Every week, we’ll take a look back in 5-year intervals in the box office past to explore how Oscar’s nominees were doing at the box office that weekend historically. All data is collected from Box Office Mojo. The first section under each year is the positioning of all Oscar nominees during that weekend at the box office (as well as a section looking at the inflation-adjusted numbers). The third section is an alphabetical list of those films and the categories in which they were nominated. And to start each week off, we’ll be looking at the films releasing over the weekend that have the best chance of getting Oscar nominations and specifying the categories where we think they have the best chance at this stage of the game. If you have any suggestions for more data you’d like to see, please let us know.

This Year: Potential Oscar Nominees Releasing This Weekend

Avengers: Age of Ultron (Wide)

Oscar Potential: Visual Effects.

Far From the Madding Crowd (Limited)

Oscar Potential: Picture, Actress (Carey Mulligan), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score, Production Design, Costume Design.

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Apr. 30-May 2, 2010

Weekend Box Office:

2. How to Train Your Dragon – $10,614,289 ($192,173,750 total) {week 6}
12. Alice in Wonderland – $1,478,225 ($329,686,666 total) {week 9}
19. Avatar – $633,124 ($747,292,481 total) {week 20}
23. The Secret in Their Eyes – $337,164 ($1,065,074 total) {week 3}
25. Exit Through the Gift Shop – $186,262 ($651,870 total) {week 3}
41. Crazy Heart – $64,570 ($39,327,170 total) {week 20}
51. A Prophet – $35,932 ($1,962,276 total) {week 10}
53. The Last Station – $25,148 ($6,542,185 total) {week 16}
54. The Secret of Kells – $24,568 ($402,001 total) {week 9}
58. The Blind Side – $19,504 ($255,929,947 total) {week 24}
67. The Most Dangerous Man in America – $13,118 ($411,565 total) {week 14}
72. Ajami – $12,388 ($553,019 total) {week 13}
75. The White Ribbon – $9,307 ($2,207,195 total) {week 18}
84. The Messenger – $4,596 ($1,101,187 total) {week 25}
102. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus – $997 ($7,678,465 total) {week 19}
113. An Education – $254 ($12,574,715 total) {week 30}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

2. How to Train Your Dragon – $10,990,968 ($198,993,604 total)
12. Alice in Wonderland – $1,530,684 ($341,386,573 total)
19. Avatar – $655,592 ($773,812,366 total)
23. The Secret in Their Eyes – $349,129 ($1,102,871 total)
25. Exit Through the Gift Shop – $192,872 ($675,004 total)
41. Crazy Heart – $66,861 ($40,722,811 total)
51. A Prophet – $37,207 ($2,031,913 total)
53. The Last Station – $26,040 ($6,774,354 total)
54. The Secret of Kells – $25,440 ($416,267 total)
58. The Blind Side – $20,196 ($265,012,379 total)
67. The Most Dangerous Man in America – $13,584 ($426,171 total)
72. Ajami – $12,828 ($572,645 total)
75. The White Ribbon – $9,637 ($2,285,524 total)
84. The Messenger – $4,759 ($1,140,266 total)
102. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus – $1,032 ($7,950,958 total)
113. An Education – $263 ($13,020,966 total)

Oscar Details:

• Ajami: Foreign Language Film
• Alice in Wonderland: Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Visual Effects
• Avatar: Picture, Director, Original Score, Film Editing, Cinematography [O], Art Direction [O], Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects [O]
• The Blind Side: Picture, Actress (Sandra Bullock) [O]
• Crazy Heart: Actor (Jeff Bridges) [O], Supporting Actress (Maggie Gyllenhaal), Original Song (“The Weary Kind”) [O]
• An Education: Picture, Actress (Carey Mulligan), Adapted Screenplay
• Exit Through the Gift Shop: Documentary Feature
• How to Train Your Dragon: Animated Feature, Original Score
• The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus: Art Direction, Costume Design
• The Last Station : Actress (Helen Mirren), Supporting Actor (Christopher Plummer)
• The Messenger : Supporting Actor (Woody Harrelson), Original Screenplay
• The Most Dangerous Man in America : Documentary Feature
• A Prophet: Foreign Language Film
• The Secret in Their Eyes: Foreign Language Film
• The Secret of Kells : Animated Feature
• The White Ribbon : Cinematography, Foreign Language Film

