Has anyone brought up the fact Ledger will win because this this a very weak field?

Unless they go and do something crazy like give to RDJ! Yeah no, but Brolin is a possibility.

A weak field? Really? Michael Shannon was fantastic in Revolutionary Road. So creepy and intensely passionate that I'd even say he could pull off replacing Ledger as the Joker if Nolan wants to keep that character around in the 3rd film. Josh Brolin, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and RDJ were amazing too. Definitely not a weak field…

I agree…this category was in NO WAY a weak field this year. The only weak choice would POSSIBLY be Brolin.

Not weak at all…Ledger just made the rest of the field look weak :-D

ledger's performance was too good to pass up and yes he will most undoubtedly win! he is sorely missed and I think his family accepting the award is the only way to go!

Ledger winning would be a fitting tribute to a career and life cut too short. On top of that, it's better than any of the other nominated performances in the supporting category.

You have to be out of your mind to believe anybody but Heath Ledger deserves this awkard. His preformance makes Johny Deep look like he sucked in the Pirates Of The Carribean Films.

He's gonna win (get this; it's a kicker, something unheard of at the Oscars) BECAUSE HE'S GOOD!!!

Their not nominating Dark Knight was like nominating Atonement last year: ignorant and stuck-up. Just saying.

all good post's! except steve. This is NOT weak field!! RDJ is 2nd choice for me! Brolin has not shown enough of himself yet, Hoffmans role held him back a lot,the movie is weak. Again Shannon while very good is too new. This is Heath Ledgers oscar.

JOEL: I enjoyed the hell out of "Atonement" — still do. Good film. Nothing high falutin' or "stuck up" about it all. If Heath Ledger wins the award it will not only be because of his acting skills but because — let's call a duck a duck — of the sentiment surrounding his tragic death. Not the best of ways to win an award (I still think he should have won over Hoffman the year he was nominated for "Brokeback," his best peformance) but it would still be a worthy award and honor.

SEIKO: Why would you feel the need to denigrate another actor's work in order to legitimize the work of an actor you like (or, more pointedly, an actor playing a role you so obviously like)? Rather childish. N'cest pah?

Maybe that should be "pas" — French is obviously not my native language.

@William:
Right on William!:)