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

Love & Friendship (Limited)

Oscar Potential: Production Design, Costume Design.

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 20-22, 2011

Weekend Box Office:

2. Bridesmaids – $20,882,070 ($59,341,310 total) {week 2}
6. Rio – $4,687,714 ($131,684,365 total) {week 6}
12. Tangled – $910,502 ($200,627,301 total) {week 26}
13. Midnight in Paris – $599,003 ($599,003 total) {week 1}
19. Rango – $395,085 ($121,211,948 total) {week 12}
29. Jane Eyre – $215,031 ($10,370,860 total) {week 11}
31. Incendies – $186,834 ($619,508 total) {week 5}
54. In a Better World – $34,676 ($688,246 total) {week 8}
85. Biutiful – $4,065 ($5,094,444 total) {week 17}
87. Barney’s Version – $3,773 ($4,412,674 total) {week 19}
111. Another Year – $518 ($3,205,244 total) {week 21}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

2. Bridesmaids – $21,514,062 ($61,137,264 total)
6. Rio – $4,829,587 ($135,669,768 total)
12. Tangled – $938,058 ($206,699,250 total)
13. Midnight in Paris – $617,132 ($617,132 total)
19. Rango – $407,042 ($124,880,405 total)
29. Jane Eyre – $221,539 ($10,684,732 total)
31. Incendies – $192,488 ($638,257 total)
54. In a Better World – $35,725 ($709,076 total)
85. Biutiful – $4,188 ($5,248,626 total)
87. Barney’s Version – $3,887 ($4,546,223 total)
111. Another Year – $534 ($3,302,250 total)

Oscar Details:

• Another Year: Original Screenplay
• Barney’s Version: Makeup
• Biutiful: Actor (Javier Bardem), Foreign Language Film
• Bridesmaids: Supporting Actress (Melissa McCarthy), Original Screenplay
• In a Better World: Foreign Language Film [O]
• Incendies: Foreign Language Film
• Jane Eyre: Costume Design
• Midnight in Paris: Picture, Directing, Original Screenplay [O], Art Direction
• Rango: Animated Feature [O]
• Rio: Original Song (“Real in Rio”)
• Tangled: Original Song (“I See the Light”)

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 19-21, 2006

Weekend Box Office:

4. Poseidon – $9,224,340 ($36,801,887 total) {week 2}
9. United 93 – $1,400,200 ($28,256,480 total) {week 4}
25. Water – $256,317 ($965,995 total) {week 4}
61. Transamerica – $14,274 ($9,001,037 total) {week 25}
62. Tsotsi – $14,007 ($2,846,825 total) {week 13}
68. Mrs. Henderson Presents – $10,138 ($11,024,163 total) {week 24}
69. Joyeux Noel – $9,911 ($999,850 total) {week 23}
71. Sophie Scholl – $9,134 ($572,850 total) {week 14}
125. Darwin’s Nightmare – $500 ($200,936 total) {week 42}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

4. Poseidon – $11,505,780 ($45,904,033 total)
9. United 93 – $1,746,509 ($35,245,106 total)
25. Water – $319,711 ($1,204,913 total)
61. Transamerica – $17,804 ($11,227,248 total)
62. Tsotsi – $17,471 ($3,550,925 total)
68. Mrs. Henderson Presents – $12,645 ($13,750,750 total)
69. Joyeux Noel – $12,362 ($1,247,141 total)
71. Sophie Scholl – $11,393 ($714,532 total)
125. Darwin’s Nightmare – $624 ($250,633 total)

Oscar Details:

• Darwin’s Nightmare: Documentary Feature
• Joyeux Noel: Foreign Language Film
• Mrs. Henderson Presents: Actress (Judi Dench), Costume Design
• Poseidon: Visual Effects
• Sophie Scholl: Foreign Language Film
• Transamerica: Actress (Felicity Huffman), Original Song (“Travelin’ Thru”)
• Tsotsi: Foreign Language Film [O]
• United 93: Directing, Film Editing
• Water: Foreign Language Film

