Best Pictures, Worst Box Office Gross

When it comes to effectively marketing a movie, it’s hard to do better than the Academy Award for Best Picture. Driving Miss Daisy sold a respectable number of tickets in general release, but when it won the Oscar for Best Picture of 1989, its box office receipts jumped by almost 30%. However, while it’s true that no Oscar winner for Best Picture has ever lost money, there are some movies that even Hollywood’s most coveted award can’t turn into blockbusters, and others that have won the award an Photo: Robert George Young | Photographer's Choice | Getty Images

When it comes to effectively marketing a movie, it’s hard to do better than the Academy Award for Best Picture.



Driving Miss Daisy sold a respectable number of tickets in general release, but when it won the Oscar for Best Picture of 1989, its box office receipts jumped by almost 30%. However, while it’s true that no Oscar winner for Best Picture has ever lost money, there are some movies that even Hollywood’s most coveted award can’t turn into blockbusters, and others that have won the award and barely broke even.



Click ahead to see our list of the 15 lowest-grossing Oscar winners of all time, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com.



By Daniel Bukszpan, Special to CNBC.com

Posted 24 Feb 2011

15. Schindler's List (1993)

Domestic gross (inflation adj.): $146.4 million Domestic Gross: $96 million Schindler’s List represented a major turning point in the career of director Steven Spielberg. He had mostly been associated with feel-good science fiction movies like E.T. or action-adventure yarns like Jurassic Park. However, the 1993 World War II drama represented a complete change of direction and recast him as a serious filmmaker. He won his first Best Director Oscar for his effort, and the film itself won Best Pict Photo: Universal Pictures

Domestic gross (inflation adj.): $146.4 million

Domestic gross: $96 million



Schindler’s List represented a major turning point in the career of director Steven Spielberg. He had mostly been associated with feel-good science fiction movies like E.T. or action-adventure yarns like Jurassic Park. However, the 1993 World War II drama represented a complete change of direction and recast him as a serious filmmaker. He won his first Best Director Oscar for his effort, and the film itself won Best Picture.



Despite the award and universally positive word-of-mouth, the movie didn’t get much of a bounce at the box office, in part because of its length. At over three hours long, it was only possible for theaters to show it a certain number of times during the day, and multiplexes were not yet in the practice of showing the same film simultaneously in eight theaters. Another factor was the movie’s grim subject matter, which didn’t invite many repeat viewings.

14. Ordinary People (1980)

Domestic gross (inflation adj.): $146.36 million Domestic gross: $54.8 million For many years, Robert Redford was known as the hunky actor from such classic films as All The President’s Men and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. However, in 1980, he made his directorial debut, and it won him an Oscar for his first time at bat. It also won for Best Supporting Actor Timothy Hutton and, ultimately, for the movie itself. Althoughperformed well at the box office, it was not a blockbuster, and its u Photo: Paramount Pictures

Domestic gross (inflation adj.): $146.36 million

Domestic gross: $54.8 million



For many years, Robert Redford was known as the hunky actor from such classic films as All The President’s Men and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. However, in 1980, he made Ordinary People, his directorial debut, and it won him an Oscar for his first time at bat. It also won for Best Supporting Actor Timothy Hutton and, ultimately, for the movie itself.



Although Ordinary People performed well at the box office, it was not a blockbuster, and its ultimate take of almost $55 million made it only the 11th highest grossing film of the year. Some of the movies with better earnings that year were The Blues Brothers,Airplane!, and a little film known as The Empire Strikes Back.

13. The Departed (2006)

Domestic gross (inflation adj.): $144.6 million Domestic gross: $132.4 million For years, Martin Scorsese had been Oscar’s bridesmaid, but never a bride. He had been nominated for Best Director for and and on all four occasions he lost every time. However, in 2006 he finally got his due, and he won the Best Director Oscar for his work on The pot was further sweetened when the film won Best Picture, a feat none of his other movies had accomplished. Although the $132 million box office take for Photo: AP

Domestic gross (inflation adj.): $144.6 million

Domestic gross: $132.4 million



For years, Martin Scorsese had been Oscar’s bridesmaid, but never a bride. He had been nominated for Best Director for Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Gangs of New York and The Aviator, and on all four occasions he lost every time. However, in 2006 he finally got his due, and he won the Best Director Oscar for his work on The Departed. The pot was further sweetened when the film won Best Picture, a feat none of his other movies had accomplished.



Although the $132 million box office take for The Departed was only enough to make it the 15th highest grossing movie of 2006, it was the most commercially successful film of his career by a long shot. Despite Scorsese’s legendary status, his movies have mostly done fair-to-middling business at the box office, and some of his well-known movies, such as Kundun, The King of Comedy and The Last Temptation of Christ, have never even earned as much as $10 million at the box office.

12. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Domestic gross (inflation adj.): $144.5 Domestic gross: $141.3 million Until 2008, filmmaker Danny Boyle could hardly have been said to be in the feel-good movie business. He is the man responsible for such grim slices of cinema as and , and all of those movies require strong stomachs on the part of anyone wishing to sit through them. However, the pull quote on advertisements called it nothing less than “The Feel-Good Film Of The Decade,” and Academy voters agreed. The movie won Best Picture for Photo: AP

Domestic gross (inflation adj.): $144.5

Domestic gross: $141.3 million



Until 2008, filmmaker Danny Boyle could hardly have been said to be in the feel-good movie business. He is the man responsible for such grim slices of cinema as 28 Days Later, Trainspotting and Shallow Grave, and all of those movies require strong stomachs on the part of anyone wishing to sit through them. However, the pull quote on Slumdog Millionaire’s advertisements called it nothing less than “The Feel-Good Film Of The Decade,” and Academy voters agreed. The movie won Best Picture for 2008.



