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.
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5 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 3-5, 2013
Weekend Box Office:
- Iron Man 3 – $174,144,585 ($174,144,585 total) {week 1}
- The Croods – $4,202,639 ($168,720,798 total) {week 7}
- Silver Linings Playbook – $198,548 ($131,703,512 total) {week 25}
- Kon-Tiki – $74,097 ($107,273 total) {week 2}
- Life of Pi – $58,448 ($124,757,309 total) {week 24}
- No – $33,452 ($2,196,831 total) {week 12}
- The Gatekeepers – $10,902 ($2,347,544 total) {week 14}
- Django Unchained – $4,433 ($162,800,480 total) {week 19}
- Searching for Sugar Man – $3,105 ($3,653,307 total) {week 41}
- Amour – $3,004 ($6,735,665 total) {week 20}
- 5 Broken Cameras – $1,604 ($108,541 total) {week 49}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- Iron Man 3 – $191,280,584 ($192,137,383 total)
- The Croods – $4,616,183 ($186,153,205 total)
- Silver Linings Playbook – $218,085 ($145,311,255 total)
- Kon-Tiki – $81,388 ($118,357 total)
- Life of Pi – $64,199 ($137,647,363 total)
- No – $36,744 ($2,423,810 total)
- The Gatekeepers – $11,975 ($2,590,095 total)
- Django Unchained – $4,869 ($179,621,194 total)
- Searching for Sugar Man – $3,411 ($4,030,770 total)
- Amour – $3,300 ($7,431,601 total)
- 5 Broken Cameras – $1,762 ($119,756 total)
Oscar Details:
- 5 Broken Cameras: Documentary Feature
- Amour: Picture, Directing, Actress (Emmanuelle Riva), Original Screenplay, Foreign Language Film [O]
- The Croods: Animated Feature
- Django Unchained: Picture, Supporting Actor (Christoph Waltz) [O], Original Screenplay [O], Cinematography, Sound Editing
- The Gatekeepers: Documentary Feature
- Iron Man 3: Visual Effects
- Kon-Tiki: Foreign Language Film
- Life of Pi: Picture, Directing [O], Adapted Screenplay, Original Song (“Pi’s Lullaby”), Original Score [O], Film Editing, Cinematography [O], Production Design, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects [O]
- No: Foreign Language Film
- Searching for Sugar Man: Documentary Feature [O]
- Silver Linings Playbook: Picture, Directing, Actor (Bradley Cooper), Actress (Jennifer Lawrence) [O], Supporting Actor (Robert De Niro), Supporting Actress (Jacki Weaver), Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing
10 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 2-4, 2008
Weekend Box Office:
- Iron Man – $98,618,668 ($102,118,668 total) {week 1}
- The Visitor – $606,597 ($1,576,256 total) {week 4}
- The Counterfeiters – $204,303 ($4,440,307 total) {week 11}
- In Bruges – $55,260 ($7,488,507 total) {week 13}
- Juno – $23,901 ($143,434,240 total) {week 22}
- Persepolis – $9,909 ($4,423,052 total) {week 19}
- Taxi to the Dark Side – $4,687 ($265,814 total) {week 16}
- Beaufort – $917 ($96,936 total) {week 16}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- Iron Man – $122,655,251 ($127,577,222 total)
- The Visitor – $754,444 ($1,969,222 total)
- The Counterfeiters – $254,098 ($5,547,292 total)
- In Bruges – $68,729 ($9,355,419 total)
- Juno – $29,726 ($179,192,915 total)
- Persepolis – $12,324 ($5,525,735 total)
- Taxi to the Dark Side – $5,829 ($332,082 total)
- Beaufort – $1,141 ($121,102 total)
Oscar Details:
- Beaufort: Foreign Language Film
- The Counterfeiters: Foreign Language Film [O]
- In Bruges: Original Screenplay
- Iron Man: Sound Editing, Visual Effects
- Juno: Picture, Director, Actress (Ellen Page), Original Screenplay [O]
- Persepolis: Animated Feature
- Taxi to the Dark Side: Documentary Feature [O]
- The Visitor: Actor (Richard Jenkins)
15 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 2-4, 2003
Weekend Box Office:
- A Mighty Wind – $1,032,336 ($6,161,665 total) {week 3}
- Chicago – $978,205 ($165,016,127 total) {week 19}
- The Pianist – $313,904 ($31,773,600 total) {week 19}
- Nowhere in Africa – $292,853 ($2,810,000 total) {week 9}
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – $186,420 ($338,230,249 total) {week 20}
- The Quiet American – $142,490 ($12,491,266 total) {week 24}
- The Hours – $97,489 ($41,466,305 total) {week 19}
- The Man Without a Past – $94,026 ($355,297 total) {week 5}
- Winged Migration – $90,179 ($189,532 total) {week 3}
- Bowling for Columbine – $78,020 ($21,145,576 total) {week 30}
