Rounding out the characters, we have the family housekeeper, Willie (Jackie Earle Haley), as well as Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), who cares for young David.

FORBES: 'Dark Shadows' Is More Light Than Dark

My picks for best supporting actor are Eddie Murphy (Dreamgirls), Jack Nicholson (The Departed), Jackie Earle Haley (Little Children), Michael Sheen (The Queen) and Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine).

BBC: NEWS | Entertainment | Oscars panel: Scott Williams

We are introduced to a band of former crime busters, now under threat: Nite Owl (Patrick Wilson), the Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup), the lithe but witless Silk Spectre (Malin Akerman), a moneyed fop named Ozymandias (Matthew Goode), and, lastly, Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley), who takes time off from merciless slaughter to narrate the proceedings.

NEWYORKER: Watchmen