Oscar in Box Office History (Week 14, 2019)

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

None

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Apr. 4-6, 2014

Weekend Box Office:

Captain America: The Winter Soldier – $95,023,721 ($95,023,721 total) {week 1}
The Grand Budapest Hotel – $6,115,230 ($33,195,657 total) {week 5}
The Lego Movie – $1,402,281 ($250,608,584 total) {week 9}
Frozen – $399,877 ($398,938,890 total) {week 20}
Gravity – $242,006 ($273,605,314 total) {week 27}
Philomena – $86,582 ($37,470,370 total) {week 20}
Finding Vivian Maier – $83,260 ($172,584 total) {week 2}
Lone Survivor – $67,075 ($125,069,696 total) {week 15}
12 Years a Slave – $65,934 ($56,501,001 total) {week 25}
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – $60,720 ($258,307,304 total) {week 17}
The Wind Rises – $58,472 ($5,035,942 total) {week 7}
American Hustle – $52,791 ($150,117,807 total) {week 17}
Her – $32,382 ($25,523,806 total) {week 16}
Ernest & Celestine – $31,521 ($171,828 total) {week 6}
Dallas Buyers Club – $28,832 ($27,242,012 total) {week 23}
August: Osage County – $11,924 ($37,699,256 total) {week 15}
Saving Mr. Banks – $11,335 ($83,289,481 total) {week 17}
The Book Thief – $9,963 ($21,483,154 total) {week 22}
The Great Beauty – $7,798 ($2,815,309 total) {week 21}
The Missing Picture – $6,261 ($34,738 total) {week 3}
The Invisible Woman – $5,551 ($1,219,897 total) {week 15}
20 Feet from Stardom – $154 ($4,940,783 total) {week 43}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Captain America: The Winter Soldier – $106,305,607 ($106,305,607 total)
The Grand Budapest Hotel – $6,841,273 ($37,136,879 total)
The Lego Movie – $1,568,770 ($280,362,602 total)
Frozen – $447,353 ($446,303,728 total)
Gravity – $270,739 ($306,089,666 total)
Philomena – $96,862 ($41,919,116 total)
Finding Vivian Maier – $93,145 ($193,074 total)
Lone Survivor – $75,039 ($139,918,852 total)
12 Years a Slave – $73,762 ($63,209,198 total)
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – $67,929 ($288,975,368 total)
The Wind Rises – $65,414 ($5,633,845 total)
American Hustle – $59,059 ($167,940,851 total)
Her – $36,227 ($28,554,172 total)
Ernest & Celestine – $35,263 ($192,229 total)
Dallas Buyers Club – $32,255 ($30,476,376 total)
August: Osage County – $13,340 ($42,175,177 total)
Saving Mr. Banks – $12,681 ($93,178,195 total)
The Book Thief – $11,146 ($24,033,786 total)
The Great Beauty – $8,724 ($3,149,562 total)
The Missing Picture – $7,004 ($38,862 total)
The Invisible Woman – $6,210 ($1,364,732 total)
20 Feet from Stardom – $172 ($5,527,388 total)

Oscar Details:

12 Years a Slave: Picture [O], Directing, Actor (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Supporting Actor (Michael Fassbender), Supporting Actress (Lupita Nyong’o) [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Film Editing, Production Design, Costume Design
20 Feet from Stardom: Documentary Feature [O]
American Hustle: Picture, Directing, Actor (Christian Bale), Actress (Amy Adams), Supporting Actor (Bradley Cooper), Supporting Actress (Jennifer Lawrence), Original Screenplay, Film Editing, Production Design, Costume Design
August: Osage County: Actress (Meryl Streep), Supporting Actress (Julia Roberts)
The Book Thief: Original Score
Captain America: The Winter Soldier: Visual Effects
Dallas Buyers Club: Picture, Actor (Matthew McConaughey) [O], Supporting Actor (Jared Leto) [O], Original Screenplay, Film Editing, Makeup and Hairstyling [O]
Ernest & Celestine: Animated Feature
Finding Vivian Maier: Documentary Feature
Frozen: Animated Feature [O], Original Song (“Let It Go”) [O]
The Grand Budapest Hotel: Picture, Directing, Original Screenplay, Original Score [O], Film Editing, Cinematography, Production Design [O], Costume Design [O], Makeup and Hairstyling [O]
Gravity: Picture, Directing [O], Actress (Sandra Bullock), Original Score [O], Film Editing [O], Cinematography [O], Production Design, Sound Mixing [O], Sound Editing [O], Visual Effects [O]
The Great Beauty: Foreign Language Film [O]
Her: Picture, Original Screenplay [O], Original Song (“The Moon Song”), Original Score, Production Design
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug: Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects
The Invisible Woman: Costume Design
The Lego Movie: Original Song (“Everything Is Awesome”)
Lone Survivor: Sound Mixing, Sound Editing
The Missing Picture: Foreign Language Film
Philomena: Picture, Actress (Judi Dench), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score
Saving Mr. Banks: Original Score
The Wind Rises: Animated Feature

