Do Oscar voters go for big commercial and/or small art films Last year, with the exception of “Brokeback Mountain,” the other Best Picture nominees, such as “Capote,” “Crash,” and “Good Night, and Good Luck,” were all art or specialized films.
This year, of the five Best Picture nominees, the only 100 million plus at the box-office is “The Departed,” which has grossed domestically over $120 million, thus becoming Scorsese's most commercial film, even more popular than the 2004 Oscar-nominated film, “The Aviator.”.
“Litle Miss Sunshine,” the indie comedy made for $8 million, which world-premiered at last year's Sundance Film Festival, has grossed close to $60 million, and is already available on DVD.
Oscar and the Global Box-Office
In other categories, of the top 10 films of 2006 at the global box-office, several have earned nominations.
The year's top film, “Pirates of the Caribbean,” received four, followed by the animated “Cars” with two. “Superman Returns” and “Happy Feet” got one each.
However, such global blockbusters as “X-Men: The Last Stand,” “The Da Vinci Code,” “Ice Age: The Meltdown,” “Over the Hedge,” “Casino Royale” and “Talladega Nights,” didn't receive any nomination.