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 6-8, 2005

Weekend Box Office:

4. Crash – $9,107,071 ($9,107,071 total) {week 1}
19. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room – $404,998 ($1,079,756 total) {week 3}
22. Million Dollar Baby – $260,338 ($99,851,398 total) {week 21}
30. Downfall – $119,521 ($5,093,990 total) {week 12}
42. The Aviator – $43,070 ($102,511,315 total) {week 21}
47. Born Into Brothels – $31,653 ($3,320,407 total) {week 18}
59. The Phantom of the Opera – $18,358 ($51,225,796 total) {week 20}
65. The Sea Inside – $14,372 ($2,057,686 total) {week 21}
86. Sideways – $4,856 ($71,495,097 total) {week 29}
91. The Chorus – $4,214 ($1,525,247 total) {week 17}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

4. Crash – $11,607,608 ($11,607,608 total)
19. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room – $516,199 ($1,376,226 total)
22. Million Dollar Baby – $331,819 ($127,267,694 total)
30. Downfall – $152,338 ($6,492,652 total)
42. The Aviator – $54,896 ($130,657,948 total)
47. Born Into Brothels – $40,344 ($4,232,094 total)
59. The Phantom of the Opera – $23,399 ($65,290,913 total)
65. The Sea Inside – $18,318 ($2,622,667 total)
86. Sideways – $6,189 ($91,125,576 total)
91. The Chorus – $5,371 ($1,944,036 total)

Oscar Details:

• The Aviator: Picture, Director, Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio), Supporting Actor (Alan Alda), Supporting Actress (Cate Blanchett) [O], Original Screenplay, Editing [O], Cinematography [O], Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Sound Mixing
• Born Into Brothels : Documentary Feature
• The Chorus: Original Song (“Look To Your Path”), Foreign Language Film
• Crash: Picture [O], Directing, Supporting Actor (Matt Dillon), Original Screenplay [O], Original Song (“In the Deep”), Editing [O]
• Downfall : Foreign Language Film
• Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room: Documentary Feature
• Million Dollar Baby: Picture [O], Director [O], Actor (Clint Eastwood), Actress (Hilary Swank) [O], Supporting Actor (Morgan Freeman) [O], Adapted Screenplay, Editing
• The Phantom of the Opera : Original Song (“Learn To Be Lonely”), Cinematography, Art Direction
• The Sea Inside : Makeup, Foreign Language Film [O]
• Sideways: Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Thomas Haden Church), Supporting Actress (Virginia Madsen), Adapted Screenplay [O]

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 5-7, 2000

Weekend Box Office:

1. Gladiator – $34,819,017 ($34,819,017 total) {week 1}
2. U-571 – $7,765,375 ($49,591,290 total) {week 3}
11. Erin Brockovich – $2,184,770 ($116,032,450 total) {week 8}
20. American Beauty – $429,026 ($128,840,091 total) {week 34}
27. Toy Story 2 – $162,970 ($244,579,370 total) {week 25}
28. East-West – $154,061 ($637,243 total) {week 5}
40. The Cider House Rules – $82,165 ($56,713,930 total) {week 22}
48. The Green Mile – $61,962 ($136,742,723 total) {week 22}
52. Bicentennial Man – $55,694 ($58,084,924 total) {week 21}
54. All About My Mother – $50,934 ($7,864,457 total) {week 27}
58. The Sixth Sense – $35,943 ($293,476,912 total) {week 40}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Gladiator – $52,777,619 ($52,777,619 total)
2. U-571 – $11,770,522 ($75,168,987 total)
11. Erin Brockovich – $3,311,609 ($175,878,500 total)
20. American Beauty – $650,305 ($195,291,938 total)
27. Toy Story 2 – $247,025 ($370,726,058 total)
28. East-West – $233,521 ($965,914 total)
40. The Cider House Rules – $124,543 ($85,965,271 total)
48. The Green Mile – $93,920 ($207,270,510 total)
52. Bicentennial Man – $84,419 ($88,043,382 total)
54. All About My Mother – $77,204 ($11,920,708 total)
58. The Sixth Sense – $54,481 ($444,843,483 total)

