Oscar in Box Office History (Week 13, 2015)

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 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

Home (Wide)

Oscar Potential: Animated Feature.

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Mar. 26-28, 2010

Weekend Box Office:

How to Train Your Dragon – $43,732,319 ($43,732,319 total) {week 1}
Alice in Wonderland – $17,707,858 ($293,534,935 total) {week 4}
Avatar – $2,047,475 ($740,440,529 total) {week 15}
Crazy Heart – $791,256 ($37,746,228 total) {week 15}
The Blind Side – $475,105 ($255,071,943 total) {week 19}
Sherlock Holmes – $315,351 ($208,394,875 total) {week 14}
The Last Station – $176,651 ($6,024,497 total) {week 11}
A Prophet – $145,004 ($1,326,760 total) {week 5}
The Wolfman – $98,615 ($61,937,495 total) {week 7}
Up in the Air – $53,573 ($83,775,048 total) {week 17}
The Princess and the Frog – $49,932 ($104,374,107 total) {week 18}
The Young Victoria – $43,893 ($10,806,750 total) {week 15}
A Single Man – $42,944 ($9,045,467 total) {week 16}
The White Ribbon – $35,349 ($2,023,523 total) {week 13}
An Education – $30,865 ($12,512,069 total) {week 25}
Fantastic Mr. Fox – $21,970 ($20,980,711 total) {week 20}
The Most Dangerous Man in America – $17,858 ($295,218 total) {week 9}
The Secret of Kells – $16,782 ($118,192 total) {week 4}
Ajami – $12,999 ($444,267 total) {week 8}
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus – $8,844 ($7,587,330 total) {week 14}
The Messenger – $4,309 ($1,068,286 total) {week 20}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

How to Train Your Dragon – $45,007,152 ($45,007,152 total)
Alice in Wonderland – $18,224,057 ($302,091,720 total)
Avatar – $2,107,161 ($762,024,980 total)
Crazy Heart – $814,322 ($38,846,562 total)
The Blind Side – $488,955 ($262,507,500 total)
Sherlock Holmes – $324,544 ($214,469,757 total)
The Last Station – $181,801 ($6,200,116 total)
A Prophet – $149,231 ($1,365,436 total)
The Wolfman – $101,490 ($63,743,024 total)
Up in the Air – $55,135 ($86,217,160 total)
The Princess and the Frog – $51,388 ($107,416,698 total)
The Young Victoria – $45,173 ($11,121,776 total)
A Single Man – $44,196 ($9,309,150 total)
The White Ribbon – $36,379 ($2,082,510 total)
An Education – $31,765 ($12,876,806 total)
Fantastic Mr. Fox – $22,610 ($21,592,316 total)
The Most Dangerous Man in America – $18,379 ($303,824 total)
The Secret of Kells – $17,271 ($121,637 total)
Ajami – $13,378 ($457,218 total)
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus – $9,102 ($7,808,507 total)
The Messenger – $4,435 ($1,099,427 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
Fantastic Mr. Fox: Animated Feature, Original Score
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
The Princess and the Frog : Animated Feature, Original Song (“Almost There”), Original Song (“Down in New Orleans”)
A Prophet: Foreign Language Film
The Secret of Kells : Animated Feature
Sherlock Holmes: Original Score, Art Direction
A Single Man: Actor (Colin Firth)
Up in the Air: Picture, Director, Actor (George Clooney), Supporting Actress (Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick), Adapted Screenplay
The White Ribbon : Cinematography, Foreign Language Film
The Wolfman: Makeup
The Young Victoria : Art Direction, Costume Design [O], Makeup

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Apr. 1-3, 2005

Weekend Box Office:

