-pitch performance by Toby Jones that reminds us how awful Hoffman was.
But I digress. Back to Heath Ledger, who clearly should've beaten Hoffman. He never got recognized at all for his many other socko roles in "Candy," "I'm Not There," "The Patriot," "Ned Kelly," "Two Hands," "Cassanova."
Now Ledger really deserves it, if we believe the New York Times' review of his Joker in "The Dark Knight": " He’s just a clown in black velvet, but he’s also some kind of masterpiece."
"This is a career-making performance if ever there was one," says USA Today about Ledger in "The Dark Knight." "Too bad it was a career-ending one as well."
"Not since Hannibal Lecter has a villain been so terrifying, so engaging and so memorable," says E! Online. If that's an apt analogy, then it's good kudos news for Ledger considering Anthony Hopkins won best actor. But is that the category Ledger should compete in — or should he go supporting? Read more about that great debate — CLICK HERE.
Or is Ledger doomed not to win an Oscar because he's dead? Only one star has won an Oscar from the grave — KEEP READING, CLICK HERE.
(Warner Bros.)
If any role killed him, it wasn't the joker, it was Parnassus - had he not gotten sick with pneumonia (because of the appalling set conditions that didn't even provide a trailer to warm up from the freezing cold), those pills most likely wouldn't have killed him (as he probably wouldn't have needed some of them and his immune system could have coped with whatever he needed to take). Regardless of the circumstances, he deserves an oscar for his brilliant performance!
Posted by: Rosa S | December 26, 2008 at 07:38 AM
Just like his tragic namesake, Heathcliff, he is gone from us. He was as beautiful as he was talented and I am saddened by this loss. Should he get the Oscar nod because he accidentally od'd ? No, but he SHOULD get it for his performance. I wish I had had more time to know him.
Posted by: Carol7710 | September 14, 2008 at 11:42 AM
Heath Ledger played the Joker brilliantly! Just because he is gone, dosent mean they cant give him an oscar! Thats just stupid- He should defiantly get it! Honestly I think some people only came to see the 'Dark Knight' because of Heath Ledgers performace as the Joker- I know I did, I saw a preview with him in it and knew I had to go. And so what if he played the villian- i happen to like villians! and he played the joker beyond words- so if he dosent get that oscar then all the people are stupid and i will scream and if he does get it then that will be amazing and i will jump up and down.
and first off heath ledger didnt kill himself because of his role of the joker or b/c anything else- he mixed perscriptions he shouldnt have, and very sadly it killed him.
again, heath ledger nailed the role and NO one could have done any better. he should defiantly get an Oscar- It DOSENT matter thats he's gone- he was brilliant- It DOES matter he's gone... its very sad, i wish he was back- I'm talking about, it dosent matter if he's gone to win the oscars.
Posted by: Jessica | August 23, 2008 at 11:23 PM
Heath ledger was the best in the whole movie!!! it would be a miracle if they don't give him an academy award or an oscar... maybe two of each!!!
Posted by: JOsh | July 28, 2008 at 08:21 PM
Heat Ledger is BREATH TAKING brilliant in all role that he played and yes he will win. He was one special talented yang man and nothing can bring him back ,
what a shame.
Posted by: Inna | July 26, 2008 at 07:59 PM
I have only 1 thing to say that Heat Ledger is ONE brilliant ,talented in every roll he played it's like he got to the people 's heart he was just one special actor and a great guy and yes he will win, but nothing can bring him back.
Posted by: inna | July 26, 2008 at 07:41 PM
Here is the real question do you think that Heath Ledger really cares if he wins a nomination? he is dead... as sadly as that is but does nomination him really change anything? no i do believe that his acting was truly great but why argue whether he will get a nomination...
Posted by: Adam | July 26, 2008 at 03:37 PM
I thought that Heath Ledger should received an Oscar because of His performance in the Dark Knight was very good / cool (excellent performance). It isnt fair for him and maybe for his family as well, that he cant win an oscar just because he was death already.
Posted by: Ivanna | July 26, 2008 at 07:40 AM
Scott L., I think you are ignorant of the facts. Ledger was no more a prescription junkie than you are, he simply mixed some drugs he shouldn't have. if he were a prescription junkie, believe me, he would have known not to mix some of the drugs he did. That is what a prescription junkie DOESN'T do. Prescription junkies are like women and the fat or calorie content of a Snickers bar. As sexist as it sounds, I bet you most women know how much fat and how many calories are in a Snickers bar. Why? Because they know they are fattening, they make sure they know what they are getting into before they eat one (and that makes them smarter than most men if not all of us). We men think we are invincible, until we arrive at the conclusion we aren't (and if that doesn't kill us, we smarten up). Heath simply didn't know or didn't believe he could go into resiratory arrest, which is what killed the poor guy. So the blame is on him, but his ignorance, not his experience, because any experienced prescription user will know what drugs are dangerous to take with what drugs. Believe me, he may have done other things (drugs) in his life, but being a pill head wasn't something he did for long, and it bit him, fatally. The loss is his and ours. Shame on you for your callous judgement of something you, too are clearly uneducated on.
