Every week, we’ll take a look back in 5-year intervals at the box office past to explore how Oscar’s nominees were doing at the box office each 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 shots 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

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5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 10-12, 2011

Weekend Box Office:

4. Kung Fu Panda 2 – $16,543,166 ($126,813,240 total) {week 3}
6. Bridesmaids – $10,066,290 ($123,815,865 total) {week 5}
8. Midnight in Paris – $5,830,723 ($13,909,196 total) {week 4}
11. The Tree of Life – $827,009 ($2,361,655 total) {week 3}
12. Rio – $670,101 ($137,780,829 total) {week 9}
18. Beginners – $243,059 ($453,329 total) {week 2}
21. Rango – $176,672 ($122,474,579 total) {week 15}
24. Incendies – $132,144 ($1,388,418 total) {week 8}
39. Jane Eyre – $63,016 ($11,007,281 total) {week 14}
48. In a Better World – $27,912 ($830,481 total) {week 11}
77. Barney’s Version – $4,136 ($4,434,512 total) {week 22}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

4. Kung Fu Panda 2 – $17,043,842 ($130,651,220 total)
6. Bridesmaids – $10,370,944 ($127,563,130 total)
8. Midnight in Paris – $6,007,189 ($14,330,155 total)
11. The Tree of Life – $852,038 ($2,433,130 total)
12. Rio – $690,381 ($141,950,741 total)
18. Beginners – $250,415 ($467,049 total)
21. Rango – $182,019 ($126,181,250 total)
24. Incendies – $136,143 ($1,430,438 total)
39. Jane Eyre – $64,923 ($11,340,414 total)
48. In a Better World – $28,757 ($855,615 total)
77. Barney’s Version – $4,261 ($4,568,722 total)

Oscar Details:

• Barney’s Version: Makeup
• Beginners: Supporting Actor (Christopher Plummer) [O]
• Bridesmaids: Supporting Actress (Melissa McCarthy), Original Screenplay
• In a Better World: Foreign Language Film [O]
• Incendies: Foreign Language Film
• Jane Eyre: Costume Design
• Kung Fu Panda 2: Animated Feature
• Midnight in Paris: Picture, Directing, Original Screenplay [O], Art Direction
• Rango: Animated Feature [O]
• Rio: Original Song (“Real in Rio”)
• The Tree of Life: Picture, Directing, Cinematography

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 9-11, 2006

Weekend Box Office:

1. Cars – $60,119,509 ($60,119,509 total) {week 1}
10. Poseidon – $1,833,493 ($54,928,443 total) {week 5}
11. An Inconvenient Truth – $1,504,701 ($3,983,071 total) {week 3}
21. United 93 – $232,305 ($31,048,775 total) {week 7}
26. Water – $190,282 ($2,103,807 total) {week 7}
64. Sophie Scholl – $7,537 ($629,378 total) {week 17}
79. Joyeux Noel – $4,526 ($1,037,023 total) {week 26}
92. Tsotsi – $2,433 ($2,894,859 total) {week 16}
122. Darwin’s Nightmare – $200 ($201,585 total) {week 45}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Cars – $74,988,762 ($74,988,762 total)
10. Poseidon – $2,286,968 ($68,513,798 total)
11. An Inconvenient Truth – $1,876,856 ($4,968,197 total)
21. United 93 – $289,761 ($38,728,014 total)
26. Water – $237,344 ($2,624,138 total)
64. Sophie Scholl – $9,401 ($785,041 total)
79. Joyeux Noel – $5,645 ($1,293,508 total)
92. Tsotsi – $3,035 ($3,610,839 total)
122. Darwin’s Nightmare – $249 ($251,443 total)

Oscar Details:

• Cars: Animated Feature, Original Song (“Our Town”)
• Darwin’s Nightmare: Documentary Feature
• An Inconvenient Truth: Original Song (“I Need to Wake Up” [O]), Documentary Feature [O]
• Joyeux Noel: Foreign Language Film
• Poseidon: Visual Effects
• Sophie Scholl: Foreign Language Film
• Tsotsi: Foreign Language Film [O]
• United 93: Directing, Film Editing
• Water: Foreign Language Film

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 8-10, 2001

Weekend Box Office:

2. Shrek – $16,520,052 ($176,069,428 total) {week 4}
3. Pearl Harbor – $14,721,419 ($143,987,500 total) {week 3}
6. Moulin Rouge! – $7,649,148 ($27,569,224 total) {week 4}
10. Bridget Jones’ Diary – $1,145,298 ($67,350,448 total) {week 9}
11. Memento – $741,004 ($17,271,727 total) {week 13}
15. O Brother, Where Art Thou? – $240,123 ($44,639,862 total) {week 25}
19. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – $164,140 ($127,440,810 total) {week 27}
28. Cast Away – $108,049 ($233,403,779 total) {week 24}
33. Amores Perros – $67,749 ($4,990,147 total) {week 11}
36. Traffic – $62,239 ($123,956,349 total) {week 24}
46. Chocolat – $42,995 ($71,085,593 total) {week 26}
56. Divided We Fall – $28,583 ($28,583 total) {week 1}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

