Oscars 2013 by Box Office

Year

Nominees – Box Office Totals

(winner in bold)

 Comments

1974

1. The Towering Inferno – $116 million

2. The Godfather Part II – $47.5 million

3. Chinatown – $29.2 million

4. The Conversation – $4.4 million

5. Lenny – Unknown

Other than that, it makes sense the order these went in.

1975

1. Jaws – $260 million

2. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – $109 million

3. Dog Day Afternoon – $50 million

4. Nashville – $10 million

5. Barry Lyndon – Unknown

1976

1. Rocky – $117.2 million

2. All the President’s Men – $70.6 million

3. Taxi Driver – $28.3 million

4. Network – $23.7 million

5. Bound for Glory – Unknown

The biggest thing here is that All the President’s Men made $70 million. That’s crazy money for a film like that in 1974. It made more than Godfather II!

1977

1. Star Wars – $461 million

2. Annie Hall – $38.3 million

3. The Turning Point – $25.9 million

4. Julia – $20.7 million

5. The Goodbye Girl – Unknown

Annie Hall, though — #2. So far everyone has been a top two grosser.

Interesting I couldn’t find The Goodbye Girl’s box office. I’d have thought that would have made money. I wonder if it made more than Annie Hall or not. I’m guessing probably not. But interesting that there’s nothing.

1978

1. Heaven Can Wait – $81.6 million

2. The Deer Hunter – $49 million

3. Midnight Express – $35 million

4. Coming Home – $32.7 million

5. An Unmarried Woman – Unknown

Midnight Express made $35 million. Solid receipts for a movie about a Turkish prison.

1979

1. Kramer vs. Kramer – $106.3 million

2.  Apocalypse Now – $78.8 million

3. All That Jazz – $37.8 million

4. Norma Rae – $22.2 million

5. Breaking Away – $16.4 million

Makes sense that Kramer vs. Kramer made the most money. People eat up that stuff.

I like that Apocalypse Now made its money back in theaters, though. Sort of. I don’t know if it really did that, but on paper, it looks like it might have.

1980

1. Coal Miner’s Daughter – $67.2 million

2. Ordinary People – $54.8 million

3. The Elephant Man – $26 million

4. Raging Bull – $23.3 million

5. Tess – $20.1 million

1981

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark – $212.2 million

2. On Golden Pond – $119.3 million

3. Chariots of Fire – $59 million

4. Reds – $40.4 million

5. Atlantic City – $12.7 million

The first time the winner isn’t in the top 2 on this table.

Then again, Chariots of Fire is kind of an upset nominee.

Though I guess Reds would have been 4th, if we consider that the film that was going to win, based on the Best Director win.

Interesting year, all around. They all made some sort of money.

1982

1. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial – $359.2 million

2. Tootsie – $177.2 million

3. The Verdict – $54 million

4. Gandhi – $52.8 million

5. Missing – $14 million

Then again, the top two are very specific films. And it still made $50 million. So it’s not like it was lagging in the box office department. $50 million in 1982 is a solid return for a film like this.

1983

1. Terms of Endearment – $108.4 million

2. The Big Chill – $56.3 million

3. The Right Stuff – $21.2 million

4. Tender Mercies – $8.4 million

5. The Dresser – $5.3 million

The Big Chill was a nice breakout hit, as you can tell.

And Tender Mercies and The Dresser — why are they even on this list (Well… Tender Mercies. I understand that.)

What a weird, weak year 1983 was.

1984

1. Amadeus – $51.6 million

2. Places in the Heart – $34.9 million

3. The Killing Fields – $34.7 million

4. A Passage to India – $27.2 million

5. A Soldier’s Story – $21.8 million

I’m glad it made money, though.

We always get one of these per decade, it seems — the Oscar list that no one saw. And then they ask if the Oscars are out of touch.

1985

1. The Color Purple – $94.2 million

2. Out of Africa – $87.1 million

3. Witness – $68.7 million

4. Prizzi’s Honor – $26.7 million

5. Kiss of the Spider Woman – $17 million

Remember this just in case 12 Years a Slave doesn’t win this year. That film actually had strong box office and they still shut it out.

Interesting that both The Color Purple and Out of Africa made more money than Witness.

