Every week, we’ll take a look back 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years into the box office past to explore how Oscar’s nominees were doing at the box office that weekend historically. All data is taken from Box Office Mojo. The first section under each year is the positioning of all Oscar nominees during that weekend at the box office. The second 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. Please let us know if you like our new feature or if you want to see more information and we’ll see what we can do!

This Year: Potential Oscar Nominees Releasing This Weekend

None

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 31-Sep. 2, 2007

Weekend Box Office:

4. The Bourne Ultimatum – $10,412,835 ($199,832,950 total) {week 5}
18. Ratatouille – $1,201,679 ($200,776,098 total) {week 10}
20. Transformers – $1,148,698 ($310,182,848 total) {week 9}
28. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End – $302,301 ($308,591,973 total) {week 15}
31. Once – $296,225 ($8,016,014 total) {week 16}
35. No End in Sight – $171,101 ($835,023 total) {week 6}
40. Sicko – $117,820 ($24,086,154 total) {week 11}
43. La Vie en Rose – $109,319 ($9,589,774 total) {week 13}
86. The Lives of Others – $4,442 ($11,281,304 total) {week 30}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

4. The Bourne Ultimatum – $10,412,835 ($199,832,950 total)
18. Ratatouille – $1,201,679 ($200,776,098 total)
20. Transformers – $1,148,698 ($310,182,848 total)
28. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End – $302,301 ($308,591,973 total)
31. Once – $296,225 ($8,016,014 total)
35. No End in Sight – $171,101 ($835,023 total)
40. Sicko – $117,820 ($24,086,154 total)
43. La Vie en Rose – $109,319 ($9,589,774 total)
86. The Lives of Others – $4,442 ($11,281,304 total)

Oscar Details:

• The Bourne Ultimatum: Film Editing [O], Sound Mixing [O], Sound Editing [O]
• The Lives of Others: Foreign Language Film
• No End in Sight: Documentary Feature
• Once: Original Song [O]
• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End: Makeup, Visual Effects
• Ratatouille: Animated Feature [O], Original Screenplay, Original Score, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing
• Sicko: Documentary Feature
• Transformers: Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects
• La Vie en Rose: Actress [O], Costume Design, Makeup [O]

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 30-Sep. 1, 2002

Weekend Box Office:

2. My Big Fat Greek Wedding – $11,100,764 ($78,848,210 total) {week 20}
10. Road to Perdition – $2,654,918 ($98,457,248 total) {week 8}
17. Lilo & Stitch – $1,127,953 ($141,536,614 total) {week 11}
23. Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones – $473,431 ($300,556,038 total) {week 16}
25. Minority Report – $424,323 ($130,483,934 total) {week 11}
54. Monsters, Inc. – $23,361 ($255,792,174 total) {week 43}
63. Ice Age – $12,543 ($176,383,774 total) {week 25}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

2. My Big Fat Greek Wedding – $11,100,764 ($78,848,210 total)
10. Road to Perdition – $2,654,918 ($98,457,248 total)
17. Lilo & Stitch – $1,127,953 ($141,536,614 total)
23. Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones – $473,431 ($300,556,038 total)
25. Minority Report – $424,323 ($130,483,934 total)
54. Monsters, Inc. – $23,361 ($255,792,174 total)
63. Ice Age – $12,543 ($176,383,774 total)

Oscar Details:

• Ice Age: Animated Feature
• Lilo & Stitch: Animated Feature
• Minority Report: Sound Editing
• Monsters, Inc.: Animated Feature, Original Song (If I Didn’t Have You [O]), Original Score, Sound Editing
• My Big Fat Greek Wedding: Original Screenplay
• Road to Perdition: Supporting Actor (Paul Newman), Original Score, Cinematography [O], Art Direction, Sound, Sound Editing
• Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones: Visual Effects

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 29-Sep. 1, 1997

Weekend Box Office:

3. Air Force One – $8,520,110 ($154,240,266 total) {week 6}
10. Men in Black – $3,355,069 ($235,057,188 total) {week 9}
15. Contact – $1,954,990 ($94,977,242 total) {week 8}
16. Con Air – $1,219,756 ($99,504,822 total) {week 13}
18. My Best Friend’s Wedding – $1,014,393 ($119,454,579 total) {week 11}
999. The Full Monty – $912,374 ($1,734,173 total) {week 3}
999. The Lost World: Jurassic Park – $419,050 ($227,881,749 total) {week 15}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

