SPOILER ALERT: This article contains major spoilers for “You Can See Everything,” now playing in theaters.
Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s documentary, “You Can See Everything,” has been ruled ineligible for the prestigious top prize at the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards. A representative from the DGA confirmed to Variety that the film will compete only in the outstanding directorial achievement in documentary category, leaving it out of the running for the outstanding directorial achievement in theatrical feature film award—an accolade highly correlated with the Oscars since its inception in 1949.
DGA Guidelines Leave Little Room for Maneuver
The DGA’s decision stems from their rule book, which specifies that “re-releases, animated films and documentaries are not eligible” for the theatrical feature film award. This specific language appears to preclude any exceptions or hybrid classifications, regardless of the film’s unique style that blends nonfiction with a staged narrative.
A24 and various awards strategists had hoped that the film’s unconventional format might enable it to be considered both a feature film and a documentary. This perspective gained traction, especially after Amanda Seyfried, who stars in the film and previously won an Emmy for portraying Elizabeth Holmes in the Hulu series “The Dropout,” was being positioned for an Oscar consideration for supporting actress.
Impact on Awards Season Dynamics
The DGA’s ruling is significant because the guild’s feature award is often a reliable indicator of Oscar outcomes. Historically, only eight times has the DGA winner not secured the Best Director Oscar. With “You Can See Everything” missing out on this critical accolade, it could lose crucial momentum heading into the awards season. Nevertheless, a documentary win at the DGA could still enhance its prospects in the Academy’s documentary feature and Best Picture categories, the latter being a category without a previous nomination for a nonfiction film.
Critical Acclaim and Future Prospects
Since its release on October 16, the 174-minute film has received some of the year’s strongest reviews and displayed impressive box office performance. Viewers and critics continue to debate its classification, grappling with whether it fits the mold of a traditional documentary, a reality television-like format, or something entirely new.
A24 remains engaged in discussions with other awards bodies, including BAFTA, SAG-AFTRA, and the Golden Globes, regarding the film’s classification. There is still hope for “You Can See Everything” to be embraced across various awards platforms.
Academy Awards Considerations
In addition to its eligibility for Best Documentary Feature at the 99th Academy Awards, A24 has also announced submissions for Best Picture, Best Director (Fielder and Oppenheim), Supporting Actress (Seyfried), Supporting Actor (Christopher Abbott), and several technical categories including Production Design, Cinematography, Costume Design, Film Editing, Makeup and Hairstyling, Sound, and Original Score.
Nominations for the 79th annual DGA Awards will be announced in January. A24 declined to comment on the ruling.
