He looks excellent in the movie and it would be a nice tribute, but I think that unless it won't happen unless he's really something extraordinary. The biggest problem is that I don't see it changing the consensus that Brokeback Mountain was his very best work.

I think if he is really great (which it looks like he will be) and it ends up being a weaker year he'll have a shot. Oscar loves posthumous recognition.

If he wouldn't have received it being alive, he won't receive it now.

But I'm not putting it past him that he might actually be good enough to contend. We'll just have to see.

It would be great if he did. Not only would it be a great memorial and tribute, but it would also help advance the Oscars past their biast nature towards popular films.

I think it's very possible. His performance doesn't even have to be groundbreaking (though I'm sure he'll be great), as long as the film has passionate support.

Looks like they have one every decade since the 50's. so maybe this will fill some kind of quota.

I think a nomination for sure if he's as good as he looks from the trailers. The Academy already recognized him once while living, not sure if that is in his favor or against his chances. It's almost certain though however he would have received more had this not occured.

Yes. I have little doubt in my mind that he will be nominated now.

We pretty much already know what his performance will be like seeing as we've seen so much of it, so I think it depends on how well the film is received critically. It's a Batman Begins, he'll get in...if it's and Spidey 3, he won't.

on a critical level (61% RT rating), it could be another Spider-man 3 and still get him in, but the things that brought Spidey 3 down with audiences (too much cheesiness/crying/soap/etc...) are things the Batman films would never dare play with, so I think that no matter what, audiences will receive this as well as or better than critics do (because that was not the case with Spider-man 3).

Still, I'm very positive he'll get in. If Nicholson got in for Batman (or, did he? I thought someone here said that), then Ledger giving more of a "performance" (aka not playing a variation of himself like Nicholson did) mixed in with what happened today makes him a rock-solid candidate for a nomination. I could even see him winning. We really haven't had anything this tragic happen in Hollywood for years, and it's been even longer since it's happened to such a widely respected actor (this isn't like Chris Farley dying, as far as Oscars and such are concerned, is all I'm saying).

Nicholson got a Globe nod - Best Actor in a Comedy/Musical, I'm not kidding - but no Oscar nod.

wow, that's strange. So they were really judging his performance as a comic performance, instead of the movie, which was obviously a drama, even though they're supposed to categorize by movies, not performances.

I must admit that I had the same thought as you earlier today, Magnus. An Oscar nomination is a definite possibility, I agree.