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 18-20, 2001

Weekend Box Office:

1. Shrek – $42,347,760 ($42,387,348 total) {week 1}
5. Bridget Jones’ Diary – $3,730,451 ($56,534,427 total) {week 6}
10. Memento – $1,280,291 ($12,187,565 total) {week 10}
15. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – $395,399 ($126,071,283 total) {week 24}
16. Traffic – $323,878 ($123,083,548 total) {week 21}
19. Chocolat – $264,134 ($70,527,706 total) {week 23}
20. O Brother, Where Art Thou? – $256,179 ($43,410,848 total) {week 22}
23. Amores Perros – $224,857 ($4,314,019 total) {week 8}
26. Moulin Rouge! – $167,540 ($167,540 total) {week 1}
27. Cast Away – $147,364 ($232,844,706 total) {week 22}
45. Pollock – $61,017 ($8,336,700 total) {week 23}
49. The Emperor’s New Groove – $42,679 ($89,233,484 total) {week 23}
57. You Can Count on Me – $30,310 ($9,416,804 total) {week 28}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Shrek – $61,127,420 ($61,184,564 total)
5. Bridget Jones’ Diary – $5,384,768 ($81,605,348 total)
10. Memento – $1,848,053 ($17,592,298 total)
15. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – $570,744 ($181,979,219 total)
16. Traffic – $467,506 ($177,666,535 total)
19. Chocolat – $381,268 ($101,804,127 total)
20. O Brother, Where Art Thou? – $369,785 ($62,661,948 total)
23. Amores Perros – $324,573 ($6,227,126 total)
26. Moulin Rouge! – $241,838 ($241,838 total)
27. Cast Away – $212,714 ($336,102,694 total)
45. Pollock – $88,076 ($12,033,717 total)
49. The Emperor’s New Groove – $61,606 ($128,805,223 total)
57. You Can Count on Me – $43,751 ($13,592,807 total)

Oscar Details:

• Amores Perros: Foreign Language Film
• 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”)
• Memento: Original Screenplay, Film Editing
• Moulin Rouge!: Picture, Actress (Nicole Kidman), Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Makeup, Sound
• O Brother, Where Art Thou?: Cinematography
• Pollock: Actor (Ed Harris), Supporting Actress (Marcia Gay Harden) [O]
• Shrek: Animated Feature [O], Adapted Screenplay
• 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 May 17-19, 1996

Weekend Box Office:

1. Twister – $37,093,440 ($95,075,524 total) {week 2}
6. Primal Fear – $1,955,768 ($51,091,793 total) {week 7}
8. The Birdcage – $1,274,938 ($117,095,599 total) {week 11}
11. James and the Giant Peach – $766,605 ($25,795,708 total) {week 6}
999. Braveheart – $1,952 ($75,604,871 total) {week 52}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Twister – $68,564,119 ($175,739,147 total)
6. Primal Fear – $3,615,073 ($94,438,902 total)
8. The Birdcage – $2,356,616 ($216,441,413 total)
11. James and the Giant Peach – $1,417,005 ($47,681,207 total)
999. Braveheart – $3,608 ($139,749,275 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]
• James and the Giant Peach: Original Musical or Comedy Score
• Primal Fear: Supporting Actor (Edward Norton)
• Twister: Sound, Visual Effects

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of May 17-19, 1991

Weekend Box Office:

7. The Silence of the Lambs – $1,871,178 ($117,814,717 total) {week 14}
11. Dances With Wolves – $1,396,192 ($168,770,575 total) {week 28}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

7. The Silence of the Lambs – $3,631,241 ($228,633,311 total)
11. Dances With Wolves – $2,709,475 ($327,519,144 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]
• 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 May 16-18, 1986

Weekend Box Office:

1. Top Gun – $8,193,052 ($8,193,052 total) {week 1}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Top Gun – $18,042,381 ($18,042,381 total)

Oscar Details:

• Top Gun: Original Song (“Take My Breath Away” [O]), Editing, Sound, Sound Effects