Million Dollar Baby – $1,466,429 ($96,662,363 total) {week 16}
Downfall – $531,980 ($3,051,911 total) {week 7}
Sideways – $321,271 ($70,991,037 total) {week 24}
The Aviator – $245,969 ($101,707,518 total) {week 16}
Born Into Brothels – $169,356 ($2,712,494 total) {week 13}
Hotel Rwanda – $142,489 ($23,219,458 total) {week 15}
Finding Neverland – $82,732 ($51,547,060 total) {week 21}
The Phantom of the Opera – $69,434 ($50,664,932 total) {week 15}
The Incredibles – $48,640 ($261,409,367 total) {week 22}
The Chorus – $47,073 ($1,324,080 total) {week 12}
The Sea Inside – $46,568 ($1,870,746 total) {week 16}
Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events – $34,455 ($118,537,888 total) {week 1}
House of Flying Daggers – $17,569 ($11,041,228 total) {week 18}
Being Julia – $9,069 ($7,739,049 total) {week 25}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Million Dollar Baby – $1,857,629 ($122,449,046 total)
Downfall – $673,897 ($3,866,071 total)
Sideways – $406,977 ($89,929,364 total)
The Aviator – $311,586 ($128,840,101 total)
Born Into Brothels – $214,535 ($3,436,108 total)
Hotel Rwanda – $180,501 ($29,413,728 total)
Finding Neverland – $104,802 ($65,298,304 total)
The Phantom of the Opera – $87,957 ($64,180,850 total)
The Incredibles – $61,616 ($331,145,719 total)
The Chorus – $59,631 ($1,677,306 total)
The Sea Inside – $58,991 ($2,369,806 total)
Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events – $43,647 ($150,160,320 total)
House of Flying Daggers – $22,256 ($13,986,704 total)
Being Julia – $11,488 ($9,803,600 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
Being Julia: Actress (Annette Bening)
Born Into Brothels : Documentary Feature
The Chorus: Original Song (“Look To Your Path”), Foreign Language Film
Downfall : Foreign Language Film
Finding Neverland: Picture, Actor (Johnny Depp), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score [O], Editing, Art Direction, Costume Design
Hotel Rwanda: Actor (Don Cheadle), Supporting Actress (Sophie Okonedo), Original Screenplay
House of Flying Daggers: Cinematography
The Incredibles: Animated Feature [O], Original Screenplay, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing [O]
Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events: Original Score, Makeup [O], Art Direction, Costume Design
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 Mar. 31-Apr. 2, 2000

Weekend Box Office:

Erin Brockovich – $13,798,460 ($75,811,060 total) {week 3}
American Beauty – $5,407,279 ($116,658,175 total) {week 29}
The Cider House Rules – $2,051,924 ($52,984,775 total) {week 17}
Boys Don’t Cry – $984,311 ($9,326,087 total) {week 26}
The Sixth Sense – $902,491 ($291,745,637 total) {week 35}
The Green Mile – $321,127 ($135,544,362 total) {week 17}
Stuart Little – $312,667 ($139,212,915 total) {week 16}
Toy Story 2 – $256,719 ($242,602,418 total) {week 20}
All About My Mother – $225,929 ($7,156,614 total) {week 22}
Wonder Boys – $225,427 ($18,381,037 total) {week 6}
The Insider – $182,654 ($28,712,158 total) {week 22}
Sleepy Hollow – $171,091 ($100,584,073 total) {week 20}
The Hurricane – $158,895 ($50,324,006 total) {week 14}
The Talented Mr. Ripley – $134,373 ($81,026,765 total) {week 15}
Topsy-Turvy – $117,032 ($5,793,449 total) {week 16}
Being John Malkovich – $70,052 ($22,620,571 total) {week 23}
Magnolia – $50,005 ($22,259,838 total) {week 16}
Sweet and Lowdown – $43,110 ($4,070,588 total) {week 18}
The Straight Story – $41,069 ($6,108,434 total) {week 25}
Titus – $35,755 ($1,591,934 total) {week 15}
Long Night’s Journey Into Day – $6,027 ($9,334 total) {week 1}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Erin Brockovich – $20,787,290 ($114,208,870 total)
American Beauty – $8,146,031 ($175,744,783 total)
The Cider House Rules – $3,091,210 ($79,821,219 total)
Boys Don’t Cry – $1,482,858 ($14,049,690 total)
The Sixth Sense – $1,359,597 ($439,512,908 total)
The Green Mile – $483,776 ($204,196,701 total)
Stuart Little – $471,031 ($209,723,352 total)
Toy Story 2 – $386,746 ($365,478,967 total)
All About My Mother – $340,361 ($10,781,393 total)
Wonder Boys – $339,604 ($27,690,913 total)
The Insider – $275,167 ($43,254,680 total)
Sleepy Hollow – $257,747 ($151,529,253 total)
The Hurricane – $239,374 ($75,812,788 total)
The Talented Mr. Ripley – $202,432 ($122,066,295 total)
Topsy-Turvy – $176,308 ($8,727,793 total)
Being John Malkovich – $105,533 ($34,077,743 total)
Magnolia – $75,332 ($33,534,301 total)
Sweet and Lowdown – $64,945 ($6,132,314 total)
The Straight Story – $61,870 ($9,202,316 total)
Titus – $53,865 ($2,398,238 total)
Long Night’s Journey Into Day – $9,080 ($14,062 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
Being John Malkovich: Director, Supporting Actress (Catherine Keener), Original Screenplay
Boys Don’t Cry: Actress (Hilary Swank) [O], Supporting Actress (Chloe Sevigny)
The Cider House Rules : Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Michael Caine) [O], Original Screenplay [O], Original Score, Editing, Art Direction
Erin Brockovich: Picture, Directing, Actress (Julia Roberts) [O], Supporting Actor (Albert Finney), Original Screenplay
The Green Mile : Picture, Supporting Actor (Michael Clarke Duncan), Adapted Screenplay, Sound
The Hurricane : Actor (Denzel Washington)
The Insider : Picture, Director, Actor (Russell Crowe), Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Cinematography, Sound
Long Night’s Journey Into Day: Documentary Feature
Magnolia: Supporting Actor (Tom Cruise), Original Screenplay, Original Song (“Save Me”)
The Sixth Sense : Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Haley Joel Osment), Supporting Actress (Toni Collette), Original Screenplay, Editing
Sleepy Hollow: Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Costume Design
The Straight Story : Actor (Richard Farnsworth)
Stuart Little: Visual Effects
Sweet and Lowdown: Actor (Sean Penn), Supporting Actress (Samantha Morton)
The Talented Mr. Ripley : Supporting Actor (Jude Law), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score, Art Direction, Costume Design
Titus: Costume Design
Topsy-Turvy: Original Screenplay, Art Direction, Costume Design [O], Makeup [O]
Toy Story 2: Original Song (“When She Loved Me”)
Wonder Boys: Adapted Screenplay, Original Song (“Things Have Changed”), Editing