- About Schmidt – $76,740 ($64,816,513 total) {week 21}
- Talk to Her – $34,593 ($9,198,380 total) {week 24}
- Catch Me If You Can – $29,264 ($164,558,699 total) {week 19}
- Spellbound – $17,508 ($23,046 total) {week 1}
- Frida – $11,258 ($25,851,315 total) {week 28}
- Adaptation. – $9,476 ($22,306,095 total) {week 22}
- Spirited Away – $3,811 ($9,947,445 total) {week 33}
- Far From Heaven – $2,603 ($15,901,849 total) {week 26}
- Gangs of New York – $865 ($77,726,642 total) {week 20}
- The Crime of Father Amaro – $744 ($5,717,044 total) {week 25}
- The Wild Thornberrys Movie – $381 ($39,883,132 total) {week 20}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- A Mighty Wind – $1,528,816 ($9,165,860 total)
- Chicago – $1,448,652 ($245,471,751 total)
- The Pianist – $464,869 ($47,265,206 total)
- Nowhere in Africa – $433,694 ($4,180,050 total)
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – $276,075 ($503,138,530 total)
- The Quiet American – $211,018 ($18,581,535 total)
- The Hours – $144,374 ($61,683,707 total)
- The Man Without a Past – $139,246 ($528,526 total)
- Winged Migration – $133,549 ($281,941 total)
- Bowling for Columbine – $115,542 ($31,455,359 total)
- About Schmidt – $113,646 ($96,418,594 total)
- Talk to Her – $51,230 ($13,683,162 total)
- Catch Me If You Can – $43,338 ($244,791,299 total)
- Spellbound – $25,928 ($34,282 total)
- Frida – $16,672 ($38,455,439 total)
- Adaptation. – $14,033 ($33,181,704 total)
- Spirited Away – $5,644 ($14,797,443 total)
- Far From Heaven – $3,855 ($23,654,989 total)
- Gangs of New York – $1,281 ($115,623,214 total)
- The Crime of Father Amaro – $1,102 ($8,504,458 total)
- The Wild Thornberrys Movie – $564 ($59,328,639 total)
Oscar Details:
- About Schmidt: Actor (Jack Nicholson), Supporting Actress (Kathy Bates)
- Adaptation.: Actor (Nicoals Cage), Supporting Actor (Chris Cooper) [O], Supporting Actress (Meryl Streep), Adapted Screenplay
- Bowling for Columbine: Documentary Feature [O]
- Catch Me If You Can: Supporting Actor (Christopher Walken), Original Score
- Chicago: Picture [O], Director, Actress (Renee Zellweger), Supporting Actor (John C. Reilly), Supporting Actress (Catherine Zeta-Jones [O], Queen Latifah), Adapted Screenplay, Original Song (“I Move On”), Editing [O], Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Sound [O]
- The Crime of Father Amaro: Foreign Language Film
- Far From Heaven: Actress (Julianne Moore), Original Screenplay, Original Score, Cinematography
- Frida: Actress, Original Score [O], Original Song (“Burn It Blue”), Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup [O]
- Gangs of New York: Picture, Director, Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis), Original Screenplay, Original Song (“The Hands That Built America”), Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume Design, Sound
- The Hours: Picture, Director, Actress (Nicole Kidman) [O], Supporting Actor (Ed Harris), Supporting Actress (Julianne Moore), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score, Editing, Costume Design
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers: Picture, Editing, Art Direction, Sound, Sound Editing [O], Visual Effects [O]
- The Man Without a Past: Foreign Language Film
- A Mighty Wind: Original Song (“A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow”)
- Nowhere in Africa: Foreign Language Film [O]
- The Pianist: Picture, Director [O], Actor (Adrien Brody) [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Editing, Cinematography, Costume Design
- The Quiet American: Actor (Michael Caine)
- Spellbound: Documentary Feature
- Spirited Away: Animated Feature [O]
- Talk to Her: Director, Original Screenplay [O]
- The Wild Thornberrys Movie: Original Song (“Father and Daughter”)
- Winged Migration: Documentary Feature
20 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 1-3, 1998
Weekend Box Office:
- Titanic – $4,011,888 ($565,735,531 total) {week 20}
- As Good As It Gets – $872,650 ($144,751,251 total) {week 19}
- Amistad – $917 ($44,226,806 total) {week 21}
- Primary Colors – $550,515 ($37,147,192 total) {week 7}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- Titanic – $7,638,840 ($1,082,014,438 total)
- As Good As It Gets – $1,661,570 ($276,848,341 total)
- Amistad – $1,746 ($84,587,303 total)