2. Shrek – $23,846,082 ($254,149,687 total)
3. Pearl Harbor – $21,249,822 ($207,840,614 total)
6. Moulin Rouge! – $11,041,261 ($39,795,152 total)
10. Bridget Jones’ Diary – $1,653,195 ($97,217,873 total)
11. Memento – $1,069,612 ($24,931,097 total)
15. O Brother, Where Art Thou? – $346,609 ($64,435,985 total)
19. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – $236,930 ($183,956,081 total)
28. Cast Away – $155,965 ($336,909,695 total)
33. Amores Perros – $97,793 ($7,203,092 total)
36. Traffic – $89,840 ($178,926,391 total)
46. Chocolat – $62,062 ($102,609,416 total)
56. Divided We Fall – $41,259 ($41,259 total)

Oscar Details:

• Amores Perros: Foreign Language Film
• Bridget Jones’ Diary: Actress (Renee Zellweger)
• Cast Away: Actor (Tom Hanks), Sound
• Chocolat: Picture, Actress (Juliette Binoche), Supporting Actress (Judi Dench), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score
• Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Picture, Directing, Adapted Screenplay, Original Song (“A Love Before Time”), Original Score [O], Editing, Cinematography [O], Art Direction [O], Costume Design, Foreign Language Film [O]
• Divided We Fall: Foreign Language Film
• Memento: Original Screenplay, Film Editing
• Moulin Rouge!: Picture, Actress (Nicole Kidman), Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Makeup, Sound
• O Brother, Where Art Thou?: Cinematography
• Pearl Harbor: Original Song (“There You’ll Be”), Sound, Sound Editing [O], Visual Effects
• Shrek: Animated Feature [O], Adapted Screenplay
• Traffic: Picture, Directing [O], Supporting Actor (Benicio Del Toro) [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Editing [O]

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 7-9, 1996

Weekend Box Office:

1. The Rock – $25,069,525 ($25,069,525 total) {week 1}
3. Twister – $11,917,390 ($187,288,498 total) {week 5}
4. Dragonheart – $7,636,140 ($27,498,905 total) {week 2}
11. Toy Story – $636,944 ($188,822,426 total) {week 29}
12. The Birdcage – $500,815 ($120,456,200 total) {week 14}
999. Braveheart – $424 ($75,609,824 total) {week 55}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. The Rock – $46,338,918 ($46,338,918 total)
3. Twister – $22,028,298 ($346,187,111 total)
4. Dragonheart – $14,114,766 ($50,829,424 total)
11. Toy Story – $1,177,338 ($349,022,448 total)
12. The Birdcage – $925,715 ($222,653,202 total)
999. Braveheart – $784 ($139,758,430 total)

Oscar Details:

• The Birdcage: Art Direction
• Braveheart: Picture [O], Directing [O], Original Screenplay, Original Dramatic Score, Editing, Cinematography [O], Costume Design, Makeup [O], Sound, Sound Effects Editing [O]
• Dragonheart: Visual Effects
• The Rock: Sound
• Toy Story: Original Screenplay, Original Song (“You’ve Got a Friend in Me”), Original Musical or Comedy Score
• Twister: Sound, Visual Effects

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 7-9, 1991

Weekend Box Office:

1. City Slickers – $13,032,121 ($13,032,121 total) {week 1}
2. Backdraft – $6,425,100 ($38,513,490 total) {week 3}
7. Thelma & Louise – $3,020,516 ($16,995,174 total) {week 3}
11. Home Alone – $983,862 ($274,935,631 total) {week 30}
12. The Silence of the Lambs – $735,303 ($122,474,498 total) {week 17}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. City Slickers – $25,290,363 ($25,290,363 total)
2. Backdraft – $12,468,662 ($74,739,956 total)
7. Thelma & Louise – $5,861,666 ($32,981,133 total)
11. Home Alone – $1,909,300 ($533,544,918 total)
12. The Silence of the Lambs – $1,426,942 ($237,676,164 total)

Oscar Details:

• Backdraft: Sound, Sound Effects Editing, Visual Effects
• City Slickers: Supporting Actor (Jack Palance) [O]
• Home Alone: Original Song (“Somewhere in My Memory”), Original Score
• The Silence of the Lambs: Picture [O], Directing [O], Actor (Anthony Hopkins) [O], Actress (Jodie Foster) [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Film Editing, Sound
• Thelma & Louise: Directing, Actor (Geena Davis, Susan Sarandon), Original Screenplay [O], Film Editing, Cinematography

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 6-8, 1986

Weekend Box Office:

1. Top Gun – $8,231,279 ($43,179,344 total) {week 4}
4. Poltergeist II: The Other Side – $4,207,047 ($27,040,650 total) {week 3}
11. Hannah and Her Sisters – $402,893 ($33,459,418 total) {week 18}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Top Gun – $18,126,563 ($95,087,666 total)
4. Poltergeist II: The Other Side – $9,264,575 ($59,547,739 total)
11. Hannah and Her Sisters – $887,233 ($73,682,869 total)

Oscar Details:

• Hannah and Her Sisters: Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Michael Caine) [O], Supporting Actress (Dianne Wiest) [O], Original Screenplay [O], Film Editing, Art Direction
• Poltergeist II: The Other Side: Visual Effects
• Top Gun: Original Song (“Take My Breath Away” [O]), Editing, Sound, Sound Effects