Again, though — back to top two.

1986

1. Platoon – $138.5 million

2. Hannah and Her Sisters – $35.4 milion

3. Children of a Lesser God – $31.9 million

4. A Room with a View – $21 million

5. The Mission – $17.2 million

And the rest of them just were not. At all.

Then again, I don’t much love this Best Picture list outside of Platoon. It makes sense that none of them made money.

This was a real easy choice for them.

1987

1. Fatal Attraction – $156.6 million

2. Moonstruck – $80.6 million

3. Broadcast News – $51.2 million

4. The Last Emperor – $44 million

5. Hope and Glory – $10 million

Still made $44 million, though, which is impressive.

So far, the only films to not finish in the top two are long epics that are clearly ones that Oscar goes for, and a so-called “upset winner.”

1988

1. Rain Man – $172.8 million

2. Working Girl – $63.8 million

3. Dangerous Liaisons – $34.7 million

4. Mississippi Burning – $34.6 million

5. The Accidental Tourist – $32.6 million

Scratch that. Shocked that it’s a Best Picture nominee.

The numbers make sense here, though. This was an easy decision all around for them.

1989

1. Driving Miss Daisy – $106.6 million

2. Dead Poets Society – $95.9 million

3. Born on the Fourth of July – $70 million

4. Field of Dreams – $64.4 million

5. My Left Foot – $14.7 million

Or rather, it’s forming my opinion on the matter, which is — if a film has made a lot of money, and carries emotion (Miss Daisy, Terms of Endearment, etc), it’s easier for them to vote for it, because it has the public’s backing. It’s harder for them to vote for something that nobody saw, unless they love it. The box office numbers only make their decision easier, I think. They don’t change their opinion. Voters won’t vote for something just because it didn’t make money. However, if there is something that did make money, they’re more than likely to jump on the bandwagon.

Oh, but yeah, interesting that Dead Poet’s almost topped $100 million.

And that Born on the Fourth of July made $70 million. That’s a nice return.

I’d have also thought for sure that Field of Dreams would have been top two on this list. Surprised that didn’t make as much money as I thought.

1990

1. Ghost – $217.6 million

2. Dances with Wolves – $184.2 million

3. The Godfather Part III – $66.7 million

4. Awakenings – $52.1 million

5. Goodfellas – $46.8 million

How?

I’m also surprised Goodfellas almost hit $50 million. I was actually expecting somewhere in the $30 million range.

1991

1. Beauty and the Beast – $145.9 million

2. The Silence of the Lambs – $130.7 million

3. The Prince of Tides – $74.8 million

4. JFK – $70.4 million

5. Bugsy – $49.1 million

Though the biggest surprise for me here — The Prince of Tides, $70 million? What the fuck?

Also, $70 million for JFK. Awesome. Oliver Stone was really on a hell of a run from ’86-’91.

Even Bugsy made $50 million. That’s a solid year for nominees.

Still, though… The Prince of Tides. What were they thinking?

1992

1. A Few Good Men – $141.3 million

2. Unforgiven – $101.2 million

3. Scent of a Woman – $63.1 million

4. The Crying Game – $62.5 million

5. Howards End – $26 million

Also, top two. Again. Still only three years where it hasn’t been top two.

Also, The Crying Game made $60 million. Because everyone had to go see the chick with a dick.

1993

1. The Fugitive – $183.9 million

2. Schindler’s List – $96.1 million

3. The Piano – $40.2 million

4. In the Name of the Father – $25.1 million

5. The Remains of the Day – $23.2 million

The Piano made more than I’d have expected. That’s something.

1994

1. Forrest Gump – $329.7 million

2. Pulp Fiction – $107.9 million

3. Four Weddings and a Funeral – $52.7 million

4. The Shawshank Redemption – $28.3 million

5. Quiz Show – $24.8 million

So no one saw the movie, yet they liked it enough to nominate it for Best Picture. (But not enough to also give it the Best Director nomination. Though I guess they also gave it Editing, which is half the battle.)

1995

1. Apollo 13 – $172.1 million

2. Braveheart – $75.6 million

3. Babe – $63.7 million

4. Sense and Sensibility – $43.2 million

5. Il Postino – $21.8 million

I mean, sure, top two still, but Apollo 13 had everything going for it.

