Every week, we’ll take a look back in 5-year intervals in 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

Love & Mercy (Limited)

Oscar Potential: Picture, Director, Actor (John Cusack or Paul Dano), Supporting Actor (John Cusack or Paul Dano), Original Screenplay, Production Design, Costume Design, Sound Mixing.

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 4-6, 2010

Weekend Box Office:

14. How to Train Your Dragon – $488,283 ($213,883,143 total) {week 11}
15. The Secret in Their Eyes – $397,705 ($3,992,319 total) {week 8}
18. Alice in Wonderland – $300,515 ($333,627,878 total) {week 14}
27. Exit Through the Gift Shop – $135,575 ($2,155,153 total) {week 8}
39. Avatar – $76,692 ($749,202,090 total) {week 25}
58. The Secret of Kells – $20,968 ($570,485 total) {week 14}
79. Ajami – $5,900 ($594,085 total) {week 18}
82. The Last Station – $4,530 ($6,612,068 total) {week 21}
91. A Prophet – $3,009 ($2,070,926 total) {week 15}
111. The Most Dangerous Man in America – $982 ($448,866 total) {week 19}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

14. How to Train Your Dragon – $505,611 ($221,473,419 total)
15. The Secret in Their Eyes – $411,819 ($4,133,998 total)
18. Alice in Wonderland – $311,180 ($345,467,651 total)
27. Exit Through the Gift Shop – $140,386 ($2,231,635 total)
39. Avatar – $79,414 ($775,789,743 total)
58. The Secret of Kells – $21,712 ($590,730 total)
79. Ajami – $6,109 ($615,168 total)
82. The Last Station – $4,691 ($6,846,717 total)
91. A Prophet – $3,116 ($2,144,419 total)
111. The Most Dangerous Man in America – $1,017 ($464,795 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]
• Exit Through the Gift Shop: Documentary Feature
• How to Train Your Dragon: Animated Feature, Original Score
• The Last Station : Actress (Helen Mirren), Supporting Actor (Christopher Plummer)
• The Most Dangerous Man in America : Documentary Feature
• A Prophet: Foreign Language Film
• The Secret in Their Eyes: Foreign Language Film
• The Secret of Kells : Animated Feature

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 10-12, 2005

Weekend Box Office:

3. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith – $14,851,474 ($332,109,171 total) {week 4}
6. Cinderella Man – $9,728,955 ($34,642,020 total) {week 2}
11. Crash – $1,876,639 ($44,299,728 total) {week 6}
14. Howl’s Moving Castle – $427,987 ($427,987 total) {week 1}
24. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room – $178,680 ($3,203,162 total) {week 8}
61. Downfall – $10,181 ($5,501,940 total) {week 17}
66. Born Into Brothels – $8,546 ($3,493,965 total) {week 23}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

3. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith – $18,929,258 ($423,296,712 total)
6. Cinderella Man – $12,400,244 ($44,153,713 total)
11. Crash – $2,391,910 ($56,463,148 total)
14. Howl’s Moving Castle – $545,500 ($545,500 total)
24. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room – $227,740 ($4,082,657 total)
61. Downfall – $12,976 ($7,012,613 total)
66. Born Into Brothels – $10,892 ($4,453,306 total)

Oscar Details:

• Born Into Brothels : Documentary Feature
• Cinderella Man: Supporting Actor (Paul Giamatti), Editing, Makeup
• Crash: Picture [O], Directing, Supporting Actor (Matt Dillon), Original Screenplay [O], Original Song (“In the Deep”), Editing [O]
• Downfall : Foreign Language Film
• Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room: Documentary Feature
• Howl’s Moving Castle: Animated Feature
• Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith: Makeup

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 9-11, 2000

Weekend Box Office:

5. Gladiator – $7,074,047 ($150,174,374 total) {week 6}
10. U-571 – $1,060,660 ($72,911,300 total) {week 8}
13. Erin Brockovich – $8,527,260 ($123,230,975 total) {week 13}
37. East-West – $109,003 ($1,459,230 total) {week 10}
44. Toy Story 2 – $73,131 ($245,484,763 total) {week 30}
50. The Cider House Rules – $63,295 ($57,486,392 total) {week 27}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

