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

None

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Nov. 29-Dec. 1, 2013

Weekend Box Office:

2. Frozen – $67,391,326 ($93,933,226 total) {week 2}
7. The Book Thief – $4,864,861 ($7,864,920 total) {week 4}
8. Philomena – $3,676,001 ($4,637,419 total) {week 2}
11. Gravity – $2,556,188 ($249,699,049 total) {week 9}
12. Dallas Buyers Club – $2,517,176 ($10,215,704 total) {week 5}
13. 12 Years a Slave – $2,305,038 ($33,155,242 total) {week 7}
15. Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa – $176,642 ($98,779,629 total) {week 6}
17. Captain Phillips – $1,148,004 ($102,723,955 total) {week 8}
19. Nebraska – $730,965 ($1,479,331 total) {week 3}
23. Despicable Me 2 – $340,160 ($366,932,480 total) {week 22}
24. All Is Lost – $193,252 ($5,306,145 total) {week 7}
26. The Great Beauty – $133,051 ($255,164 total) {week 3}
31. Prisoners – $92,698 ($60,962,878 total) {week 11}
33. Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom – $84,283 ($84,283 total) {week 1}
44. Blue Jasmine – $37,602 ($32,744,634 total) {week 19}
78. 20 Feet from Stardom – $2,608 ($4,774,371 total) {week 25}
99. The Act of Killing – $324 ($451,157 total) {week 20}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

2. Frozen – $69,090,981 ($96,302,286 total)
7. The Book Thief – $4,987,556 ($8,063,279 total)
8. Philomena – $3,768,712 ($4,754,378 total)
11. Gravity – $2,620,657 ($255,996,629 total)
12. Dallas Buyers Club – $2,580,661 ($10,473,351 total)
13. 12 Years a Slave – $2,363,173 ($33,991,440 total)
15. Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa – $181,097 ($101,270,919 total)
17. Captain Phillips – $1,176,957 ($105,314,723 total)
19. Nebraska – $749,400 ($1,516,641 total)
23. Despicable Me 2 – $348,739 ($376,186,767 total)
24. All Is Lost – $198,126 ($5,439,970 total)
26. The Great Beauty – $136,407 ($261,599 total)
31. Prisoners – $95,036 ($62,500,403 total)
33. Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom – $86,409 ($86,409 total)
44. Blue Jasmine – $38,550 ($33,570,476 total)
78. 20 Feet from Stardom – $2,674 ($4,894,784 total)
99. The Act of Killing – $332 ($462,535 total)

Oscar Details:

• 12 Years a Slave: Picture [O], Directing, Actor (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Supporting Actor (Michael Fassbender), Supporting Actress (Lupita Nyong’o) [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Film Editing, Production Design, Costume Design
• 20 Feet from Stardom: Documentary Feature [O]
• The Act of Killing: Documentary Feature
• All Is Lost: Sound Editing
• Blue Jasmine: Actress (Cate Blanchett) [O], Supporting Actress (Sally Hawkins), Original Screenplay
• The Book Thief: Original Score
• Captain Phillips: Picture, Supporting Actor (Barkhad Abdi), Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing
• Dallas Buyers Club: Picture, Actor (Matthew McConaughey) [O], Supporting Actor (Jared Leto) [O], Original Screenplay, Film Editing, Makeup and Hairstyling [O]
• Despicable Me 2: Animated Feature, Original Song (“Happy”)
• Frozen: Animated Feature [O], Original Song (“Let It Go”) [O]
• Gravity: Picture, Directing [O], Actress (Sandra Bullock), Original Score [O], Film Editing [O], Cinematography [O], Production Design, Sound Mixing [O], Sound Editing [O], Visual Effects [O]
• The Great Beauty: Foreign Language Film [O]
• Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa: Makeup and Hairstyling
• Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom: Original Song (“Ordinary Love”)
• Nebraska: Picture, Directing, Actor (Bruce Dern), Supporting Actress (June Squibb), Original Screenplay, Cinematography
• Philomena: Picture, Actress (Judi Dench), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score
• Prisoners: Cinematography

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Nov. 28-30, 2008

Weekend Box Office:

2. Bolt – $26,581,002 ($66,848,840 total) {week 2}
5. Australia – $14,800,723 ($20,004,456 total) {week 1}
10. Milk – $1,453,844 ($1,941,472 total) {week 1}
11. Slumdog Millionaire – $1,346,039 ($3,544,374 total) {week 3}
12. Changeling – $1,207,240 ($33,849,632 total) {week 6}
15. Rachel Getting Married – $530,210 ($8,802,274 total) {week 9}
19. The Dark Knight – $343,366 ($530,258,989 total) {week 20}
20. Happy-Go-Lucky – $289,208 ($2,641,426 total) {week 8}
29. WALL-E – $116,758 ($223,641,119 total) {week 23}
44. The Duchess – $46,483 ($13,759,842 total) {week 11}
46. Vicky Cristina Barcelona – $43,433 ($22,478,183 total) {week 16}
61. Man on Wire – $12,366 ($2,882,536 total) {week 19}
80. Frozen River – $3,189 ($2,284,536 total) {week 18}
87. The Betrayal – $2,554 ($10,648 total) {week 2}
91. Trouble the Water – $1,816 ($470,844 total) {week 15}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

2. Bolt – $24,067,036 ($60,526,440 total)
5. Australia – $13,400,907 ($18,112,483 total)
10. Milk – $1,316,343 ($1,757,852 total)
11. Slumdog Millionaire – $1,218,734 ($3,209,156 total)
12. Changeling – $1,093,062 ($30,648,217 total)
15. Rachel Getting Married – $480,064 ($7,969,776 total)
19. The Dark Knight – $310,891 ($480,108,391 total)
20. Happy-Go-Lucky – $261,855 ($2,391,606 total)
29. WALL-E – $105,715 ($202,489,689 total)
44. The Duchess – $42,087 ($12,458,470 total)
46. Vicky Cristina Barcelona – $39,325 ($20,352,251 total)
61. Man on Wire – $11,196 ($2,609,913 total)
80. Frozen River – $2,887 ($2,068,470 total)
87. The Betrayal – $2,312 ($9,641 total)
91. Trouble the Water – $1,644 ($426,313 total)

Oscar Details:

• Australia: Costume Design
• The Betrayal: Documentary Feature
• Bolt: Animated Feature
• Changeling: Actress (Angelina Jolie), Cinematography, Art Direction
• The Dark Knight: Supporting Actor (Heath Ledger) [O], Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction, Makeup, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing [O], Visual Effects
• The Duchess: Art Direction, Costume Design [O]
• Frozen River: Actress (Melissa Leo), Original Screenplay
• Happy-Go-Lucky: Original Screenplay
• Man on Wire: Documentary Feature [O]
• Milk: Picture, Director, Actor (Sean Penn) [O], Supporting Actor (Josh Brolin), Original Screenplay [O], Original Score, Editing, Costume Design
• Rachel Getting Married: Actress (Anne Hathaway)
• Slumdog Millionaire: Picture [O], Director [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Song (“Jai Ho”) [O], Original Score [O], Editing [O], Cinematography [O], Sound Mixing [O], Sound Editing
• Trouble the Water: Documentary Feature
• Vicky Cristina Barcelona: Supporting Actress (Penelope Cruz) [O]
• WALL-E: Animated Feature [O], Original Screenplay, Original Song (“Down to Earth”), Original Score, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Nov. 28-30, 2003

Weekend Box Office:

6. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World – $12,048,731 ($66,632,517 total) {week 3}
10. Brother Bear – $4,872,344 ($77,695,232 total) {week 6}
14. Mystic River – $1,610,234 ($50,948,862 total) {week 8}
16. 21 Grams – $988,321 ($1,598,378 total) {week 2}
19. Lost in Translation – $544,363 ($28,901,635 total) {week 12}
23. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl – $430,070 ($304,879,615 total) {week 21}
24. Tupac: Resurrection – $397,968 ($7,474,524 total) {week 3}
30. Pieces of April – $254,799 ($1,962,946 total) {week 7}
32. In America – $205,229 ($260,353 total) {week 1}
37. The Cooler – $128,973 ($171,621 total) {week 1}
39. The Triplets of Belleville – $108,080 ($143,762 total) {week 1}
44. Seabiscuit – $71,540 ($120,147,445 total) {week 19}
50. My Architect – $43,265 ($184,629 total) {week 3}
61. Finding Nemo – $17,845 ($339,703,580 total) {week 27}
62. American Splendor – $16,718 ($6,003,587 total) {week 16}
65. Winged Migration – $15,044 ($10,736,058 total) {week 33}
71. Dirty Pretty Things – $10,079 ($8,018,335 total) {week 20}
86. Thirteen – $4,963 ($4,589,737 total) {week 15}
97. City of God – $3,209 ($4,741,076 total) {week 46}
100. The Weather Underground – $2,354 ($483,010 total) {week 26}
123. Spellbound – $605 ($5,727,803 total) {week 31}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

6. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World – $9,161,898 ($50,667,601 total)
10. Brother Bear – $3,704,948 ($59,079,729 total)
14. Mystic River – $1,224,428 ($38,741,695 total)
16. 21 Grams – $751,523 ($1,215,412 total)
19. Lost in Translation – $413,936 ($21,976,905 total)
23. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl – $327,027 ($231,831,536 total)
24. Tupac: Resurrection – $302,616 ($5,683,654 total)
30. Pieces of April – $193,750 ($1,492,631 total)
32. In America – $156,057 ($197,973 total)
37. The Cooler – $98,072 ($130,501 total)
39. The Triplets of Belleville – $82,184 ($109,317 total)
44. Seabiscuit – $54,399 ($91,360,541 total)
50. My Architect – $32,899 ($140,393 total)
61. Finding Nemo – $13,569 ($258,311,802 total)
62. American Splendor – $12,712 ($4,565,149 total)
65. Winged Migration – $11,440 ($8,163,736 total)
71. Dirty Pretty Things – $7,664 ($6,097,170 total)
86. Thirteen – $3,774 ($3,490,052 total)
97. City of God – $2,440 ($3,605,131 total)
100. The Weather Underground – $1,790 ($367,283 total)
123. Spellbound – $460 ($4,355,442 total)

Oscar Details:

• 21 Grams: Actress (Naomi Watts), Supporting Actor (Benicio Del Toro)
• American Splendor: Adapted Screenplay
• Brother Bear: Animated Feature
• City of God: Director, Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Cinematography
• The Cooler: Supporting Actor (Alec Baldwin)
• Dirty Pretty Things: Original Screenplay
• Finding Nemo: Animated Feature [O], Original Screenplay, Original Score, Sound Editing
• In America: Actress (Samantha Morton), Supporting Actor (Djimon Hounsou), Original Screenplay
• Lost in Translation: Picture, Director, Actor (Bill Murray), Original Screenplay [O]
• Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World: Picture, Director, Editing, Cinematography [O], Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing [O], Visual Effects
• My Architect: Documentary Feature
• Mystic River: Picture, Director, Actor (Sean Penn) [O], Supporting Actor (Tim Robbins) [O], Supporting Actress (Marcia Gay Harden), Adapted Screenplay
• Pieces of April: Supporting Actress (Patricia Clarkson)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl: Actor (Johnny Depp), Makeup, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects
• Seabiscuit: Picture, Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume Design, Sound Mixing
• Spellbound: Documentary Feature
• Thirteen: Supporting Actress (Holly Hunter)
• The Triplets of Belleville: Animated Feature, Original Song (“Belleville Rendez-vous”)
• Tupac: Resurrection : Documentary Feature
• The Weather Underground: Documentary Feature
• Winged Migration: Documentary Feature

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of Nov. 27-29, 1998

Weekend Box Office:

1. A Bug’s Life – $33,258,052 ($46,111,456 total) {week 2}
5. Babe: Pig in the City – $6,162,640 ($8,200,515 total) {week 1}
9. Elizabeth – $3,391,187 ($6,958,276 total) {week 4}
14. Pleasantville – $1,204,095 ($36,720,568 total) {week 6}
16. American History X – $989,684 ($4,001,063 total) {week 5}
18. Life Is Beautiful – $871,072 ($5,248,338 total) {week 6}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. A Bug’s Life – $19,669,642 ($27,271,466 total)
5. Babe: Pig in the City – $3,644,739 ($4,849,989 total)
9. Elizabeth – $2,005,633 ($4,115,298 total)
14. Pleasantville – $712,132 ($21,717,461 total)
16. American History X – $585,324 ($2,366,329 total)
18. Life Is Beautiful – $515,174 ($3,103,998 total)

Oscar Details:

• American History X: Actor (Edward Norton)
• Babe: Pig in the City: Original Song (“That’ll Do”)
• A Bug’s Life: Original Musical or Comedy Score
• Elizabeth: Picture, Actress (Cate Blanchett), Original Dramatic Score, Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup
• Life Is Beautiful: Picture, Director, Actor (Roberto Benigni) [O], Original Screenplay, Original Dramatic Score [O], Editing, Foreign Language Film [O]
• Pleasantville: Original Dramatic Score, Art Direction, Costume Design