- Primary Colors – $1,048,209 ($71,046,975 total)
Oscar Details:
- Amistad: Supporting Actor (Anthony Hopkins), Original Score, Cinematography, Costume Design
- As Good As It Gets: Picture, Actor (Jack Nicholson) [O], Actress (Helen Hunt) [O], Supporting Actor (Greg Kinnear), Original Screenplay, Original Musical or Comedy Score, Editing
- Primary Colors: Supporting Actress (Kathy Bates), Adapted Screenplay
- Titanic: Picture [O], Director [O], Actress (Kate Winslet), Supporting Actress (Gloria Stuart), Original Dramatic Score [O], Original Song (“My Heart Will Go On”) [O], Editing [O], Cinematography [O], Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Makeup, Sound [O], Sound Editing [O], Visual Effects [O]
25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Apr. 30-May 2, 1993
Weekend Box Office:
- A Few Good Men – $717,622 ($137,942,402 total) {week 21}
- Scent of a Woman – $500,045 ($59,611,574 total) {week 19}
- Unforgiven – $751,920 ($93,558,506 total) {week 39}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- A Few Good Men – $1,547,914 ($298,875,204 total)
- Scent of a Woman – $1,078,599 ($129,158,410 total)
- Unforgiven – $1,621,895 ($202,710,096 total)
Oscar Details:
- A Few Good Men: Picture, Supporting Actor (Jack Nicholson), Editing, Sound
- Scent of a Woman: Picture, Director, Actor (Al Pacino) [O], Adapted Screenplay
- Unforgiven: Picture [O], Director [O], Actor (Clint Eastwood), Supporting Actor (Gene Hackman) [O], Original Screenplay, Editing [O], Cinematography, Art Direction, Sound
30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Apr. 29-May 1, 1988
Weekend Box Office:
- Beetlejuice – $5,018,285 ($46,749,551 total) {week 5}
- Sunset – $2,031,678 ($2,031,678 total) {week 1}
- The Last Emperor – $1,780,196 ($35,635,164 total) {week 24}
- Moonstruck – $1,574,686 ($69,124,607 total) {week 20}
- The Milagro Beanfield War – $1,184,270 ($6,611,052 total) {week 7}
- Good Morning, Vietnam – $1,072,181 ($115,171,575 total) {week 19}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- Beetlejuice – $10,903,476 ($102,030,042 total)
- Sunset – $4,414,327 ($4,434,100 total)
- The Last Emperor – $3,867,920 ($77,773,095 total)
- Moonstruck – $3,421,398 ($150,863,193 total)
- The Milagro Beanfield War – $2,573,122 ($14,428,500 total)
- Good Morning, Vietnam – $2,329,581 ($251,359,861 total)
Oscar Details:
- Beetlejuice: Makeup [O]
- Good Morning, Vietnam: Actor (Robin Williams)
- The Last Emperor: Picture [O], Director [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score [O], Editing [O], Cinematography [O], Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Sound [O]
- The Milagro Beanfield War: Original Score [O]
- Moonstruck: Picture, Director, Actress (Cher) [O], Supporting Actor (Vincent Gardenia), Supporting Actress (Olympia Dukakis) [O], Original Screenplay
- Sunset: Costume Design
35 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 6-8, 1983
Weekend Box Office:
- Flashdance – $3,385,578 ($20,325,125 total) {week 4}
- Tootsie – $1,546,976 ($163,485,230 total) {week 21}
- Gandhi – $823,234 ($48,601,351 total) {week 22}
- E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial – $525,763 ($347,807,198 total) {week 48}
Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):
- Flashdance – $9,597,845 ($57,878,213 total)
- Tootsie – $4,385,554 ($465,543,655 total)
- Gandhi – $2,333,803 ($138,398,133 total)
- E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial – $1,490,496 ($990,422,402 total)
Oscar Details:
- E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial: Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, Original Score [O], Editing, Cinematography, Sound [O], Sound Effects [O], Visual Effects [O]
- Flashdance: Original Song (“FlashdanceโฆWhat a Feeling”) [O], Original Song (“Maniac”), Editing, Cinematography
- Gandhi: Picture [O], Director [O], Actor (Ben Kingsley) [O], Original Screenplay [O], Original Score, Editing [O], Cinematography [O], Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Makeup, Sound
- Tootsie: Picture, Director, Actor (Dustin Hoffman), Supporting Actress (Teri Garr), Supporting Actress (Jessica Lange) [O], Original Screenplay, Original Song (“It Might Be You”), Editing, Cinematography, Sound
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