For the fledgling ballet melodrama, “The Turning Point” (1977), just receiving a Best Picture nomination made the difference.
Herbert Ross's ballet-world movie made more money in its second round, after it was nominated in eleven categories, than in its initial run. The nominations were helpful in getting booking dates across the country, since the film's specialized topic, the internal intrigues of a ballet company, was initially an obstacle in attracting the mass audience, even with co-stars like Anne Bancroft and Shirley MacLaine.
The film lost in each of its 11 nominations, but by that time, it recouped its expense and even made some profit.
