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

Grandma (Limited)

Oscar Potential: Best Actress (Lily Tomlin).

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 20-22, 2010

Weekend Box Office:

9. Inception – $7,838,179 ($262,031,594 total) {week 6}
13. Salt – $3,410,012 ($109,895,105 total) {week 5}
16. Toy Story 3 – $1,523,124 ($403,803,642 total) {week 10}
17. The Kids Are All Right – $818,213 ($18,239,725 total) {week 7}
29. Winter’s Bone – $212,138 ($5,180,863 total) {week 11}
36. I Am Love – $112,373 ($4,398,585 total) {week 10}
38. Animal Kingdom – $101,440 ($198,482 total) {week 2}
42. Restrepo – $59,249 ($1,049,797 total) {week 9}
60. Exit Through the Gift Shop – $19,342 ($3,180,531 total) {week 19}
75. The Secret in Their Eyes – $9,416 ($6,318,059 total) {week 19}
93. Ajami – $1,205 ($621,240 total) {week 29}
111. Dogtooth – $158 ($45,851 total) {week 9}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

9. Inception – $8,116,340 ($271,330,561 total)
13. Salt – $3,531,026 ($113,795,058 total)
16. Toy Story 3 – $1,577,177 ($418,133,809 total)
17. The Kids Are All Right – $847,250 ($18,887,016 total)
29. Winter’s Bone – $219,666 ($5,364,721 total)
36. I Am Love – $116,361 ($4,554,682 total)
38. Animal Kingdom – $105,040 ($205,526 total)
42. Restrepo – $61,352 ($1,087,052 total)
60. Exit Through the Gift Shop – $20,028 ($3,293,402 total)
75. The Secret in Their Eyes – $9,750 ($6,542,274 total)
93. Ajami – $1,248 ($643,287 total)
111. Dogtooth – $164 ($47,478 total)

Oscar Details:

• Ajami: Foreign Language Film
• Animal Kingdom: Supporting Actress (Jacki Weaver)
• Dogtooth: Foreign Language Film
• Exit Through the Gift Shop: Documentary Feature
• I Am Love: Costume Design
• Inception: Picture, Original Screenplay, Original Score, Cinematography [O], Art Direction, Sound Mixing [O], Sound Editing [O], Visual Effects [O]
• The Kids Are All Right: Picture, Actress (Annette Bening), Supporting Actor (Mark Ruffalo), Original Screenplay
• Restrepo: Documentary Feature
• Salt: Sound Mixing
• The Secret in Their Eyes: Foreign Language Film
• Toy Story 3: Picture, Animated Feature [O], Adapted Screenplay, Original Song (“We Belong Together”) [O], Sound Editing
• Winter’s Bone: Picture, Actress (Jennifer Lawrence), Supporting Actor (John Hawkes), Adapted Screenplay

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 26-28, 2005

Weekend Box Office:

7. March of the Penguins – $4,743,822 ($55,895,099 total) {week 10}
12. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – $2,695,447 ($197,578,822 total) {week 7}
17. War of the Worlds – $758,139 ($231,806,280 total) {week 9}
22. Batman Begins – $445,373 ($203,019,055 total) {week 11}
28. Junebug – $256,550 ($755,579 total) {week 4}
29. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith – $248,124 ($379,392,611 total) {week 15}
31. Hustle & Flow – $179,259 ($21,753,798 total) {week 6}
34. Crash – $139,246 ($53,116,469 total) {week 17}
44. Cinderella Man – $64,445 ($61,473,615 total) {week 13}
53. Murderball – $43,525 ($1,328,551 total) {week 8}
76. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room – $14,108 ($4,051,618 total) {week 19}
77. Howl’s Moving Castle – $13,436 ($4,641,887 total) {week 12}
92. Darwin’s Nightmare – $4,786 ($44,104 total) {week 4}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

7. March of the Penguins – $6,046,338 ($71,242,271 total)
12. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – $3,435,539 ($251,828,233 total)
17. War of the Worlds – $966,302 ($295,453,558 total)
22. Batman Begins – $567,660 ($258,762,196 total)
28. Junebug – $326,991 ($963,039 total)
29. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith – $316,252 ($483,562,813 total)
31. Hustle & Flow – $228,478 ($27,726,760 total)
34. Crash – $177,479 ($67,700,710 total)
44. Cinderella Man – $82,140 ($78,352,486 total)
53. Murderball – $55,476 ($1,693,333 total)
76. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room – $17,982 ($5,164,075 total)
77. Howl’s Moving Castle – $17,125 ($5,916,414 total)
92. Darwin’s Nightmare – $6,100 ($56,214 total)

Oscar Details:

• Batman Begins: Cinematography
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Costume Design
• 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]
• Darwin’s Nightmare: Documentary Feature
• Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room: Documentary Feature
• Howl’s Moving Castle: Animated Feature
• Hustle & Flow: Actor (Terrence Howard), Original Song (“It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp”) [O]
• Junebug: Supporting Actress (Amy Adams)
• March of the Penguins: Documentary Feature [O]
• Murderball: Documentary Feature
• Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith: Makeup
• War of the Worlds: Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 25-27, 2000

