# The many Oscars of Batman **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 16, 2009, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-oscars-of-batman/481603 "2009-01-16T15:31:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-oscars-of-batman/481603/1 "2009-01-16T15:31:57Z")
I suppose I could look this up, but it would be pretty tedious. Relying on the collective knowledge of the SDMB seems easier, faster, and loads more fun. If any of the six Batman movies has won an oscar, or been nominated for one, it’s a surprise to me. But have any actors, directors, composers, cinematographers, etc. involved in any of those movies won or been nominated for a different movie? I know that a few years ago, George Clooney (Batman and Robin) won two Oscars, one of which was for best director. I’m fairly certain that Morgan Freeman (BB, DK) won for Driving Miss Daisy. And didn’t Heath Ledger (DK) win one for Brokeback Mountain? Who else? ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-oscars-of-batman/481603/2 "2009-01-16T15:35:52Z")
Heath Ledger was nominated for _Brokeback Mountain_, but didn’t win. I’ve been predicting for a while that he’ll be nominated for _Dark Knight_ but not win it. Morgan Freeman won for _Million Dollar Baby_, not _Driving Miss Daisy_, though he was nominated for that one as well. Jack Nicholson has won three Oscars, so he’s doing his part. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-oscars-of-batman/481603/3 "2009-01-16T15:37:01Z")
Four of the franchise installments have been tallied up 7 combined Oscar nominations, with one win to date. _Batman_: 1 nod (Art Direction) and 1 win. _Batman Returns_: 2 nods (Makeup & Visual Effects) _Batman Forever_: 3 nods (Cinematography, Sound, Sound Effects Editing) _Batman Begins_: 1 nod (Cinematography) That nomination and win tally is very likely to double with _The Dark Knight_. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-oscars-of-batman/481603/4 "2009-01-16T15:37:58Z")
Thank you. > [@Priceguy](#): > > Jack Nicholson has won three Oscars, so he’s doing his part. For what? Surely Uma must have been nominated for something. And what about Nicole Kidman? ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-oscars-of-batman/481603/5 "2009-01-16T15:42:41Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > For what? _Terms of Endearment_, _As Good As It Gets_ and _One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest_. He has a sackload of nominations to go with them. > [@](#): > > Surely Uma must have been nominated for something. Yeah, for _Pulp Fiction_. > [@](#): > > And what about Nicole Kidman? Well, look at that, a win for _The Hours_. Had no idea. Apart from George Clooney (four nominations including two for writing and directing, one win for _Syriana_) none of the Batmen have any nominations. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-oscars-of-batman/481603/6 "2009-01-16T15:44:14Z")
Cast members from the franchise who have Oscar nominations to their credit (\*indicates Oscar winner) Kim Basinger\* Michael Caine\*\* George Clooney\* Morgan Freeman\* Tommy Lee Jones\* Nicole Kidman\* Heath Ledger Liam Neeson Jack Nicholson\*\*\* Jack Palance\* Michelle Pfeiffer Eric Roberts Uma Thurman Christopher Walken\* Ken Watanabe Tom Wilkinson Danny DeVito was also an Oscar nominee for producing Best Picture candidate _Erin Brockovich_. Tim Burton is an Oscar nominee for directing the Animated Feature _The Corpse Bride_ and Christopher Nolan received an Oscar nod for writing _Memento_. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-oscars-of-batman/481603/7 "2009-01-16T15:47:31Z")
\*\*Danny DeVito \*\*was nominated for Best Picture as a producer of _Erin Brockovich_. Don’t know if that would really count for this though. **Christopher Walken** (played Max Shreck in\* Batman Returns\*) won an Oscar for \*The Deer Hunter \*and was also nominated for _Catch Me if You Can._ **Michelle Pheiffer** has been nominated three times with no wins. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-oscars-of-batman/481603/8 "2009-01-16T15:57:17Z")
> [@HelloNinja](#): > > \*\*Danny DeVito \*\*was nominated for Best Picture as a producer of _Erin Brockovich_. Don’t know if that would really count for this though. Yes, it does. I’m really surprised that Gary Oldman has never been nominated for anything. (Looks like he got a SAG award for The Contender, though, which he richly deserved.) ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-oscars-of-batman/481603/9 "2009-01-16T16:01:07Z")
Danny Elfman (composer, Batman and Batman Returns) was nominated for his scores for Big Fish, Good Will Hunting and Men in Black. No wins. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-oscars-of-batman/481603/10 "2009-01-16T16:08:57Z")
Other high-profile Oscar winners from the Batman franchise: Prince wrote songs for #1 and won an Oscar a few years prior to that for _Purple Rain_. Composer Hans Zimmer (#5-6) won an Oscar for scoring _The Lion King_ and Eliot Goldenthal (#3-4) for _Frida_. Other Batman composers (Danny Elfman, James Newton Howard) have been nominated but never won. Costume Desinger Lindy Hemming (#5-6) won an Oscar for _Topsy-Turvy_. None of the film editors have won Oscars, but Ray Lovejoy (#1), Chris Lebenzon (#2), Dennis Virkler (#3) and Lee Smith (#5-6) have all been nominated for other movies–specifically _Aliens_, _Crimson Tide/Top Gun_, _The Hunt for Red October/The Fugitive_ and _Master & Commander_, respectively. Makeup nominees for #2 Stan Winston and Ve Neill may have lost for Batman, but they have won a combined total of 7 Oscars total in their careers (Neill: _Beetlejuice, Ed Wood, Mrs. Doubtfire_; Winston: _Jurassic Park, T2, Aliens_). ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-oscars-of-batman/481603/11 "2009-01-16T16:11:43Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > I’m really surprised that Gary Oldman has never been nominated for anything. (Looks like he got a SAG award for The Contender, though, which he richly deserved.) He was nominated, but he didn’t win the SAG. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-oscars-of-batman/481603/12 "2009-01-16T16:49:15Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > He was nominated, but he didn’t win the SAG. Ah, so he didn’t. Damn shame. One would think he’d have gotten at least a nod for Sid & Nancy. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-oscars-of-batman/481603/13 "2009-01-16T17:12:46Z")
Too indie & ugly for the Academy, especially for the mid-80s. They were rewarding musical bios like Loretta Lynn and Salieri at the time, not Sid Vicious and Charlie Parker. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-oscars-of-batman/481603/14 "2009-01-16T17:31:22Z")
I suppose. I have great respect for both Sissy and F. Murray. But Gary’s performance was brilliant. I heard that he stayed in costume and character the entire time he was on the set, and actually got treated by the cast and crew as a second-class citizen. That’s dedication.