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Apr. 3-5, 2009

Weekend Box Office:

Slumdog Millionaire – $499,257 ($140,244,722 total) {week 21}
The Reader – $192,085 ($33,807,465 total) {week 17}
Coraline – $178,148 ($74,255,387 total) {week 9}
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – $131,342 ($127,247,417 total) {week 15}
The Class – $129,928 ($3,269,585 total) {week 16}
The Wrestler – $57,143 ($26,063,654 total) {week 16}
Doubt – $45,577 ($33,422,556 total) {week 17}
Paris 36 – $44,690 ($294,395 total) {week 1}
Defiance – $23,635 ($28,514,684 total) {week 14}
Milk – $12,981 ($31,817,897 total) {week 19}
12 – $9,515 ($64,165 total) {week 5}
Waltz with Bashir – $9,019 ($2,243,487 total) {week 15}
Katyn – $6,250 ($88,738 total) {week 7}
Rachel Getting Married – $2,155 ($12,792,587 total) {week 27}
The Betrayal – $692 ($36,489 total) {week 20}
Trouble the Water – $231 ($519,981 total) {week 33}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Slumdog Millionaire – $608,428 ($170,911,568 total)
The Reader – $234,088 ($41,200,031 total)
Coraline – $217,103 ($90,492,565 total)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – $160,062 ($155,072,186 total)
The Class – $158,339 ($3,984,534 total)
The Wrestler – $69,638 ($31,762,906 total)
Doubt – $55,543 ($40,730,955 total)
Paris 36 – $54,462 ($358,769 total)
Defiance – $28,803 ($34,749,895 total)
Milk – $15,820 ($38,775,410 total)
12 – $11,596 ($78,196 total)
Waltz with Bashir – $10,991 ($2,734,063 total)
Katyn – $7,617 ($108,142 total)
Rachel Getting Married – $2,626 ($15,589,899 total)
The Betrayal – $843 ($44,468 total)
Trouble the Water – $282 ($633,684 total)

Oscar Details:

12: Foreign Language Film
The Betrayal: Documentary Feature
The Class: Foreign Language Film
Coraline: Animated Feature
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Picture, Director, Actor (Brad Pitt), Supporting Actress (Taraji P. Henson), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score, Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Costume Design, Makeup [O], Sound Mixing, Visual Effects [O]
Defiance: Original Score
Doubt: Actress (Meryl Streep), Supporting Actor (Philip Seymour Hoffman), Supporting Actress (Amy Adams), Supporting Actress (Viola Davis), Adapted Screenplay
Katyn: Foreign Language Film
Milk: Picture, Director, Actor (Sean Penn) [O], Supporting Actor (Josh Brolin), Original Screenplay [O], Original Score, Editing, Costume Design
Paris 36: Original Song (“Loin de Paname”)
Rachel Getting Married: Actress (Anne Hathaway)
The Reader: Picture, Director, Actress (Kate Winslet) [O], Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography
Slumdog Millionaire: Picture [O], Director [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Song (“Jai Ho”) [O], Original Score [O], Editing [O], Cinematography [O], Sound Mixing [O], Sound Editing
Trouble the Water: Documentary Feature
Waltz with Bashir: Foreign Language Film
The Wrestler: Actor (Mickey Rourke), Supporting Actress (Marisa Tomei)