Weekend Box Office:

3. The Cell – $9,676,012 ($33,745,083 total) {week 2}
4. Space Cowboys – $6,514,903 ($63,709,955 total) {week 4}
12. Hollow Man – $2,811,159 ($66,562,821 total) {week 4}
16. The Perfect Storm – $1,207,115 ($175,604,700 total) {week 9}
21. The Patriot – $566,283 ($110,968,991 total) {week 9}
22. Gladiator – $450,919 ($182,749,280 total) {week 17}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

3. The Cell – $14,666,608 ($51,149,783 total)
4. Space Cowboys – $9,875,094 ($96,569,635 total)
12. Hollow Man – $4,261,070 ($100,893,923 total)
16. The Perfect Storm – $1,829,709 ($266,176,326 total)
21. The Patriot – $858,355 ($168,203,461 total)
22. Gladiator – $683,489 ($277,005,866 total)

Oscar Details:

• The Cell: Makeup
• 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]
• Hollow Man: Visual Effects
• The Patriot: Original Score, Cinematography, Sound
• The Perfect Storm: Sound, Visual Effects
• Space Cowboys: Sound Editing

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 25-27, 1995

Weekend Box Office:

7. Babe – $3,693,515 ($36,821,030 total) {week 4}
8. Waterworld – $3,548,155 ($76,273,920 total) {week 5}
9. Apollo 13 – $2,571,270 ($157,882,585 total) {week 9}
16. Batman Forever – $1,090,404 ($179,477,383 total) {week 11}
999. The Usual Suspects – $548,046 ($1,664,815 total) {week 2}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

7. Babe – $6,937,016 ($69,155,820 total)
8. Waterworld – $6,664,006 ($143,254,696 total)
9. Apollo 13 – $4,829,259 ($296,528,901 total)
16. Batman Forever – $2,047,954 ($337,087,407 total)
999. The Usual Suspects – $1,029,319 ($3,126,790 total)

Oscar Details:

• Apollo 13: Picture, Supporting Actor (Ed Harris), Supporting Actress (Kathleen Quinlan), Adapted Screenplay, Original Dramatic Score, Editing [O], Art Direction, Sound [O], Visual Effects
• Babe: Picture, Directing, Supporting Actor (James Cromwell), Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Art Direction, Visual Effects [O]
• Batman Forever: Cinematography, Sound, Sound Effects Editing
• The Usual Suspects: Supporting Actor (Kevin Spacey) [O], Original Screenplay [O]
• Waterworld: Sound

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 24-26, 1990

Weekend Box Office:

2. Ghost – $7,474,702 ($111,468,095 total) {week 7}
3. Flatliners – $5,009,634 ($32,338,840 total) {week 3}
12. Young Guns II – $1,828,285 ($31,095,099 total) {week 4}
13. Wild at Heart – $1,681,128 ($6,154,828 total) {week 2}
999. Total Recall – $478,170 ($115,894,269 total) {week 13}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

2. Ghost – $14,436,954 ($215,294,169 total)
3. Flatliners – $9,675,818 ($62,460,596 total)
12. Young Guns II – $3,531,227 ($60,058,383 total)
13. Wild at Heart – $3,247,001 ($11,887,694 total)
999. Total Recall – $923,558 ($223,843,068 total)

Oscar Details:

• Flatliners: Sound Effects Editing
• Ghost: Picture, Supporting Actress (Whoopi Goldberg) [O], Original Screenplay [O], Original Score, Editing
• Total Recall: Sound, Sound Effects Editing, Visual Effects (Special Achievement Award) [O]
• Wild at Heart: Supporting Actress (Diane Ladd)
• Young Guns II: Original Song (“Blaze of Glory”)

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 23-25, 1985

Weekend Box Office:

1. Back to the Future – $6,927,360 ($119,905,425 total) {week 8}
10. Cocoon – $1,695,468 ($66,058,449 total) {week 10}
13. Silverado – $1,120,719 ($25,995,319 total) {week 7}
14. Rambo: First Blood Part II – $1,104,317 ($144,094,973 total) {week 14}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Back to the Future – $15,942,685 ($275,951,358 total)
10. Cocoon – $3,901,964 ($152,027,473 total)
13. Silverado – $2,579,232 ($59,825,847 total)
14. Rambo: First Blood Part II – $2,541,484 ($331,621,389 total)

Oscar Details:

• Back to the Future: Original Screenplay, Original Song (“The Power of Love’), Sound, Sound Effects Editing [O]
• Cocoon: Supporting Actor (Don Ameche) [O], Visual Effects [O]
• Rambo: First Blood Part II: Sound Effects Editing
• Silverado: Original Score, Sound