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of Mar. 31-Apr. 2, 1995

Weekend Box Office:

Forrest Gump – $2,650,130 ($321,084,355 total) {week 39}
Pulp Fiction – $2,158,742 ($98,295,616 total) {week 25}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Forrest Gump – $4,946,909 ($599,357,463 total)
Pulp Fiction – $4,029,652 ($183,485,150 total)

Oscar Details:

Forrest Gump: Picture [O], Director [O], Actor (Tom Hanks) [O], Supporting Actor (Gary Sinise), Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score, Editing [O], Cinematography, Art Direction, Makeup, Sound, Sound Effects, Visual Effects [O]
Pulp Fiction: Picture, Director, Actor (John Travolta), Supporting Actor (Samuel L. Jackson), Supporting Actress (Uma Thurman), Original Screenplay [O], Editing

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Mar. 30-Apr. 1, 1990

Weekend Box Office:

Pretty Woman – $12,471,670 ($28,337,395 total) {week 2}
The Hunt for Red October – $6,533,017 ($76,586,236 total) {week 5}
Driving Miss Daisy – $5,175,409 ($82,063,381 total) {week 16}
My Left Foot – $1,122,011 ($10,262,362 total) {week 21}
Born on the Fourth of July – $1,010,740 ($66,937,454 total) {week 15}
Glory – $733,120 ($24,277,015 total) {week 16}
Cinema Paradiso – $284,640 ($1,609,982 total) {week 9}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Pretty Woman – $23,940,889 ($54,397,080 total)
The Hunt for Red October – $12,540,922 ($147,016,604 total)
Driving Miss Daisy – $9,934,828 ($157,530,651 total)
My Left Foot – $2,153,837 ($19,699,853 total)
Born on the Fourth of July – $1,940,238 ($128,494,593 total)
Glory – $1,407,313 ($46,602,686 total)
Cinema Paradiso – $546,401 ($3,090,556 total)

Oscar Details:

Born on the Fourth of July: Picture, Director [O], Actor (Tom Cruise), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score, Editing [O], Cinematography, Sound
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]
Glory: Supporting Actor (Denzel Washington) [O], Editing, Cinematography [O], Art Direction, Sound [O]
The Hunt for Red October: Editing, Sound, Sound Effects Editing [O]
My Left Foot: Picture, Director, Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis) [O], Supporting Actress (Brenda Fricker) [O], Adapted Screenplay
Pretty Woman: Actress (Julia Roberts)

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Mar. 29-31, 1985

Weekend Box Office:

Mask – $4,807,470 ($13,427,677 total) {week 4}
Beverly Hills Cop – $2,715,010 ($195,632,220 total) {week 17}
Witness – $2,386,253 ($46,384,549 total) {week 8}
Amadeus – $2,013,210 ($37,532,108 total) {week 28}
The Purple Rose of Cairo – $932,734 ($2,767,696 total) {week 5}
The Killing Fields – $931,582 ($29,316,582 total) {week 22}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Mask – $10,996,241 ($30,713,447 total)
Beverly Hills Cop – $6,210,107 ($447,474,261 total)
Witness – $5,458,134 ($106,096,490 total)
Amadeus – $4,604,863 ($85,848,089 total)
The Purple Rose of Cairo – $2,133,465 ($6,330,617 total)
The Killing Fields – $2,130,830 ($67,056,520 total)

Oscar Details:

Amadeus: Picture [O], Director [O], Actor (F. Murray Abraham [O], Tom Hulce), Adapted Screenplay [O], Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Makeup [O], Sound [O]
Beverly Hills Cop: Original Screenplay
The Killing Fields : Picture, Director, Actor (Sam Waterston), Supporting Actor (Haing S. Ngor) [O], Adapted Screenplay, Editing [O], Cinematography [O]
Mask: Makeup [O]
The Purple Rose of Cairo: Original Screenplay
Witness: Picture, Directing, Actor (Harrison Ford), Original Screenplay [O], Original Score, Film Editing [O], Art Direction