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Apr. 2-4, 2004

Weekend Box Office:

The Passion of the Christ – $10,605,106 ($330,856,971 total) {week 6}
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – $3,443,878 ($21,919,041 total) {week 3}
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – $373,903 ($375,204,550 total) {week 16}
The Triplets of Belleville – $114,617 ($6,426,871 total) {week 19}
Monster – $111,963 ($34,187,787 total) {week 15}
Girl with a Pearl Earring – $106,566 ($11,262,360 total) {week 17}
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World – $102,396 ($93,705,590 total) {week 21}
Mystic River – $96,088 ($88,955,308 total) {week 26}
My Architect – $82,563 ($2,036,316 total) {week 21}
The Fog of War – $72,036 ($3,905,848 total) {week 16}
Something’s Gotta Give – $47,505 ($124,685,242 total) {week 17}
In America – $43,908 ($15,399,490 total) {week 19}
Cold Mountain – $40,640 ($95,278,095 total) {week 15}
The Last Samurai – $29,918 ($111,110,575 total) {week 18}
City of God – $23,230 ($7,401,949 total) {week 64}
Big Fish – $18,684 ($66,432,867 total) {week 17}
Brother Bear – $13,827 ($85,329,248 total) {week 24}
The Weather Underground – $617 ($548,652 total) {week 44}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

The Passion of the Christ – $15,608,803 ($486,961,790 total)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – $5,068,767 ($32,260,875 total)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – $550,318 ($552,233,428 total)
The Triplets of Belleville – $168,696 ($9,459,195 total)
Monster – $164,789 ($50,318,257 total)
Girl with a Pearl Earring – $156,846 ($16,576,163 total)
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World – $150,708 ($137,917,728 total)
Mystic River – $141,424 ($130,926,170 total)
My Architect – $121,518 ($2,997,090 total)
The Fog of War – $106,024 ($5,748,704 total)
Something’s Gotta Give – $69,919 ($183,514,189 total)
In America – $64,625 ($22,665,272 total)
Cold Mountain – $59,815 ($140,232,172 total)
The Last Samurai – $44,034 ($163,534,727 total)
City of God – $34,190 ($10,894,334 total)
Big Fish – $27,499 ($97,777,199 total)
Brother Bear – $20,351 ($125,589,264 total)
The Weather Underground – $908 ($807,517 total)

Oscar Details:

Big Fish: Original Score
Brother Bear: Animated Feature
City of God: Director, Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Cinematography
Cold Mountain: Actor (Jude Law), Supporting Actress (Renee Zellweger) [O], Original Song (“Scarlet Tide”), Original Song (“You Will Be My Ain True Love”), Original Score, Editing, Cinematography
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: Actress (Kate Winslet), Original Screenplay [O]
The Fog of War: Documentary Feature [O]
Girl with a Pearl Earring: Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume Design
In America: Actress (Samantha Morton), Supporting Actor (Djimon Hounsou), Original Screenplay
The Last Samurai: Supporting Actor (Ken Watanabe), Art Direction, Costume Design, Sound Mixing
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King: Picture [O], Director [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Song (“Into the West”) [O], Original Score [O], Editing [O], Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Makeup [O], Sound Mixing [O], Visual Effects [O]
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World: Picture, Director, Editing, Cinematography [O], Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing [O], Visual Effects
Monster: Actress (Charlize Theron) [O]
My Architect: Documentary Feature
Mystic River: Picture, Director, Actor (Sean Penn) [O], Supporting Actor (Tim Robbins) [O], Supporting Actress (Marcia Gay Harden), Adapted Screenplay
The Passion of the Christ : Original Score, Cinematography, Makeup
Something’s Gotta Give: Actress (Diane Keaton)
The Triplets of Belleville: Animated Feature, Original Song (“Belleville Rendez-vous”)
The Weather Underground: Documentary Feature

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of Apr. 2-4, 1999

Weekend Box Office:

The Matrix – $27,788,331 ($37,352,692 total) {week 1}
Shakespeare in Love – $3,115,017 ($84,105,704 total) {week 17}
Life Is Beautiful – $2,669,480 ($44,720,425 total) {week 24}
Saving Private Ryan – $705,892 ($212,823,939 total) {week 37}
A Bug’s Life – $423,476 ($161,235,002 total) {week 20}
The Prince of Egypt – $393,530 ($99,492,863 total) {week 16}
Patch Adams – $352,185 ($133,824,095 total) {week 15}
Elizabeth – $317,112 ($29,069,131 total) {week 22}
Gods and Monsters – $275,113 ($5,541,853 total) {week 22}
Affliction – $231,677 ($5,612,256 total) {week 14}
Central Station – $200,679 ($5,236,890 total) {week 20}
A Civil Action – $198,084 ($56,226,573 total) {week 15}
Tango – $143,614 ($1,251,130 total) {week 11}
The Thin Red Line – $58,079 ($36,160,625 total) {week 15}
Children of Heaven – $50,927 ($706,586 total) {week 11}
Hilary and Jackie – $47,076 ($4,765,036 total) {week 14}
Mighty Joe Young – $44,493 ($50,582,634 total) {week 15}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

The Matrix – $49,997,115 ($67,205,434 total)
Shakespeare in Love – $5,604,578 ($151,324,042 total)
Life Is Beautiful – $4,802,962 ($80,461,552 total)
Saving Private Ryan – $1,270,050 ($382,915,512 total)
A Bug’s Life – $761,923 ($290,096,047 total)
The Prince of Egypt – $708,044 ($179,008,813 total)
Patch Adams – $633,656 ($240,777,998 total)
Elizabeth – $570,552 ($52,301,547 total)
Gods and Monsters – $494,987 ($9,970,972 total)
Affliction – $416,836 ($10,097,642 total)
Central Station – $361,064 ($9,422,278 total)
A Civil Action – $356,395 ($101,163,559 total)
Tango – $258,392 ($2,251,049 total)
The Thin Red Line – $104,496 ($65,060,652 total)
Children of Heaven – $91,629 ($1,271,298 total)
Hilary and Jackie – $84,700 ($8,573,313 total)
Mighty Joe Young – $80,052 ($91,008,912 total)

Oscar Details:

Affliction: Actor (Nick Nolte), Supporting Actor (James Coburn) [O]
A Bug’s Life: Original Musical or Comedy Score
Central Station: Actress (Fernanda Montenegro), Foreign Language Film
Children of Heaven: Foreign Language Film
A Civil Action: Supporting Actor (Robert Duvall), Cinematography
Elizabeth: Picture, Actress (Cate Blanchett), Original Dramatic Score, Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup
Gods and Monsters: Actor (Ian McKellen), Supporting Actress (Lynn Redgrave), Adapted Screenplay [O]
Hilary and Jackie: Actress (Emily Watson), Supporting Actress (Rachel Griffiths)
Life Is Beautiful: Picture, Director, Actor (Roberto Benigni) [O], Original Screenplay, Original Dramatic Score [O], Editing, Foreign Language Film [O]
The Matrix : Editing [O], Sound [O], Sound Effects [O], Visual Effects [O]
Mighty Joe Young: Visual Effects
Patch Adams: Original Musical or Comedy Score
The Prince of Egypt: Original Song (“When You Believe”) [O], Original Musical or Comedy Score
Saving Private Ryan: Picture, Director [O], Actor (Tom Hanks), Original Screenplay, Original Dramatic Score, Editing [O], Cinematography [O], Art Direction, Makeup, Sound [O], Sound Effects [O]
Shakespeare in Love: Picture [O], Director, Actress (Gwyneth Paltrow) [O], Supporting Actor (Geoffrey Rush), Supporting Actress (Judi Dench) [O], Original Screenplay [O], Original Musical or Comedy Score [O], Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Makeup, Sound
Tango: Foreign Language Film
The Thin Red Line: Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Original Dramatic Score, Editing, Cinematography, Sound

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Apr. 8-10, 1994

Weekend Box Office:

The Paper – $4,541,575 ($20,129,790 total) {week 4}
Four Weddings and a Funeral – $3,944,203 ($7,804,801 total) {week 5}
Schindler’s List – $3,208,595 ($79,681,903 total) {week 17}
Mrs. Doubtfire – $1,699,965 ($212,961,577 total) {week 20}
Philadelphia – $1,221,376 ($70,171,057 total) {week 16}
The Piano – $777,459 ($38,443,319 total) {week 23}
Jurassic Park – $163,775 ($345,851,850 total) {week 44}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

The Paper – $9,930,621 ($44,015,857 total)
Four Weddings and a Funeral – $8,624,406 ($17,066,000 total)
Schindler’s List – $7,015,923 ($174,232,678 total)
Mrs. Doubtfire – $3,717,148 ($465,662,396 total)
Philadelphia – $2,670,664 ($153,436,235 total)
The Piano – $1,699,994 ($84,060,272 total)
Jurassic Park – $358,111 ($756,240,648 total)

Oscar Details:

Four Weddings and a Funeral: Picture, Original Screenplay
Jurassic Park: Sound [O], Sound Effects [O], Visual Effects [O]
Mrs. Doubtfire: Makeup [O]
The Paper : Original Song (“Make Up Your Mind”)
Philadelphia: Actor (Tom Hanks) [O], Original Screenplay, Original Song (“Philadelphia”), Original Song (“Streets of Philadelphia”) [O]
The Piano: Picture, Director, Actress (Holly Hunter) [O], Supporting Actress (Anna Paquin) [O], Original Screenplay [O], Editing, Cinematography, Costume Design
Schindler’s List: Picture [O], Director [O], Actor (Liam Neeson), Supporting Actor (Ralph Fiennes), Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score [O], Editing [O], Cinematography [O], Art Direction [O], Costume Design, Makeup, Sound

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Apr. 7-9, 1989

Weekend Box Office:

Rain Man – $4,114,304 ($148,150,729 total) {week 17}
Dangerous Liaisons – $1,111,982 ($29,136,127 total) {week 16}
Chances Are – $947,852 ($14,527,881 total) {week 5}
The Adventures of Baron Munchaussen – $532,266 ($4,022,374 total) {week 5}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Rain Man – $9,472,226 ($341,082,535 total)
Dangerous Liaisons – $2,560,079 ($67,079,144 total)
Chances Are – $2,182,208 ($33,447,061 total)
The Adventures of Baron Munchaussen – $1,225,418 ($9,260,579 total)

Oscar Details:

The Adventures of Baron Munchaussen : Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup, Visual Effects
Chances Are: Original Score (“After All”)
Dangerous Liaisons: Picture, Actress (Glenn Close), Supporting Actress (Michelle Pfeiffer), Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score, Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O]
Rain Man: Picture [O], Director [O], Actor (Dustin Hoffman) [O], Original Screenplay [O], Original Score, Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction

35 Years Ago: The Weekend of Apr. 6-8, 1984

Weekend Box Office:

Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes – $5,895,148 ($14,819,124 total) {week 2}
Romancing the Stone – $5,570,693 ($12,546,492 total) {week 2}
Splash – $4,453,841 ($37,529,938 total) {week 5}
Footloose – $3,052,131 ($53,740,337 total) {week 8}
Terms of Endearment – $1,095,804 ($94,522,929 total) {week 20}
Against All Odds – $995,283 ($18,948,506 total) {week 6}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes – $16,036,206 ($40,311,546 total)
Romancing the Stone – $15,153,611 ($34,129,446 total)
Splash – $12,115,508 ($102,090,367 total)
Footloose – $8,302,523 ($146,186,512 total)
Terms of Endearment – $2,980,848 ($257,124,872 total)
Against All Odds – $2,707,407 ($51,544,448 total)

Oscar Details:

Against All Odds: Original Song (“Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)”)
Footloose: Original Song (“Footloose”, “Let’s Hear It for the Boy”)
Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes: Supporting Actor (Ralph Richardson), Adapted Screenplay, Makeup
Romancing the Stone: Editing
Splash: Original Screenplay
Terms of Endearment: Picture [O], Directing [O], Actress (Shirley MacLaine) [O], Actress (Debra Winger), Supporting Actor (John Lithgow), Supporting Actor (Jack Nicholson) [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score, Editing, Art Direction, Sound