Oscar in Box Office History (Week 15, 2016)

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

Demolition (Limited)

Oscar Potential: Actor.

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Apr. 15-17, 2011

Weekend Box Office:

Rio – $39,225,962 ($39,225,962 total) {week 1}
Jane Eyre – $993,232 ($6,605,035 total) {week 6}
Rango – $715,526 ($118,775,731 total) {week 7}
True Grit – $104,950 ($170,938,575 total) {week 17}
Tangled – $85,574 ($199,584,484 total) {week 21}
In a Better World – $72,127 ($182,904 total) {week 3}
Barney’s Version – $30,271 ($4,337,300 total) {week 14}
Biutiful – $22,586 ($5,012,583 total) {week 12}
Black Swan – $19,584 ($106,928,998 total) {week 20}
The Illusionist – $14,540 ($2,189,699 total) {week 16}
Another Year – $5,806 ($3,191,237 total) {week 16}
Blue Valentine – $4,955 ($9,701,559 total) {week 16}
Inside Job – $2,177 ($4,306,237 total) {week 28}
Winter’s Bone – $174 ($6,531,491 total) {week 45}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Rio – $40,413,129 ($40,413,129 total)
Jane Eyre – $1,023,292 ($6,804,935 total)
Rango – $737,181 ($122,370,457 total)
True Grit – $108,126 ($176,112,000 total)
Tangled – $88,164 ($205,624,872 total)
In a Better World – $74,310 ($188,440 total)
Barney’s Version – $31,187 ($4,468,568 total)
Biutiful – $23,270 ($5,164,288 total)
Black Swan – $20,177 ($110,165,185 total)
The Illusionist – $14,980 ($2,255,970 total)
Another Year – $5,982 ($3,287,819 total)
Blue Valentine – $5,105 ($9,995,175 total)
Inside Job – $2,243 ($4,436,564 total)
Winter’s Bone – $179 ($6,729,165 total)

Oscar Details:

Another Year: Original Screenplay
Barney’s Version: Makeup
Biutiful: Actor (Javier Bardem), Foreign Language Film
Black Swan: Picture, Direcing, Actress (Natalie Portman) [O], Editing, Cinematography
Blue Valentine: Actress (Michelle Williams)
The Illusionist: Animated Feature
In a Better World: Foreign Language Film [O]
Inside Job: Documentary Feature
Jane Eyre: Costume Design
Rango: Animated Feature [O]
Rio: Original Song (“Real in Rio”)
Tangled: Original Song (“I See the Light”)
True Grit: Picture, Directing, Actor (Jeff Bridges), Supporting Actress (Hailee Steinfeld), Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume Design, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing
Winter’s Bone: Picture, Actress (Jennifer Lawrence), Supporting Actor (John Hawkes), Adapted Screenplay

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Apr. 14-16, 2006

Weekend Box Office:

Tsotsi – $207,903 ($2,286,496 total) {week 8}
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – $74,464 ($291,615,165 total) {week 19}
Mrs. Henderson Presents – $53,076 ($10,842,360 total) {week 19}
Joyeux Noel – $47,547 ($850,144 total) {week 18}
Sophie Scholl – $38,437 ($419,609 total) {week 9}
Transamerica – $33,482 ($8,829,823 total) {week 20}
Brokeback Mountain – $30,396 ($83,025,853 total) {week 19}
Syriana – $27,104 ($50,815,288 total) {week 21}
Walk the Line – $18,060 ($119,487,675 total) {week 22}
Capote – $14,356 ($28,733,527 total) {week 29}
Days of Glory – $5,470 ($310,765 total) {week 19}
Darwin’s Nightmare – $1,029 ($192,484 total) {week 37}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Tsotsi – $259,323 ($2,852,011 total)
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – $92,881 ($363,739,832 total)
Mrs. Henderson Presents – $66,203 ($13,523,982 total)
Joyeux Noel – $59,307 ($1,060,409 total)
Sophie Scholl – $47,944 ($523,390 total)
Transamerica – $41,763 ($11,013,688 total)
Brokeback Mountain – $37,914 ($103,560,491 total)
Syriana – $33,808 ($63,383,344 total)
Walk the Line – $22,527 ($149,040,352 total)
Capote – $17,907 ($35,840,140 total)
Days of Glory – $6,823 ($387,626 total)
Darwin’s Nightmare – $1,284 ($240,091 total)

Oscar Details:

Brokeback Mountain: Picture, Directing [O], Actor (Heath Ledger), Supporting Actor (Jake Gyllenhaal), Supporting Actress (Michelle Williams), Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score [O], Cinematography
Capote: Picture, Directing, Actor (Philip Seymour Hoffman) [O], Supporting Actress (Catherine Keener), Adapted Screenplay
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: Makeup [O], Sound Mixing, Visual Effects
Darwin’s Nightmare: Documentary Feature
Days of Glory: Foreign Language Film
Joyeux Noel: Foreign Language Film
Mrs. Henderson Presents: Actress (Judi Dench), Costume Design
Sophie Scholl: Foreign Language Film
Syriana: Supporting Actor (George Clooney) [O], Original Screenplay
Transamerica: Actress (Felicity Huffman), Original Song (“Travelin’ Thru”)
Tsotsi: Foreign Language Film [O]
Walk the Line: Actor (Joaquin Phoenix), Actress (Reese Witherspoon) [O], Editing, Costume Design, Sound Mixing

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Apr. 13-15, 2001

Weekend Box Office:

Bridget Jones’ Diary – $10,733,933 ($10,733,933 total) {week 1}
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – $1,884,519 ($120,507,372 total) {week 19}
Traffic – $1,374,555 ($119,008,346 total) {week 16}
Memento – $932,174 ($3,849,507 total) {week 5}
Amores Perros – $880,371 ($1,059,010 total) {week 3}
Chocolat – $622,707 ($67,221,761 total) {week 18}
O Brother, Where Art Thou? – $608,337 ($40,824,018 total) {week 17}
Cast Away – $332,249 ($231,088,363 total) {week 17}
Pollock – $310,798 ($7,280,174 total) {week 18}
The Emperor’s New Groove – $175,920 ($88,369,287 total) {week 18}
Billy Elliot – $55,735 ($21,858,820 total) {week 27}
You Can Count on Me – $47,587 ($9,165,635 total) {week 23}
Before Night Falls – $36,185 ($4,221,817 total) {week 17}
Gladiator – $25,803 ($187,670,866 total) {week 50}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Bridget Jones’ Diary – $15,494,034 ($15,494,034 total)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – $2,720,233 ($173,947,920 total)
Traffic – $1,984,119 ($171,784,132 total)
Memento – $1,345,559 ($5,556,621 total)
Amores Perros – $1,270,783 ($1,528,642 total)
Chocolat – $898,854 ($97,032,118 total)
O Brother, Where Art Thou? – $878,112 ($58,927,955 total)
Cast Away – $479,589 ($333,567,478 total)
Pollock – $448,625 ($10,508,661 total)
The Emperor’s New Groove – $253,934 ($127,557,787 total)
Billy Elliot – $80,451 ($31,552,396 total)
You Can Count on Me – $68,690 ($13,230,254 total)
Before Night Falls – $52,232 ($6,094,036 total)
Gladiator – $37,246 ($270,895,932 total)

Oscar Details:

Amores Perros: Foreign Language Film
Before Night Falls: Actor (Javier Bardem)
Billy Elliot: Directing, Supporting Actress (Julie Walters), Original Screenplay
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]
The Emperor’s New Groove: Original Song (“My Funny Friend and Me”)
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]
Memento: Original Screenplay, Film Editing
O Brother, Where Art Thou?: Cinematography
Pollock: Actor (Ed Harris), Supporting Actress (Marcia Gay Harden) [O]
Traffic: Picture, Directing [O], Supporting Actor (Benicio Del Toro) [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Editing [O]
You Can Count on Me: Actress (Laura Linney), Original Screenplay

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of Apr. 12-14, 1996

Weekend Box Office:

Primal Fear – $8,108,561 ($23,820,908 total) {week 2}
James and the Giant Peach – $7,539,098 ($7,539,098 total) {week 1}
The Birdcage – $6,772,210 ($97,752,823 total) {week 6}
Fargo – $1,881,347 ($14,900,107 total) {week 6}
Up Close and Personal – $1,565,385 ($45,435,194 total) {week 7}
Braveheart – $242,429 ($75,244,954 total) {week 47}
Toy Story – $34,992 ($184,849,036 total) {week 21}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Primal Fear – $14,987,996 ($44,030,954 total)
James and the Giant Peach – $13,935,392 ($13,935,392 total)
The Birdcage – $12,517,863 ($180,687,910 total)
Fargo – $3,477,512 ($27,541,600 total)
Up Close and Personal – $2,893,483 ($83,983,153 total)
Braveheart – $448,110 ($139,083,999 total)
Toy Story – $64,680 ($341,677,969 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]
Fargo: Picture, Director, Actress (Frances McDormand) [O], Supporting Actor (William H Macy), Original Screenplay [O], Editing, Cinematography
James and the Giant Peach: Original Musical or Comedy Score
Primal Fear: Supporting Actor (Edward Norton)
Toy Story: Original Screenplay, Original Song (“You’ve Got a Friend in Me”), Original Musical or Comedy Score
Up Close and Personal: Original Song (“Because You Loved Me”)

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Apr. 12-14, 1991

Weekend Box Office:

The Silence of the Lambs – $4,146,846 ($100,088,453 total) {week 9}
Dances With Wolves – $3,467,181 ($155,729,101 total) {week 23}
Home Alone – $1,835,299 ($262,461,999 total) {week 22}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

The Silence of the Lambs – $8,047,442 ($194,233,411 total)
Dances With Wolves – $6,728,472 ($302,210,631 total)
Home Alone – $3,561,613 ($509,338,369 total)

Oscar Details:

Dances With Wolves: Picture [O], Directing [O], Actor (Kevin Costner), Supporting Actor (Graham Greene), Supporting Actress (Mary McDonnell), Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score [O], Editing [O], Cinematography [O], Art Direction, Costume Design, Sound [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

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Apr. 11-13, 1986

Weekend Box Office:

The Color Purple – $1,527,233 ($86,407,017 total) {week 17}
Out of Africa – $1,314,300 ($79,096,868 total) {week 17}
Hannah and Her Sisters – $1,172,253 ($26,634,510 total) {week 10}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

The Color Purple – $3,363,206 ($190,281,760 total)
Out of Africa – $2,894,294 ($174,183,669 total)
Hannah and Her Sisters – $2,581,484 ($58,653,355 total)

Oscar Details:

The Color Purple: Picture, Actress (Whoopi Goldberg), Supporting Actress (Margaret Avery, Oprah Winfrey), Adapted Screenplay, Original Song (“Miss Celie’s Blues (Sister)”)
Hannah and Her Sisters: Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Michael Caine) [O], Supporting Actress (Dianne Wiest) [O], Original Screenplay [O], Film Editing, Art Direction
Out of Africa: Picture [O], Directing [O], Actress (Meryl Streep), Supporting Actor (Klaus Maria Brandauer), Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score [O], Film Editing, Cinematography [O], Art Direction [O], Costume Design, Sound [O]