An Oscar for Heath Ledger in 'The Dark Knight'?

An Oscar for Heath Ledger in 'The Dark Knight'?

Thanks to The Dark Knight, you might actually care about the Oscars next year. Though summer blockbusters don't usually show up in the big races at the Academy Awards, the film's glowing reviews make it a possible contender in the Best Picture, Director, and Screenplay categories, and it will surely be considered a front-runner for technical prizes. But its greatest Oscar hope has to be Heath Ledger, who'll likely become the seventh-ever posthumous acting nominee for his mesmerizing performance as the Joker. And it's safe to say that several million Dark Knight fans would tune in to the telecast to see if he can become the second such winner (after Network's Peter Finch in 1977).
The Academy Awards could use the boost. For the last several years, the gala has been filled with lesser-known nominees and seen its ratings plummet. This past ceremony, all four acting winners were foreigners, only one major-category victor (Juno) grossed more than $75 million—and the show attracted an all-time-low audience of 32 million.
Next year's telecast could end up being quite the A-list affair. Possible contenders include Brad Pitt, who ages in reverse for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Angelina Jolie, playing the mother of a missing child in Clint Eastwood's Changeling; Will Smith, reteaming with Pursuit of Happyness director Gabriele Muccino, in the character study Seven Pounds; Nicole Kidman, once more under the tutelage of Moulin Rouge maestro Baz Luhrmann in the epic Australia; and the Titanic duo of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, who'll reunite for the first time in the suburban drama Revolutionary Road.
Of course, not all of next year's nomination slots will be filled by blockbusters. But the presence of hits like The Dark Knight could go a long way toward keeping Oscar viewers from changing the Bat-channel. What say you, PopWatchers? Does Ledger deserve to be in the running for an Oscar nod? If the Academy starts paying more attention to well-crafted popcorn flicks, would it raise your overall interest in the Oscar telecast? (And if you can't wait for this week's EW cover story on The Dark Knight,

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Family pays tribute to Heath Ledger

Family pays tribute to Heath Ledger

Though the funeral services for Heath Ledger will remain private, the late actor's relatives have gone public with their expressions of grief. The death notices section of Friday's West Australian newspaper carried two columns of tributes written by Ledger's immediate family.
The 28-year-old late actor's mother, Sally, wrote: "Our darling boy, special in so many ways to all of us. You knew you were so loved. You lived life with courage and daring and we are so grateful for the wonderful times we shared. We will be there for Matilda."
Ledger's older sister, Kate, wrote: "I can hardly breathe when I try to write this. We were the ultimate in soul mates. I feel both my heart and life have been torn apart. I loved our special talks, our daily chats from where ever you were in the world. I especially loved all the precious time we spent together…You were so many things to so many people, but to me you were just my little brother."
His father, Kim, wrote: "My beautiful boy, so loving, so talented, so independent, so caring, so young . . . no more chess games mate . . . this is it, couldn't beat you anyway! My body aches for the sound of your voice, our chats, our laughs and our life and times together."
The actor's younger sister, Olivia, wrote: "You're my idol, my hero, but most importantly, my loving big brother. I'll treasure every moment we spent together."
A notice signed by the entire family reads: "Your true legacy lives on in beautiful little Matilda, who will always remain in the greatest of care. Our hearts are broken . . . Dad and Ines, Mum and Roger, Kate and Nathan, Rori and Scarlett, Ashleigh, Olivia, Elana and Nadia."
On Friday, members of the late actor's family continued to fly from Australia to New York, where Ledger's body is resting at Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home in Manhattan's Upper East Side. E! News reports a private viewing is expecting to take place at the funeral home on Friday. Various media reports suggest he'll be buried in his hometown of Perth, Australia, but the family has declined to comment.
"At this time, we will not be releasing any information," a rep for the late actor said in a statement Friday. "There are no plans for a public service."

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