Oscar Details:

• All About My Mother: Foreign Language Film [O]
• American Beauty: Picture [O], Director [O], Actor (Kevin Spacey) [O], Actress (Annette Bening), Original Screenplay, Original Score, Editing, Cinematography
• Bicentennial Man: Makeup
• The Cider House Rules : Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Michael Caine) [O], Original Screenplay [O], Original Score, Editing, Art Direction
• East-West: Foreign Language Film
• Erin Brockovich: Picture, Directing, Actress (Julia Roberts) [O], Supporting Actor (Albert Finney), Original Screenplay
• Gladiator: Picture [O], Directing, Actor (Russell Crowe) [O], Supporting Actor (Joaquin Phoenix) [O], Original Screenplay, Original Score, Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume Design [O], Sound [O], Visual Effects [O]
• The Green Mile : Picture, Supporting Actor (Michael Clarke Duncan), Adapted Screenplay, Sound
• The Sixth Sense : Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Haley Joel Osment), Supporting Actress (Toni Collette), Original Screenplay, Editing
• Toy Story 2: Original Song (“When She Loved Me”)
• U-571: Sound, Sound Editing [O]

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 5-7, 1995

Weekend Box Office:

6. My Family, Mi Familia – $2,164,840 ($2,164,840 total) {week 1}
7. Rob Roy – $2,123,655 ($26,756,585 total) {week 5}
11. Don Juan DeMarco – $1,119,653 ($17,845,952 total) {week 5}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

6. My Family, Mi Familia – $4,065,918 ($4,065,918 total)
7. Rob Roy – $3,988,566 ($50,253,172 total)
11. Don Juan DeMarco – $2,102,889 ($33,517,570 total)

Oscar Details:

• Don Juan DeMarco: Original Song (“Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman”)
• My Family, Mi Familia: Makeup
• Rob Roy: Supporting Actor (Tim Roth)

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 4-6, 1990

Weekend Box Office:

1. Pretty Woman – $6,810,883 ($90,643,957 total) {week 7}
6. The Hunt for Red October – $2,407,207 ($102,546,578 total) {week 10}
9. Driving Miss Daisy – $1,534,747 ($98,406,081 total) {week 21}
999. Cinema Paradiso – $385,134 ($3,719,838 total) {week 14}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Pretty Woman – $13,154,826 ($175,073,553 total)
6. The Hunt for Red October – $4,649,381 ($198,062,776 total)
9. Driving Miss Daisy – $2,964,275 ($190,065,646 total)
999. Cinema Paradiso – $743,864 ($7,184,652 total)

Oscar Details:

• Cinema Paradiso: Foreign Language Film
• Driving Miss Daisy: Picture [O], Actor (Morgan Freeman), Actress (Jessica Tandy) [O], Supporting Actor (Dan Aykroyd), Adapted Screenplay [O], Editing, Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup [O]
• The Hunt for Red October: Editing, Sound, Sound Effects Editing [O]
• Pretty Woman: Actress (Julia Roberts)

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 3-5, 1985

Weekend Box Office:

5. Mask – $1,727,153 ($35,410,622 total) {week 9}
6. Beverly Hills Cop – $1,569,547 ($210,388,187 total) {week 22}
8. Ladyhawke – $1,535,470 ($12,789,292 total) {week 4}
12. Witness – $1,057,870 ($57,603,689 total) {week 13}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

5. Mask – $3,974,885 ($81,494,305 total)
6. Beverly Hills Cop – $3,612,169 ($484,189,151 total)
8. Ladyhawke – $3,533,744 ($29,433,385 total)
12. Witness – $2,434,591 ($132,569,617 total)

Oscar Details:

• Beverly Hills Cop: Original Screenplay
• Ladyhawke: Sound, Sound Effects Editing
• Mask: Makeup [O]
• Witness: Picture, Directing, Actor (Harrison Ford), Original Screenplay [O], Original Score, Film Editing [O], Art Direction