Every week, we’ll take a look back 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years into the box office past to explore how Oscar’s nominees were doing at the box office that weekend historically. All data is taken from Box Office Mojo. The first section under each year is the positioning of all Oscar nominees during that weekend at the box office. The second 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. Please let us know if you like our new feature or if you want to see more information and we’ll see what we can do!

This Year: Potential Oscar Nominees Releasing This Weekend

The Kid With a Bike (Limited)

Oscar Potential: Foreign Language Film.

Natural Selection (Limited)

Oscar Potential: Actress (Rachael Harris).

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Mar. 16-18, 2007

Weekend Box Office:

9. Norbit – $2,766,593 ($92,438,806 total) {week 6}
15. The Lives of Others – $802,380 ($4,591,077 total) {week 6}
19. Happy Feet – $616,334 ($196,561,994 total) {week 18}
22. Pan’s Labyrinth – $455,277 ($36,207,983 total) {week 12}
23. The Last King of Scotland – $359,725 ($16,862,173 total) {week 25}
26. The Queen – $319,076 ($55,731,585 total) {week 25}
27. The Pursuit of Happyness – $252,460 ($163,566,459 total) {week 14}
29. La Vie en Rose – $245,236 ($245,236 total) {week 1}
33. Blood Diamond – $192,882 ($56,962,625 total) {week 15}
35. Dreamgirls – $175,776 ($102,882,170 total) {week 14}
39. Notes on a Scandal – $101,614 ($17,238,407 total) {week 12}
47. Volver – $77,150 ($12,673,030 total) {week 20}
54. Venus – $47,705 ($3,261,449 total) {week 13}
58. Little Children – $36,164 ($5,369,440 total) {week 24}
60. Letters from Iwo Jima – $34,635 ($13,602,578 total) {week 13}
63. The Departed – $29,189 ($132,373,442 total) {week 24}
66. Babel – $21,148 ($34,287,296 total) {week 21}
67. The Good German – $20,911 ($1,241,763 total) {week 14}
73. Days of Glory – $12,202 ($256,451 total) {week 15}
88. Iraq in Fragments – $5,991 ($158,639 total) {week 19}
95. The Curse of the Golden Flower – $4,218 ($6,560,634 total) {week 13}
96. The 2006 Academy Award Nominated Short Films – $3,918 ($305,444 total) {week 5}
101. Little Miss Sunshine – $2,184 ($59,887,868 total) {week 34}
103. Borat – $1,780 ($128,503,736 total) {week 20}

Oscar Details:

• The 2006 Academy Award Nominated Short Films: Animated Short Film; Live Action Short Film
• Babel: Picture, Supporting Actress (Adriana Barraza, Rinko Kikuchi), Director, Original Screenplay, Original Score [O], Editing
• Blood Diamond: Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio), Supporting Actor (Djimon Hounsou), Editing, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing
• Borat: Adapted Screenplay
• The Curse of the Golden Flower: Costume Design
• Days of Glory: Foreign Language Film
• The Departed: Picture [O], Director [O], Supporting Actor (Mark Wahlberg), Adapted Screenplay [O], Editing
• Dreamgirls: Supporting Actor (Eddie Murphy), Supporting Actress (Jennifer Hudson) [O], Original Song (“Listen”, “Love You I Do”, “Patience”), Art Direction, Costume Design, Sound [O]
• The Good German: Original Score
• Happy Feet: Animated Feature [O]
• Iraq in Fragments: Documentary Feature
• The Last King of Scotland: Actor (Forest Whitaker [O])
• Letters from Iwo Jima: Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, Sound Editing [O]
• Little Children: Actress (Kate Winslet), Supporting Actor (Jackie Earle Haley), Adapted Screenplay
• Little Miss Sunshine: Picture, Supporting Actor (Alan Arkin [O]), Supporting Actress (Abigail Breslin), Original Screenplay [O]
• The Lives of Others: Foreign Language Film
• Norbit: Makeup
• Notes on a Scandal: Actress (Judi Dench), Supporting Actress (Cate Blanchett), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score
• Pan’s Labyrinth: Original Screenplay, Original Score, Cinematography [O], Art Direction [O], Makeup [O], Foreign Language Film
• The Pursuit of Happyness: Actor (Will Smith)
• The Queen: Picture, Director, Actress (Helen Mirren [O]), Original Screenplay, Original Score, Costume Design
• Venus: Actor (Peter O’Toole)
• La Vie en Rose: Actress (Marion Cotillard) [O], Costume Design, Makeup [O]
• Volver: Actress (Penelope Cruz)