5. Gladiator – $10,722,628 ($227,629,803 total)
10. U-571 – $1,607,717 ($110,516,757 total)
13. Erin Brockovich – $12,925,364 ($186,789,808 total)
37. East-West – $165,223 ($2,211,857 total)
44. Toy Story 2 – $110,850 ($372,098,426 total)
50. The Cider House Rules – $95,941 ($87,136,145 total)

Oscar Details:

• The Cider House Rules : Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Michael Caine) [O], Original Screenplay [O], Original Score, Editing, Art Direction
• East-West: Foreign Language Film
• Erin Brockovich: Picture, Directing, Actress (Julia Roberts) [O], Supporting Actor (Albert Finney), Original Screenplay
• 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]
• Toy Story 2: Original Song (“When She Loved Me”)
• U-571: Sound, Sound Editing [O]

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 9-11, 1995

Weekend Box Office:

3. The Bridges of Madison County – $9,344,123 ($25,147,774 total) {week 2}
5. Braveheart – $5,489,172 ($34,434,723 total) {week 3}
6. Crimson Tide – $5,109,560 ($70,554,522 total) {week 5}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

3. The Bridges of Madison County – $17,549,767 ($47,231,566 total)
5. Braveheart – $10,309,548 ($64,673,951 total)
6. Crimson Tide – $9,596,576 ($132,512,746 total)

Oscar Details:

• Braveheart: Picture [O], Directing [O], Original Screenplay, Original Dramatic Score, Editing, Cinematography [O], Costume Design, Makeup [O], Sound, Sound Effects Editing [O]
• The Bridges of Madison County: Actress (Meryl Streep)
• Crimson Tide: Editing, Sound, Sound Effects Editing

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 8-10, 1990

Weekend Box Office:

2. Total Recall – $15,061,380 ($51,142,280 total) {week 2}
5. Pretty Woman – $4,480,347 ($133,324,214 total) {week 12}
9. The Hunt for Red October – $802,750 ($113,485,385 total) {week 15}
11. Cinema Paradiso – $351,320 ($5,469,838 total) {week 19}
12. Driving Miss Daisy – $503,466 ($103,639,744 total) {week 26}
12. Longtime Companion – $286,992 ($2,070,367 total) {week 5}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

2. Total Recall – $29,090,183 ($98,778,352 total)
5. Pretty Woman – $8,653,531 ($257,507,997 total)
9. The Hunt for Red October – $1,550,465 ($219,190,448 total)
11. Cinema Paradiso – $678,554 ($10,564,675 total)
12. Driving Miss Daisy – $972,415 ($200,174,163 total)
12. Longtime Companion – $554,308 ($3,998,794 total)

Oscar Details:

• 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]
• The Hunt for Red October: Editing, Sound, Sound Effects Editing [O]
• Longtime Companion: Supporting Actor (Bruce Davison)
• Pretty Woman: Actress (Julia Roberts)
• Total Recall: Sound, Sound Effects Editing, Visual Effects (Special Achievement Award) [O]

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 7-9, 1985

Weekend Box Office:

1. Rambo: First Blood Part II – $10,228,608 ($70,406,949 total) {week 3}
7. Beverly Hills Cop – $1,128,164 ($221,749,008 total) {week 27}
8. Witness – $728,002 ($63,836,926 total) {week 18}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Rambo: First Blood Part II – $23,540,205 ($162,035,147 total)
7. Beverly Hills Cop – $2,596,366 ($510,335,041 total)
8. Witness – $1,675,430 ($146,914,841 total)

Oscar Details:

• Beverly Hills Cop: Original Screenplay
• Rambo: First Blood Part II: Sound Effects Editing
• Witness: Picture, Directing, Actor (Harrison Ford), Original Screenplay [O], Original Score, Film Editing [O], Art Direction

35 Years Ago: The Weekend of Jun. 6-8, 1980

Weekend Box Office:

3. The Empire Strikes Back – $4,339,769 ($32,886,546 total) {week 3}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

3. The Empire Strikes Back – $13,180,637 ($99,882,186 total)

Oscar Details:

• The Empire Strikes Back: Original Score, Sound [O], Visual Effects (Special Achievement Award) [O]