Documentaries Vie for Oscar Glory: 'You Can See Everything' Challenges Traditional Categories

For decades, documentaries have often been confined to their own specific category at the Academy Awards, struggling to gain recognition in mainstream film categories. However, the landscape is shifting, with recent successes demonstrating a growing appreciation for nonfiction cinema's artistic and technical merits. The current awards season highlights this evolution, particularly with the acclaimed film 'You Can See Everything' making a significant push beyond the documentary feature race, challenging the conventional boundaries of Oscar consideration.

Documentary's Uphill Battle and Emerging Triumphs at the Academy Awards

The film, 'You Can See Everything,' directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, has emerged as a compelling contender in the ongoing awards season. Released by A24, it premiered to critical acclaim at the Telluride Film Festival in September and subsequently opened in theaters on October 16, achieving a remarkable domestic box office gross of nearly $80 million within its first month. This success has fueled speculation that the documentary could make history by securing a nomination for Best Picture—a rare distinction for a nonfiction work.

Historically, documentaries have faced an uphill battle in achieving broader recognition at the Oscars. Over 98 ceremonies, only 33 nominations have been granted to feature documentaries in categories other than documentary feature, with just three ultimately winning statuettes. Notably, since 2013, 10 of the 14 nominations outside the documentary category have been for Best Original Song, indicating a specific avenue for crossover success.

The Academy's Documentary Branch, established in 2001, comprises 719 voting members, making it the third-largest branch. This branch is responsible for selecting the documentary feature nominees, with preliminary voting occurring from December 7-11 to narrow the field to a 15-film shortlist, followed by final nominations announced on January 21.

Despite Academy rules permitting documentaries to compete in other categories, nonfiction films rarely break into areas traditionally dominated by fictional narratives, such as production design, costume design, and acting. Nevertheless, A24 has strategically campaigned 'You Can See Everything' in 11 categories, including Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actress, and Film Editing. Initially, the film was also put forward for artisan categories like production design, cinematography, costume design, makeup and hairstyling, sound, and original score. While some artisan category submissions were later withdrawn, the film's lead actress, Seyfried, remains eligible for acting awards at the Oscars and Critics Choice.

No documentary has ever received a nomination for Best Picture or Best Director. The closest instance was 'Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness' (1927), nominated for Unique and Artistic Picture at the inaugural Oscars. 'With Byrd at the South Pole' (1930) marked the first documentary to win an Oscar, earning an award for cinematography, more than a decade before a dedicated documentary category was established in 1942. Robert and Frances Flaherty's 'Louisiana Story' (1948) and Sidney Meyers' 'The Quiet One' (1949) are the only documentaries to have received writing nominations.

The music branch has historically been more receptive to nonfiction films. 'Let It Be' (1970) famously won for Best Original Song Score, giving The Beatles their only Oscar. More recently, 12 documentaries have been nominated for Best Original Song, with Melissa Etheridge's 'I Need to Wake Up' from 'An Inconvenient Truth' (2006) being the sole winner. Interestingly, 10 of these 12 song nominations were for films that were not recognized by the documentary branch itself, suggesting that song campaigns can offer an alternative path to Oscar recognition for music-centric or celebrity-focused documentaries.

Another emerging path for documentaries lies within the International Feature Film category. Animated documentary 'Waltz With Bashir' (2008) achieved a nomination for Israel in this category. More recently, 'Honeyland' (2019) from North Macedonia, 'Collective' (2020) from Romania, and 'Flee' (2021) from Denmark all garnered nominations in both Documentary Feature and International Feature Film, with 'Flee' also securing a nomination in Animated Feature. Despite these groundbreaking achievements, none of these films ultimately secured a win.

The journey of 'You Can See Everything' through the current awards season will be a significant indicator of the evolving relationship between documentaries and the broader Oscar categories. The Critics Choice Documentary Awards have already seen the film sweep its nominated categories. However, the Academy's decision-making process presents a different challenge. The Best Picture category is decided by the entire voting membership, which includes over 10,000 industry professionals. This broad electorate could potentially embrace 'You Can See Everything' even if the documentary branch overlooks it, a scenario that pundits are actively discussing. If the film achieves even a fraction of its predicted crossover nominations, it would undeniably set new records in Oscar history.

The upcoming announcement of the documentary shortlist on December 15, followed by the Oscar nominations on January 21, will be crucial. Any breakthrough for 'You Can See Everything' in categories beyond documentary feature would mark a substantial milestone for A24 and reaffirm the growing recognition that a documentary is, indeed, a significant cinematic achievement.

This evolving narrative underscores a fundamental truth: documentaries are not merely informational tools but powerful forms of cinematic art. Their growing presence and potential success in diverse Oscar categories reflect a broader industry and audience appreciation for the depth, creativity, and impact that nonfiction storytelling can achieve. It challenges the long-held notion that documentaries belong in a separate, less prestigious tier, paving the way for future nonfiction films to compete on an equal footing with their fictional counterparts. This shift not only celebrates the documentary form but also enriches the entire cinematic landscape, pushing the boundaries of what constitutes an award-worthy film.