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Mar. 15-17, 2002

Weekend Box Office:

1. Ice Age – $46,312,454 ($46,312,454 total) {week 1}
4. The Time Machine – $10,795,951 ($39,936,148 total) {week 2}
9. A Beautiful Mind – $3,380,260 ($149,205,356 total) {week 13}
11. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – $2,118,375 ($294,343,844 total) {week 13}
14. Gosford Park – $1,450,159 ($35,531,979 total) {week 12}
15. Monster’s Ball – $1,333,960 ($17,528,865 total) {week 12}
17. In the Bedroom – $1,020,397 ($32,378,009 total) {week 17}
21. I Am Sam – $736,635 ($38,631,695 total) {week 12}
25. Black Hawn Down – $550,487 ($107,805,045 total) {week 12}
26. Amelie – $528,994 ($29,601,521 total) {week 20}
28. Iris – $430,310 ($3,088,292 total) {week 14}
29. Y Tu Mama Tambien – $408,091 ($408,091 total) {week 1}
40. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – $153,771 ($315,600,468 total) {week 18}
43. Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius – $110,109 ($80,368,707 total) {week 13}
47. Monsters, Inc. – $68,695 ($252,706,618 total) {week 20}
52. Mulholland Drive – $35,095 ($7,077,663 total) {week 23}
55. Moulin Rouge! – $29,332 ($57,313,848 total) {week 44}

Oscar Details:

• Amelie: Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Art Direction, Sound, Foreign Language Film
• A Beautiful Mind: Picture [O], Director [O], Actor (Russell Crowe), Supporting Actress (Jennifer Connelly) [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score, Editing, Makeup
• Black Hawn Down: Director, Editing [O], Cinematography, Sound [O]
• Gosford Park: Picture, Director, Supporting Actress (Helen Mirren, Maggie Smith), Original Screenplay [O], Art Direction, Costume Design
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: Original Score, Art Direction, Costume Design
• I Am Sam: Actor (Sean Penn)
• Ice Age: Animated Feature
• In the Bedroom: Picture, Actor (Tom Wilkinson), Actress (Sissy Spacek), Supporting Actress (Marisa Tomei), Adapted Screenplay
• Iris: Actress (Judi Dench), Supporting Actor (Jim Broadbent) [O], Supporting Actress (Kate Winslet)
• Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius: Animated Feature
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Ian McKellen), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score [O], Original Song (“May It Be”), Editing, Cinematography [O], Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup [O], Sound, Visual Effects [O]
• Monster’s Ball: Actress (Halle Berry) [O], Original Screenplay
• Monsters, Inc.: Animated Feature, Original Song (If I Didn’t Have You [O]), Original Score, Sound Editing
• Moulin Rouge!: Picture, Actress (Nicole Kidman), Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Makeup, Sound
• Mulholland Drive: Director
• The Time Machine: Makeup
• Y Tu Mama Tambien: Original Screenplay

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Mar. 14-16, 1997

Weekend Box Office:

4. Donnie Brasco – $5,418,077 ($31,274,218 total) {week 3}
7. Sling Blade – $3,027,349 ($8,373,597 total) {week 11}
12. The English Patient – $1,901,016 ($60,317,565 total) {week 18}
13. Jerry Maguire – $1,878,030 ($140,629,285 total) {week 14}
15. Marvin’s Room – $1,505,142 ($10,899,695 total) {week 8}
17. Shine – $1,391,473 ($30,823,125 total) {week 17}
23. Secrets & Lies – $418,600 ($10,999,121 total) {week 12}
999. Evita – $260,149 ($48,583,001 total) {week 12}

Oscar Details:

