Michael Gracey’s Better Man is on track for several awards, but its chances of winning an Oscar have just been cut very drastically. The movie focuses on the life and career of Robbie Williams, who started off as a member of the pop group, Take That, and eventually rose to become one of the most acclaimed British artists of all time. The cast of Better Man depicts different friends and family members who played an important part in Williams’ beginnings as a young boy, his struggles with addictions, and his eventual rise to success in the music industry.

Since its release in theaters in January 2024, Better Man has received high praise from critics for its depiction of Robbie Williams’ highs and lows throughout his life, its visual effects, casting, and soundtrack. With a score of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, Williams’ movie is on the rise to become one of the best music biopics in recent years. Better Man is already primed to be successful in terms of winning big awards, but a recent announcement means its chances of securing an Oscar win are slim.

“Forbidden Road” From Better Man Was Disqualified From Best Original Song Shortlist

The Song Was Disqualified For Its Similarities To Another Song

One of the reasons why Better Man has such a high Rotten Tomatoes score is its musical soundtrack. The movie makes use of many of Williams’ most successful singles released over the last 30 years, including “Let Me Entertain You,” “Angels” and “She’s The One,” which help depict the positives and negatives of his career. Williams also contributed a new original song to the soundtrack, “Forbidden Road,” which reflects on the uncertainties of life. The song was released as a single on November 22, 2024, and debuted at no. 26 on the UK Singles Chart.

“Forbidden Road” was put forward as one of 15 songs shortlisted for the Best Original Song Academy Award. However, it was later announced the song had been disqualified for incorporating material from another song that wasn’t written for Better Man (via Variety). It was determined by the Academy that “Forbidden Road” had too many similarities to the Jim Croce song “I Got A Name,” which was part of the soundtrack for 1973’s The Last American Hero (via Billboard).

Williams responded to the Academy’s decision, stating that while the nomination “would have been nice,” he understood “the rules are the rules, and you have to go by them” (via ᴅᴇᴀᴅline).

Better Man Is Still A Contender For A Best Visual Effects Oscar

The Movie’s Impressive CGI Means It’s In For A SH๏τ At The Award

While “Forbidden Road” is no longer eligible for the Best Original Song award, Better Man is still a high contender for another Academy Award. The Academy announced the shortlist for 10 of 24 award categories on December 17, 2024: Animated Short Film, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short, International Feature Film, Makeup and Hairstyling, Original Score, Original Song, Live Action Short, Sound and Visual Effects. Among the shortlists announced, it was revealed that Better Man was one of 10 movies shortlisted for the Best Visual Effects Academy Award (via Oscars).

Throughout Better Man, Robbie Williams is depicted as an anthropomorphic chimpanzee in human society, reflecting on his image of himself. The movie received high praise for its usage of CGI to depict Williams’ chimp form, which director, Michael Gracey, revealed in an interview, the team of Better Man worked to make perfect. The impressive CGI used to depict Williams as an ape certainly makes Better Man a strong contender for Best Visual Effects, but it’s yet to be determined whether the movie will be one of the five final nominees for the award.

Will Better Man Get Any Oscar Nominations?

It Could Get Nominations In Directing, Film Editing & Screenplay

While the movie stands a good chance at winning Best Visual Effects, it is possible that Better Man could receive Oscar nominations in other categories. The director, Michael Gracey, is best known for his work on another music biopic, The Greatest Showman, which divided critics upon release. The highly positive response to Better Man shows that Gracey has greatly improved in his directorial skills, with The Guardian stating the movie is “a notable step up” for the director. Having already received a directing nomination at the AATCA awards, Gracey stands a good chance of being among those nominated for Best Director at the Academy Awards.

The screenplay, written by Gracey, Oliver Cole, and Simon Gleeson, also received high praise for its depiction of Williams’ life and career struggles and could see Better Man receive a nomination for Best Original Screenplay. The stunning musical sequences and the editing team’s skills in incorporating Williams’ CGI form into the story also make the movie a worthy contender for the Academy Awards for Best Film Editing and Best Cinematography. With the final nominations scheduled for January 19, 2025, viewers will just have to wait and see if Better Man will be among those nominated for the prestigious Academy Awards.

Sources: Variety, Billboard, ᴅᴇᴀᴅline, Oscars, The Guardian