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Nov. 26-28, 1993

Weekend Box Office:

1. Mrs. Doubtfire – $20,468,847 ($27,558,032 total) {week 1}
2. Addams Family Values – $10,650,625 ($30,235,417 total) {week 2}
8. The Nightmare Before Christmas – $3,328,681 ($43,682,814 total) {week 7}
10. The Piano – $2,446,752 ($5,177,499 total) {week 3}
11. The Remains of the Day – $2,200,701 ($10,702,678 total) {week 4}
13. Jurassic Park – $1,855,720 ($333,307,310 total) {week 25}
999. Children of Fate – $1,099 ($1,489 total) {week 1}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Mrs. Doubtfire – $10,686,132 ($14,387,169 total)
2. Addams Family Values – $5,560,352 ($15,784,947 total)
8. The Nightmare Before Christmas – $1,737,798 ($22,805,404 total)
10. The Piano – $1,277,371 ($2,703,007 total)
11. The Remains of the Day – $1,148,916 ($5,587,527 total)
13. Jurassic Park – $968,812 ($174,009,113 total)
999. Children of Fate – $574 ($777 total)

Oscar Details:

• Addams Family Values: Art Direction
• Children of Fate: Documentary Feature
• Jurassic Park: Sound [O], Sound Effects [O], Visual Effects [O]
• Mrs. Doubtfire: Makeup [O]
• The Nightmare Before Christmas: Visual Effects
• The Piano: Picture, Director, Actress (Holly Hunter) [O], Supporting Actress (Anna Paquin) [O], Original Screenplay [O], Editing, Cinematography, Costume Design
• The Remains of the Day: Picture, Director, Anthony Hopkins, Actress (Emma Thompson), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score, Art Direction, Costume Design

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Nov. 25-27, 1988

Weekend Box Office:

1. Scrooged – $13,027,842 ($18,548,158 total) {week 1}
8. The Accused – $1,600,449 ($26,601,440 total) {week 7}
14. A Cry in the Dark – $914,190 ($4,552,759 total) {week 3}
15. Who Framed Roger Rabbit – $721,424 ($148,375,903 total) {week 23}
17. Buster – $265,038 ($350,071 total) {week 1}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Scrooged – $6,752,135 ($9,613,232 total)
8. The Accused – $829,489 ($13,787,127 total)
14. A Cry in the Dark – $473,811 ($2,359,627 total)
15. Who Framed Roger Rabbit – $373,903 ($76,901,004 total)
17. Buster – $137,365 ($181,437 total)

Oscar Details:

• The Accused: Actress (Jodie Foster) [O]
• Buster: Original Song (“Two Hearts”)
• A Cry in the Dark: Actress (Meryl Streep)
• Scrooged: Makeup
• Who Framed Roger Rabbit: Editing [O], Cinematography, Art Direction, Sound, Sound Effects [O], Visual Effects [O], Special Achievement Award (Animation Direction, Richard Williams)

35 Years Ago: The Weekend of Dec. 2-4, 1983

Weekend Box Office:

1. Terms of Endearment – $3,125,453 ($8,949,207 total) {week 2}
3. The Big Chill – $2,037,252 ($38,587,201 total) {week 10}
8. Educating Rita – $753,983 ($8,741,012 total) {week 11}
11. The Right Stuff – $681,997 ($11,378,193 total) {week 7}
999. Return of the Jedi – $239,932 ($244,354,181 total) {week 28}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

1. Terms of Endearment – $1,241,510 ($3,554,855 total)
3. The Big Chill – $809,249 ($15,327,829 total)
8. Educating Rita – $299,501 ($3,472,155 total)
11. The Right Stuff – $270,907 ($4,519,711 total)
999. Return of the Jedi – $95,307 ($97,063,767 total)

Oscar Details:

• The Big Chill: Picture, Supporting Actress (Glenn Close), Original Screenplay
• Educating Rita: Actor (Michael Caine), Actress (Julie Walters), Adapted Screenplay
• Return of the Jedi: Original Score, Art Direction, Sound, Sound Effects, Visual Effects [O]
• The Right Stuff: Picture, Supporting Actor (Sam Shepard), Original Score, Editing [O], Cinematography, Art Direction, Sound [O], Sound Effects [O]
• Terms of Endearment: Picture [O], Directing [O], Actress (Shirley MacLaine) [O], Actress (Debra Winger), Supporting Actor (John Lithgow), Supporting Actor (Jack Nicholson) [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Original Score, Editing, Art Direction, Sound