• Donnie Brasco: Adapted Screenplay
• The English Patient: Picture [O], Director [O], Actor (Ralph Fiennes), Actress (Kristin Scott Thomas), Supporting Actress (Juliette Binoche [O]), Adapted Screenplay, Original Dramatic Score [O], Editing [O], Cinematography [O], Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Sound [O]
• Evita: Original Song (“You Must Love Me”) [O], Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction, Sound
• Jerry Maguire: Picture, Actor (Tom Cruise), Supporting Actor (Cuba Gooding Jr.) [O], Original Screenplay, Film Editing
• Marvin’s Room: Actress (Diane Keaton)
• Secrets & Lies: Picture, Director, Actress (Brenda Blethyn), Supporting Actress (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), Original Screenplay
• Shine: Picture, Director, Actor (Geoffrey Rush) [O], Supporting Actor (Armin Mueller-Stahl), Original Screenplay, Original Dramatic Score, Editing
• Sling Blade: Actor (Billy Bob Thornton), Adapted Screenplay [O]

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of Mar. 13-15, 1992

Weekend Box Office:

2. My Cousin Vinny – $7,416,751 ($7,416,751 total) {week 1}
5. Fried Green Tomatoes – $3,344,045 ($57,148,824 total) {week 12}
10. Gladiator – $1,823,569 ($5,897,136 total) {week 2}
12. Beauty and the Beast – $1,561,547 ($120,498,901 total) {week 18}
14. The Mambo Kings – $1,318,507 ($2,192,258 total) {week 3}
999. Hook – $321,630 ($115,474,374 total) {week 14}
999. Howards End – $52,568 ($52,568 total) {week 1}
999. Raise the Red Lantern – $22,554 ($22,554 total) {week 1}

Oscar Details:

• Beauty and the Beast: Picture, Original Score [O], Original Song (“Be Our Guest”, “Beauty and the Beast” [O], “Belle”), Sound
• Fried Green Tomatoes: Supporting Actress (Jessica Tandy), Adapted Screenplay
• Gladiator: Picture [O], Director, Actor (Russell Crowe) [O], Supporting Actor (Joaquin Phoenix), Original Screenplay, Original Score, Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume Design [O], Sound [O], Visual Effects [O]
• Hook: Original Song (“When You’re Alone”), Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup, Visual Effects
• Howards End: Picture, Director, Actress (Emma Thompson) [O], Supporting Actress (Vanessa Redgrave), Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score, Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Costume Design
• The Mambo Kings: Original Song (“Beautiful Maria of My Soul”)
• My Cousin Vinny: Supporting Actress (Marisa Tomei) [O]
• Raise the Red Lantern: Foreign Language Film

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Mar. 13-15, 1987

Weekend Box Office:

3. Platoon – $4,664,176 ($91,641,557 total) {week 13}
9. Mannequin – $2,534,246 ($24,307,012 total) {week 5}
10. Hoosiers – $2,443,955 ($14,884,771 total) {week 9}
12. Crocodile Dundee – $1,266,366 ($155,490,613 total) {week 25}

Oscar Details:

• Crocodile Dundee: Original Screenplay
• Hoosiers: Supporting Actor (Dennis Hopper), Original Score
• Mannequin: Original Song (“Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now”)
• Platoon: Picture [O], Director [O], Supporting Actor (Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe), Original Screenplay, Editing [O], Cinematography, Sound [O]

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Mar. 12-14, 1982

Weekend Box Office:

2. On Golden Pond – $4,800,000 ($63,720,000 total) {week 15}
3. Missing – $2,300,000 ($5,000,000 total) {week 5}
4. Chariots of Fire – $2,019,964 ($20,301,485 total) {week 21}
6. Raiders of the Lost Ark – $1,243,988 ($196,614,672 total) {week 22}
11. Absence of Malice – $652,467 ($39,263,085 total) {week 17}
12. Arthur – $617,815 ($87,797,452 total) {week 16}

Oscar Details:

• Absence of Malice: Actor (Paul Newman), Supporting Actress (Melinda Dillon), Original Screenplay
• Arthur: Actor (Dudley Moore), Supporting Actor (John Gielgud) [O], Original Screenplay, Original Song (“Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)”) [O]
• Chariots of Fire: Picture [O], Director, Supporting Actor (Ian Holm), Original Screenplay [O], Original Score [O], Editing, Costume Design [O]
• Missing: Picture, Actor (Jack Lemmon), Actress (Sissy Spacek), Adapted Screenplay [O]
• On Golden Pond: Picture, Director, Actor (Henry Fonda) [O], Actress (Katharine Hepburn) [O], Supporting Actress (Jane Fonda), Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score, Editing, Cinematography, Sound
• Raiders of the Lost Ark: Picture, Director, Original Score, Editing [O], Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Sound [O], Sound Effects Editing [O], Visual Effects [O]