Methinks this might tell us something with Gravity this year.

Also, outside of maybe putting Babe over Braveheart, I’d have had this exact same order, if guessing.

1996

1. Jerry Maguire – $154 million

2. The English Patient – $78.7 million

3. Shine – $35.9 million

4. Fargo – $24.6 million

5. Secrets & Lies – $13.4 million

Weird that Fargo made no money.

Otherwise, totally in line with what I’d have expected.

1997

1. Titanic – $600.8 million

2. As Good as It Gets – $148.5 million

3. Good Will Hunting – $138.4 million

4. L.A. Confidential – $64.6 million

5. The Full Monty – $46 million

Interesting that we had three $100 million films on this list. That’s the first time that’s happened, I’m sure.

All of these made money, too. which is awesome.

1998

1. Saving Private Ryan – $216.5 million

2. Shakespeare in Love – $100.3 million

3. Life Is Beautiful – $57.2 million

4. The Thin Red Line – $36.4 million

5. Elizabeth – $30.1 million

Not that it matters. Was handily top two.

Still interested in how it won, but I guess I understand it. Even so — yeah, we’ll just leave it.

Top two.

And somehow even Elizabeth made $30 million.

1999

1. The Sixth Sense –$293.5 million

2. The Green Mile – $136.8 million

3. American Beauty – $130.1 million

4. The Cider House Rules – $57.5 million

5. The Insider – $29.1 million

Not that American Beauty needed it. They were never gonna vote for the first two.

But hey, look at that. Our fourth time where a film wasn’t in the top two.

Though this time, it barely missed two.

2000

1. Gladiator – $187.7 million

2. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – $128.1 million

3. Erin Brockovich –  $125.6 million

4. Traffic – $124.1 million

5. Chocolat – $71.5 million

Love that Crouching Tiger crossed $100 million domestically.

Also, jesus. Four of the five crossed $100 million.

Traffic made $100 million.

And even Chocolat made $75 MILLION! Wow.

That’s… a lot of money for Best Picture nominees.

Imagine if they’d nominated Cast Away too.

2001

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – $313.4 million

2. A Beautiful Mind – $170.7 million

3. Moulin Rouge – $57.4 million

4. Gosford Park – $41.3 million

5. In the Bedroom – $35.9 million

A Beautiful Mind making $170 million is, though.

I bet that made their decision a lot easier.

Otherwise, solid grosses for the two indies.

Moulin Rouge went within expectations as well.

A Beautiful Mind is the big surprise to me. That lets me know why it was the choice they all gravitated toward.

2002

1. The Lord of the Rings: the Two Towers – $339.8 million

2. Chicago – $170.7 million

3. Gangs of New York – $77.8 million

4. The Hours – $41.7 million

5. The Pianist – $32.6 million

Gangs made almost 80. That’s solid. I thought no one would go. I guess this is how Marty realized how to make money. Cast Leo. And he never looked back.

$170 million for Chicago. Damn.

And how come we didn’t get any musicals after this?

2003

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – $377 million

2. Seabiscuit – $120.3 million

3. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World – $93.9 million

4. Mystic River – $90.1 million

5. Lost in Translation – $44.6 million

$100 million for Seabiscuit. That’s awesome.

$93 million for Master and Commander. I guess because Russell Crowe was the draw back then.

Mystic River made 90. That’s… solid.

2004

1. The Aviator – $102.6 million

2. Million Dollar Baby – $100.5 million

3. Ray – $75.3 million

4. Sideways – $71.5 million

5. Finding Neverland – $51.7 million

Also, only a slight intention on the neck joke.

2005

1. Brokeback Mountain – $84 million

2. Crash – $54.6 million

3. Munich – $47.4 million

4. Good Night and Good Luck – $31.6 million

5. Capote – $28.8 million

Also, this was that year where everyone asked if the Oscars were out of touch.

To which I said, “Have you seen three of these movies? No. they’re great.” Sure, Capote didn’t need to be there, and Crash was… well, it is what it is… but the fact that these didn’t make money doesn’t say anything about the Oscars. It just says the public is stupid and would rather have seen a King Kong remake than good movies.

Oh, but yeah, amazing how Brokeback made the most money and they still wouldn’t vote for it.