Posted by: ch67 | July 23, 2008 at 08:18 PM
I'm actually tired of hearing "this role killed him" or "he took to drugs because of this role." What happened was he mixed some prescriptions that shouldn't be mixed. It's not uncommon for people to do this, sadly, and it kills people. It's sad but true. I hate it that all this lore will surround Ledger now, that he was a druggie who overdosed because he was consumed by this character. I don't believe Nicholson when he says he told Ledger not to do it, Nicholson is just giving life to the legend, to the lie. Just like I don't believe Wendy Cobain (Kurt's mom) told him not to "go join that club" making reference to rock stars who killed themselves (they, too, overdosed accidentally, just so you know). But the truth will never be sexy enough, the work will never be enough, nothing will ever be enough, it will all be about the lies spinning around his demise simply because people are unwilling to believe that something as mundane as an "accident" happened to a celebrity. In that respect, no one is immune to resiratory failure if you mix certain drugs. He made a fatal mistake, but that's all it was. If the role could have killed him, it would have killed him while he was filming, or as soon as the last frame was shot. It's just vile and ignorant to think he was killed by a movie role. The guy had a pharmaceutical accident. he died. That is it. Sad, but it's no more than that, sorry, folks!
Posted by: chuckubus | July 23, 2008 at 08:09 PM
Truly, there is no justice in the world if Ledger is not nominated, but I agree it should be for best actor, not best supporting. And it isn't because he's dead, I forgot all about the real-life tragedy surrounding Heath in the 2 plus hour screening. I thought he was genius, no one ever has nor will they portray The Joker as well. I was riveted by Ledger and didn't think that I was watching him - I thought I was watching a real guy called Joker. I bought it, all of it. He was the bomb. (No pun really intended).
Posted by: ch67 | July 23, 2008 at 07:59 PM
I'm completely annoyed to this day that Philip Seymour Hoffman won every single award out there and couldn't even spare just one for Heath Ledger's powerful performance for Brokeback Mountain. There he was subtle, in the dark knight he is beyond subtle. He's gotta win for something. The dark knight should be nominated for best pic -- or the academy is just completly out of touch with the moviegoing experience. Bourne ultimatum WON 3 oscars last year -- how much more would it have won if it had been nominated in more categories.
Posted by: jerry | July 23, 2008 at 01:26 PM
The Paul Newman factor was that he had been nominated seven times before and it was finally time to honor him. Not so with PS Hoffman; being that it was his first nomination, and so, not necessarily an Oscar due. At the time, his performance was widely praised by critics and audiences alike. And, maybe I'm wrong, but I don't recall this blogger being so dismissive back then.
I guess it's the nature of the movie blog business to keep up with the frenzy, credibility be damned.
The Oscar campaign for The Dark Knight is already starting in earnest - JULY!! and the fantypes are all a twitter. Give us all a break.
Posted by: jenris | July 22, 2008 at 08:48 PM
Thank god someone finally wrote it: Heath Ledger should have won for BBM - Phillip Seymour Hoffman was a disappointment as Capote and ieasily the most overrated actor in Hollywood. He does the same crap every role, same schtick...as if being sloppy and tortured is enough/it's not.
Posted by: bryand | July 22, 2008 at 12:53 PM
Come now, an IOU?? Ledger would've/ should've been nowhere near the Oscar ballots for any of the other performances that you have cited. And for the race in question, where he was nominated for Brokeback, if the Academy owes him, they certainly owe Phoenix and Strathairn as well. If Heath wins, he will win solely because of his performance, not because the Academy owes him. His untimely death will of course give him leverage over other candidates and possibly help him win.
Posted by: Diddlier LeClerc | July 21, 2008 at 07:47 PM
After seeing "The Dark Night", I am so glad that Chris Nolan's ongoing Batman project has pushed our perceptions of the comic-movie genre to the brink. How strange to find our host out here is the kid from "10 Things I Hate About You" and "A Knight's Tale". I was moved by Ledger in "The Patriot" and "Ned Kelly" but was suspicious that the strong production values were responsible for hoisting a young star beyond his modest talents. "Brokeback Mountain" was beautiful, Ledger's quiet role in particular, but I left the theater with the same sense that there was a clear limit to his acting abilities. In "The Dark Night" Ledger redefined the 'deranged, pathological' film villian beyond film-goers current expectations. The Joker may have consumed him, as some posters here have asserted. Whatever the circumstances of his death, this was his last great middle-finger of a role to people like me who misjudged him. That is just fine, as I love going to a movie and being surprised. "Batman Begins" was that kind of experience as it bent my notions of what comic book movies could achieve--and if your sitting there thinking of 'x-men' and 'spider-man', maybe you should go watch them again and see how they have aged. As for Heath, whereever you are: sorry, man. You were just holding that all in I guess. And where can Nolan's Batman go from here? Can comic movies get better? I sure hope so.
