{"id":26498,"date":"2015-01-15T13:39:04","date_gmt":"2015-01-15T21:39:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/filmchat\/?p=26498"},"modified":"2015-01-16T08:18:18","modified_gmt":"2015-01-16T16:18:18","slug":"oscar-winners-slipping-at-the-box-office-2014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/filmchat\/2015\/01\/oscar-winners-slipping-at-the-box-office-2014.html","title":{"rendered":"Oscar winners slipping at the box office \u2014 2014"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"americansniper\"<\/a>I devoted posts to this subject in 2005<\/a>, 2006<\/a>, 2007<\/a>, 2008<\/a>, 2009<\/a>, 2012<\/a> and 2013<\/a> \u2014 so here\u2019s the post for 2014.<\/p>\n

2005<\/a> marked the first time since 1996 that the Best Picture winner did not gross at least $100 million, the first time since 1985 that not one of the Best Picture nominees<\/i> grossed at least $100 million, and the first time in living memory that the Oscar did not go to one of the Top 25 films in North America. In fact, the winner that year \u2014 Crash<\/a><\/i> \u2014 grossed a mere $54.6 million and ranked way, way down at #49.<\/p>\n

Ever since then, the Oscar for Best Picture has alternated between relatively big hits and somewhat smaller box-office performers. But that trend could end this year, as the Academy now seems poised to reward two<\/i> small films in a row.<\/p>\n

Last year, the Oscar went to 12 Years a Slave<\/i>, which grossed $56.7 million and ranked 62nd among the films of 2013. If the pattern of the past decade holds, then this year\u2019s winner would have to be a much bigger hit than that \u2014 but not one of this year\u2019s nominees has earned $60 million or cracked the Top 50 for 2014!<\/p>\n

Admittedly, that will probably change very soon. American Sniper<\/i>, which is currently playing in only four theatres, goes into wide release this weekend, and box-office analysts expect it to gross over $50 million<\/a> this weekend alone. If it follows the trajectory of last year\u2019s Lone Survivor<\/i> \u2014 another military movie that went wide in mid-January \u2014 then it could very easily end up in the Top 25 for the year.<\/p>\n

But that doesn\u2019t mean American Sniper<\/i> will win Best Picture. Crucially, the film\u2019s director, Clint Eastwood, failed to get an Oscar nomination, despite being nominated for best director on four previous occasions and winning twice, and despite being nominated for the Directors Guild Award for this particular film.<\/p>\n

So, odds are good that American Sniper<\/i> won\u2019t win Best Picture. And thus, odds are good that this may mark the first time in living memory that the Oscar for Best Picture has gone to relatively low-grossing films for two consecutive years.<\/p>\n

As ever, we shall see. For now, here are the nominees<\/a>, with their current grosses and box-office rankings for the year as of yesterday:<\/p>\n