Hooray, reactionaries!

2006

1. The Departed – $132.4 million

2. Little Miss Sunshine – $59.9 million

3. The Queen – $56.4 million

4. Babel – $34.3 million

5. Letters from Iwo Jima – $13.8 million

Letters only made $13 million. To the people who believe in this sort of thing — how are they gonna vote for something that made no money? (And to those people I say… wait 3 years.)

But yeah, interesting that the films made so little money. Imagine if The Departed WEREN’T here.

2007

1. Juno – $143.5 million

2. No Country for Old Men – $74.3 million

3. Atonement – $50.9 million

4. Michael Clayton – $49 million

5. There Will Be Blood – $40.2 million

Also real upset that these movies didn’t make more money.

$74 million for No Country is, actually, really impressive. Considering how it’s a film not designed for “regular” (read: stupid) audiences. I sat with an audience who audibly started complaining at the end of that movie, because it was so ambiguous and slow and so much of a non-ending. So the fact that it still made so much is really interesting.

2008

1. Slumdog Millionaire – $141.3 million

2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – $127.5 million

3. The Reader – $34.2 million

4. Milk – $31.8 million

5. Frost/Nixon – $18.6 million

2009

1. Avatar – $749.8 million

2. Up – $293 million

3. The Blind Side – $256 million

4. Inglourious Basterds – $120.5 million

5. District 9 – $115.6 million

6. Up in the Air – $83.8 million

7. Precious: Based on the Novel “Push by Sapphire – $47.6 million

8. The Hurt Locker – $17 million

9. An Education – $12.6 million

10. A Serious Man – $9.2 million

Of course, ten nominees now, but if we split the list in half, Hurt Locker would be in the fourth spot.

However, if we go by the Best Director list to see which five films they liked the best (since clearly The Blind Side, District 9, An Education, A Serious Man and Up were benefits of the expanded slate), then The Hurt Locker is actually #5!

This was the first time a film made so little money and actually won Best Picture. At least, in the “box office” era. Which is quite interesting.

But, honestly, it was this or Avatar. So they were going to the extreme either way. And again, like I said earlier — they’re gonna vote for what they like, regardless of the box office. The box office only seems to confirm their position, or make it easier for them to choose something.

2010

1. Toy Story 3 – $415 million

2. Inception – $292.6 million

3. True Grit – $171.2 million

4. The King’s Speech – $135.5 million

5. Black Swan – $107 million

6. The Social Network – $97 million

7. The Fighter – $93.6 million

8. The Kids Are All Right – $20.8 million

9. 127 Hours – $18.3 million

10. Winter’s Bone – $6.5 million

Since on a list of five, Toy Story doesn’t make it. I’m pretty sure Inception doesn’t make it either. Which means your top two grossers are True Grit and The King’s Speech. So it’s right up there no matter what. And it made $100 million. Which relatively makes it a hit.

Pretty much all the major contenders here were around $100 million, so for those who believe in the box office thing, that’s what they go for, I think.

2011

1. The Help – $169.7 million

2. The Descendants – $82.6 million

3. War Horse – $79.9 million

4. Moneyball – $75.6 million

5. Hugo – $73.9 million

6. Midnight in Paris – $56.8 million

7. The Artist – $44.7 million

8. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close – $31.8 million

9. The Tree of Life – $13.3 million

I’m real curious to see how a list of five would have went this year.

But either way, it made $45 million, almost, which makes it a relative hit. Compared to The Hurt Locker, anyway. But it still wasn’t a widespread hit by any means. Which means, again — they like what they like. Box office doesn’t matter.

There was no real bonafide hit on this list besides The Help, anyway. And they were never voting for that.

But that puts us at six times. Where the Best Picture winner wasn’t the top 2 (or four, on the expanded lists) grossers on the nominees list.

2012

1. Lincoln – $182.2 million

2. Django Unchained – $162.8 million

3. Les Misérables – $148.8 million

4. Argo – $136 million

5. Silver Linings Playbook – $132.1 million

6. Life of Pi – $125 million

7. Zero Dark Thirty – $95.7 million

8. Beasts of the Southern Wild – $12.8 million

9. Amour – $6.7 million

2013

 Will Be Added Later