Elizabeth Holmes Documentary Ruled Out of DGA Feature Director Race
Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim's Elizabeth Holmes documentary will not be considered for the theatrical feature directing award from the Directors Guild of America (DGA), a DGA representative confirmed to Variety.
The film, You Can See Everything, is an A24 documentary about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes. Instead of the feature film prize, it will compete only in the guild's documentary directing category. The DGA is the union for film directors, and its awards are closely watched because the winner usually goes on to the Oscars.
The reason is in the guild's rule book, which says documentaries, animated films and re-releases are not eligible for the theatrical feature award. The film runs 174 minutes and opened in cinemas on Oct. 16.
A24 declined to comment on the ruling. The DGA's 79th annual nominations will be announced in January.
Oscar rules add another limit. Variety reported that the film will not be eligible in the original or adapted screenplay categories at the Academy Awards.
The DGA prize has a strong record as an Oscar guide, though not a perfect one. Variety noted that only eight times in the guild's history has its winner failed to go on to win the Oscar for best director. For this film, that route is closed at the guild level, so any directing recognition would have to come through the documentary category.
Documentaries have their own path through awards season, and the film is also heading to cinemas in Australia and New Zealand, according to Variety Australia.
The ruling is a matter of category, not of the film's standing with voters. The guild's eligibility rules decide which category a film enters, and this one has been placed in documentary.
