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

None

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Sep. 3-5, 2010

Weekend Box Office:

9. Inception – $4,572,249 ($277,145,503 total) {week 8}
17. Toy Story 3 – $1,944,801 ($408,100,174 total) {week 12}
19. Salt – $1,257,471 ($115,218,468 total) {week 7}
27. The Kids Are All Right – $393,425 ($19,790,647 total) {week 9}
40. Winter’s Bone – $117,398 ($5,608,603 total) {week 13}
41. Animal Kingdom – $111,583 ($536,505 total) {week 4}
47. I Am Love – $63,555 ($4,673,073 total) {week 12}
56. Restrepo – $29,801 ($1,172,861 total) {week 11}
71. Exit Through the Gift Shop – $11,423 ($3,215,532 total) {week 21}
77. The Secret in Their Eyes – $6,980 ($6,346,006 total) {week 21}
88. Dogtooth – $2,858 ($50,654 total) {week 11}
91. The Milk of Sorrow – $2,440 ($5,834 total) {week 2}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

9. Inception – $4,734,509 ($286,980,831 total)
17. Toy Story 3 – $2,013,818 ($422,582,816 total)
19. Salt – $1,302,096 ($119,307,336 total)
27. The Kids Are All Right – $407,387 ($20,492,977 total)
40. Winter’s Bone – $121,564 ($5,807,641 total)
41. Animal Kingdom – $115,543 ($555,544 total)
47. I Am Love – $65,810 ($4,838,911 total)
56. Restrepo – $30,859 ($1,214,483 total)
71. Exit Through the Gift Shop – $11,828 ($3,329,645 total)
77. The Secret in Their Eyes – $7,228 ($6,571,213 total)
88. Dogtooth – $2,959 ($52,452 total)
91. The Milk of Sorrow – $2,527 ($6,041 total)

Oscar Details:

• 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
• The Milk of Sorrow : Foreign Language Film
• 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 Sep. 9-11, 2005

Weekend Box Office:

4. The Constant Gardener – $4,726,644 ($19,017,317 total) {week 2}
10. March of the Penguins – $2,639,936 ($66,979,768 total) {week 12}
17. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – $992,389 ($202,593,015 total) {week 9}
21. Batman Begins – $440,469 ($204,145,879 total) {week 13}
28. War of the Worlds – $226,697 ($232,901,322 total) {week 11}
30. Junebug – $216,357 ($1,408,391 total) {week 6}
34. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith – $118,798 ($379,972,309 total) {week 17}
38. Hustle & Flow – $79,220 ($22,044,583 total) {week 8}
48. Crash – $48,429 ($53,382,847 total) {week 19}
56. Murderball – $27,913 ($1,431,038 total) {week 10}
58. Cinderella Man – $22,420 ($61,577,640 total) {week 15}
67. Howl’s Moving Castle – $13,514 ($4,688,756 total) {week 14}
117. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room – $1,246 ($4,061,936 total) {week 21}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

4. The Constant Gardener – $6,024,443 ($24,238,920 total)
10. March of the Penguins – $3,364,786 ($85,370,469 total)
17. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – $1,264,870 ($258,219,178 total)
21. Batman Begins – $561,409 ($260,198,414 total)
28. War of the Worlds – $288,941 ($296,849,267 total)
30. Junebug – $275,762 ($1,795,094 total)
34. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith – $151,416 ($484,301,679 total)
38. Hustle & Flow – $100,972 ($28,097,386 total)
48. Crash – $61,726 ($68,040,228 total)
56. Murderball – $35,577 ($1,823,960 total)
58. Cinderella Man – $28,576 ($78,485,073 total)
67. Howl’s Moving Castle – $17,225 ($5,976,152 total)
117. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room – $1,588 ($5,177,226 total)

Oscar Details:

• Batman Begins: Cinematography
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Costume Design
• Cinderella Man: Supporting Actor (Paul Giamatti), Editing, Makeup
• The Constant Gardener: Supporting Actress (Rachel Weisz) [O], Adapted Screenplay, Origianl Score, Editing
• Crash: Picture [O], Directing, Supporting Actor (Matt Dillon), Original Screenplay [O], Original Song (“In the Deep”), Editing [O]
• 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 Sep. 8-10, 2000

Weekend Box Office:

4. The Cell – $3,654,515 ($51,341,527 total) {week 4}
5. Space Cowboys – $3,340,850 ($78,825,796 total) {week 6}
18. Hollow Man – $770,511 ($71,342,018 total) {week 6}
19. The Perfect Storm – $634,000 ($178,684,608 total) {week 11}
24. Gladiator – $483,001 ($184,229,225 total) {week 19}
32. The Patriot – $248,485 ($112,139,749 total) {week 11}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

4. The Cell – $5,539,404 ($77,821,944 total)
5. Space Cowboys – $5,063,960 ($119,481,772 total)
18. Hollow Man – $1,167,917 ($108,138,087 total)
19. The Perfect Storm – $960,998 ($270,844,758 total)
24. Gladiator – $732,118 ($279,249,122 total)
32. The Patriot – $376,646 ($169,978,061 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 Sep. 8-10, 1995

Weekend Box Office:

10. The Usual Suspects – $2,161,617 ($8,616,049 total) {week 4}
11. Babe – $2,127,840 ($45,851,035 total) {week 6}
13. Apollo 13 – $1,503,225 ($163,927,640 total) {week 11}
14. Waterworld – $1,301,015 ($83,017,205 total) {week 7}
999. Batman Forever – $575,386 ($181,976,456 total) {week 13}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

10. The Usual Suspects – $4,059,865 ($16,182,327 total)
11. Babe – $3,996,426 ($86,115,622 total)
13. Apollo 13 – $2,823,298 ($307,882,487 total)
14. Waterworld – $2,443,516 ($155,919,670 total)
999. Batman Forever – $1,080,667 ($341,781,068 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 Sep. 7-9, 1990

Weekend Box Office:

1. Ghost – $6,510,023 ($133,437,093 total) {week 9}
4. Flatliners – $3,201,954 ($44,343,977 total) {week 5}
8. Young Guns II – $1,510,829 ($36,229,602 total) {week 6}
11. Wild at Heart – $1,243,699 ($10,640,660 total) {week 4}
999. Total Recall – $378,000 ($117,152,138 total) {week 15}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Ghost – $12,573,732 ($257,726,017 total)
4. Flatliners – $6,184,389 ($85,647,823 total)
8. Young Guns II – $2,918,079 ($69,975,378 total)
11. Wild at Heart – $2,402,133 ($20,551,818 total)
999. Total Recall – $730,085 ($226,272,569 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 Sep. 6-8, 1985

Weekend Box Office:

1. Back to the Future – $5,214,465 ($139,392,468 total) {week 10}
8. Cocoon – $1,332,539 ($70,978,323 total) {week 12}
9. Silverado – $1,248,818 ($29,070,413 total) {week 9}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Back to the Future – $12,000,614 ($320,799,004 total)
8. Cocoon – $3,066,717 ($163,350,112 total)
9. Silverado – $2,874,040 ($66,902,894 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]
• Silverado: Original Score, Sound