3. Air Force One – $8,520,110 ($154,240,266 total)
10. Men in Black – $3,355,069 ($235,057,188 total)
15. Contact – $1,954,990 ($94,977,242 total)
16. Con Air – $1,219,756 ($99,504,822 total)
18. My Best Friend’s Wedding – $1,014,393 ($119,454,579 total)
999. The Full Monty – $912,374 ($1,734,173 total)
999. The Lost World: Jurassic Park – $419,050 ($227,881,749 total)

Oscar Details:

• Air Force One: Editing, Sound
• Con Air: Original Song (“How Do I Live”), Sound
• Contact: Sound
• The Full Monty: Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, Original Musical or Comedy Score [O]
• The Lost World: Jurassic Park: Visual Effects
• Men in Black: Original Musical or Comedy Score, Art Direction, Makeup [O]
• My Best Friend’s Wedding: Original Comedy/Musical Score

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 28-30, 1992

Weekend Box Office:

2. Unforgiven – $5,653,203 ($55,130,063 total) {week 4}
5. Death Becomes Her – $2,685,945 ($46,376,135 total) {week 5}
12. Batman Returns – $1,006,032 ($158,080,946 total) {week 11}
14. Enchanted April – $897,900 ($3,182,176 total) {week 5}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

2. Unforgiven – $5,653,203 ($55,130,063 total)
5. Death Becomes Her – $2,685,945 ($46,376,135 total)
12. Batman Returns – $1,006,032 ($158,080,946 total)
14. Enchanted April – $897,900 ($3,182,176 total)

Oscar Details:

• Batman Returns: Makeup, Visual Effects
• Death Becomes Her: Visual Effects [O]
• Enchanted April: Supporting Actress (Joan Plowright), Adapted Screenplay, Costume Design
• Unforgiven: Picture [O], Director [O], Actor (Clint Eastwood), Supporting Actor (Gene Hackman) [O], Original Screenplay, Editing [O], Cinematography, Art Direction, Sound

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 28-30, 1987

Weekend Box Office:

3. Dirty Dancing – $3,666,750 ($10,025,438 total) {week 2}
12. Robocop – $1,434,833 ($44,608,684 total) {week 7}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

3. Dirty Dancing – $3,666,750 ($10,025,438 total)
12. Robocop – $1,434,833 ($44,608,684 total)

Oscar Details:

• Dirty Dancing: Original Song (“(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life”) [O]
• Robocop: Film Editing, Sound, Sound Effects Editing [O]

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 27-29, 1982

Weekend Box Office:

1. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial – $6,630,709 ($227,450,298 total) {week 12}
2. An Officer and a Gentleman – $5,616,676 ($33,914,134 total) {week 5}
4. The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas – $2,305,209 ($57,264,275 total) {week 6}
7. The World According to Garp – $1,603,596 ($20,006,294 total) {week 6}
9. Rocky III – $1,551,020 ($108,854,300 total) {week 14}
16. Tron – $1,006,255 ($ total) {week 6}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial – $6,630,709 ($227,450,298 total)
2. An Officer and a Gentleman – $5,616,676 ($33,914,134 total)
4. The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas – $2,305,209 ($57,264,275 total)
7. The World According to Garp – $1,603,596 ($20,006,294 total)
9. Rocky III – $1,551,020 ($108,854,300 total)
16. Tron – $1,006,255 ($ total)

Oscar Details:

• The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas: Supporting Actor (Charles Durning)
• E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial: Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, Original Score [O], Editing, Cinematography, Sound [O], Sound Effects Editing [O], Visual Effects [O]
• An Officer and a Gentleman: Actress (Debra Winger), Supporting Actor (Louis Gossett Jr.) [O], Original Screenplay, Original Song (“Up Where We Belong”) [O], Original Score, Film Editing
• Rocky III: Original Song (“Eye of the Tiger”)
• Tron: Costume Design, Sound
• The World According to Garp: Supporting Actor (John Lithgow), Supporting Actress (Glenn Close)