Posted by: Balmer | July 21, 2008 at 07:21 PM
Boo, Tom O'Neill.
It's revisionist history to say that Phillip Seymour Hoffman didn't deserve his Oscar. Heath Ledger was an astonishing acting talent and his death was tragic, but he gave the second-best performance in 2005. End of story.
Posted by: Rae | July 21, 2008 at 08:26 AM
Heath Ledger played this role perfectly. I am no where near an expert or even mediochre film critic or anything of the sort but this role was night and day different from anything else he has even attempted.. and he nailed it. Whether a tragic accident (thats what i believe it was) took his life or not... this is a beautiful role he took on and it couldn't have been better. Whoever tries to slander him with B.S about his drug use are just over stepping boundaries. The Oscar is an award for ACTING .. its not an award for best famous role model. The Oscar should go to him because he played a better role than anyone else and deserves it. ..whether in life or in death .And personally I don't think he necessarily had bad drug habits anyway. He obviously did some not so great things.. but I have heard from numerous sources that those were direct results of completely thrusting his entire life into becoming this.. psychotic mass murderer so that he could entertain movie goers and discussers like us. But that's still an opinion, and one that doesn't matter in any case. Heath Ledger deserves an Oscar.. and so does his family deserve to see their beloved honored in such a way.. because they have had to put up with those who speak their minds too freely, blasting him because of how his life ended. How his life ended is a personal issue for him and his family and it is really none of our business. His career.. and currently his BREATH TAKINGLY brilliant role as the Joker are the ONLY things any of us even have a right to discuss so openly.. and they're also the reasons he DOES deserve an Oscar, hands down.
Posted by: Dusty S | July 21, 2008 at 02:29 AM
To Dani:
People like you are a very big problem in today's societyl You look at celebrities as role models who need to live up to some sort of moral code, instead of who they really are..normal every day people doing their job. The statement "Oscar worthy were he not a junkie" is ridiculous.
An excellent job is an excellent job. What he did in his personal life is, frankly, not for you to judge, as a moviegoer. All that you should matter is the performance he gave.
Posted by: Jules777 | July 21, 2008 at 12:24 AM
To be honest, who cares about the stupid award show!!!..If the Academy wants to prove that they're unbiased, then please give the Best Picture to TDK..
Posted by: shimmi | July 20, 2008 at 11:49 PM
I went to see the dark knight last night and heath did such an incredible job..he made the whole movie and its such a shame that we wont get to see more from this brilliant actor! If he wins an academy award it def will not be out of pity..it is so long over due!! we love and miss you so much heath!!
Posted by: stephanie | July 20, 2008 at 09:54 PM
what are you people talking about. First off even if he didnt od this is still one of the greatest preformances in movie history. and secondly your completly judging this the wrong way when u just refer to him as a "drug addict". Before ledger took up the role jack nickolson contacted him saying "dont take it, it'll screw you up" but he took it and the role killed him. Friends reported how he would lock himself up for 3 weeks at a time because the character was killing him, the role forced him into drugs, thats why your wrong with u just call him a drugie
Posted by: brian | July 20, 2008 at 09:39 PM
Heath played the best villain i have ever seen and it is sad that we will never see his brilliant talent ever again. This man deserves the oscar
Posted by: Rob | July 20, 2008 at 09:24 PM
Heath Ledger was an amazing actor and we all will miss him a lot. To be able to do a gay role in Brokeback Mountain when he isn't gay in real life shows that he isn't afraid to do his part. That right there proves he is an amazing actor. The Dark Night was the best movie I have seen all year and he has played the Joker role better than any others in the past Batman movies. We love Heath and we all will miss him. <3<3<3
Posted by: Sammy<3 | July 20, 2008 at 09:01 PM
I think you are not only forgetting how unqualified you are to be writing such a discouraging article, but just how brilliant heath ledger has been in the film industry. Film critics went to school for this stuff and are in no way going to give him an Oscar nomination out of pity. And besides, Ledger is so good that he'll get one anyway--dead or alive. Even if he does get nominated out of pity (which he wouldn't under any circumstance), it's not even worth discussing about because he deserves it if he does get it. And even if the Academy Awards do seem unqualified, no one can argue that Ledger didn't deserve this.
The main point is this: it's not an open-ended question whether or not Heath will get this because he's dead. Dead or not--he'll get it either way. I'ts not a matter of opinion--this is common sense.
Posted by: Katharine | July 20, 2008 at 09:00 PM