Slumdog Millionaire did not see much of a return on its investment until it was nominated for the Oscar. The film had initially earned $45 million in the United States, but after its nomination, it earned an additional $54 million, and $43 million when it won the award. However, the film did its best business in the foreign market, where it earned $237 million, a 59% improvement on its US box office receipts.

11. Chariots of Fire (1981)

Domestic gross (inflation adj.): $142.9 million Domestic gross: $58.9 million The 1981 film is based on the true story of two British runners competing in the 1924 Olympics, and its Oscar-winning, synthesizer-based theme music is still instantly recognizable today to almost anyone who hears it. Despite competing against the more popular won the Oscar for Best Picture in what was viewed by some as an upset. got a big boost after winning Best Picture, seeing an increase in its box office of mor Photo: Edinburghseasons.com

Domestic gross (inflation adj.): $142.9 million

Domestic gross: $58.9 million



The 1981 film Chariots of Fire is based on the true story of two British runners competing in the 1924 Olympics, and its Oscar-winning, synthesizer-based theme music is still instantly recognizable today to almost anyone who hears it. Despite competing against the more popular On Golden Pond,Chariots of Fire won the Oscar for Best Picture in what was viewed by some as an upset.



Chariots of Fire got a big boost after winning Best Picture, seeing an increase in its box office of more than 57%. However, it was only the 7th highest grossing movie of 1981, and its $59 million box office haul equaled less than half of that taken in by On Golden Pond. It was also no competition whatsoever for another 1981 Best Picture nominee, Raiders of the Lost Ark.

10. Shakespeare in Love (1998)

Domestic gross (inflation adj.): $135.5 million Domestic gross: $100.3 million Shakespeare in Love is a work of fiction that features characters drawn from history and references the actual works of the Bard himself. The romantic comedy depicts William Shakespeare as a struggling young playwright, who’s suffering from a nasty bout of writer’s block and trying to finish his latest play, Romeo and Juliet. The film stars Gwyneth Paltrow and Judi Dench, both of whom won Oscars for their performances Photo: AP

Domestic gross (inflation adj.): $135.5 million

Domestic gross: $100.3 million



Shakespeare in Love is a work of fiction that features characters drawn from history and references the actual works of the Bard himself. The romantic comedy depicts William Shakespeare as a struggling young playwright, who’s suffering from a nasty bout of writer’s block and trying to finish his latest play, Romeo and Juliet. The film stars Gwyneth Paltrow and Judi Dench, both of whom won Oscars for their performances.



Shakespeare in Love received a boost in its popularity with ticket buyers when it won Best Picture. However, it took its sweet time reaching the $100 million domestic gross threshold. The film went into wide release in January 1999 and did not earn $100 million until more than six months later. That’s a grim statistic, but it’s not unique among Oscar winning films. 1992’s Unforgiven only reached the $100 million mark after almost an entire year in release.

9. Gandhi (1982)

Domestic gross (inflation adj.): $120.4 million Domestic gross: $52.8 million The epic biography of Mahatma Gandhi was won great international acclaim upon its 1982 release. Director Richard Attenborough and lead actor Ben Kingsley both won Academy Awards for their work, and few people were surprised when it took the Best Picture Oscar as well. All in all, it won eight of the eleven Oscars for which it was nominated, a decisive victory. Gandhi’s box office total is somewhat disappointing conside Photo: Columbia

Domestic gross (inflation adj.): $120.4 million

Domestic gross: $52.8 million



The epic biography of Mahatma Gandhi was won great international acclaim upon its 1982 release. Director Richard Attenborough and lead actor Ben Kingsley both won Academy Awards for their work, and few people were surprised when it took the Best Picture Oscar as well. All in all, it won eight of the eleven Oscars for which it was nominated, a decisive victory.



Gandhi’s box office total is somewhat disappointing considering what it took to get the movie made. The film was originally conceived in 1952 by Hungarian film producer Gabriel Pascal, but he died before pre-production began. Director David Lean was next to take a crack at it, but he abandoned the project and made Lawrence of Arabia instead. It was not until the Indian government of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi supplied $10 million to the movie’s producers that the film could finally be made.

8. Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Domestic gross (inflation adj.): $117.2 million Domestic gross: $100.5 million was a 2004 film directed by Clint Eastwood and starring both him and Hilary Swank. He plays a curmudgeonly trainer who takes a female boxer as his protégé, and the film was considered one of his best. Roger Ebert said, "is a masterpiece, pure and simple," and the Academy agreed. Not only did Hilary Swank win her second Oscar for her work in the film, but Eastwood won his second Oscar for directing it, and the film won Photo: AP

Domestic gross (inflation adj.): $117.2 million

Domestic gross: $100.5 million



Million Dollar Baby was a 2004 film directed by Clint Eastwood and starring both him and Hilary Swank. He plays a curmudgeonly trainer who takes a female boxer as his protégé, and the film was considered one of his best. Roger Ebert said, "Million Dollar Baby is a masterpiece, pure and simple," and the Academy agreed. Not only did Hilary Swank win her second Oscar for her work in the film, but Eastwood won his second Oscar for directing it, and the film won Best Picture.



Despite the win and the positive press, the film struggled to limp past the $100 million domestic gross finish line. This is possibly due to complaints from The Weekly Standard, film critic Michael Medved and advocacy groups for the disabled, all of whom opposed the actions taken by Eastwood’s character during the twist ending. The director downplayed the controversy, telling the Los Angeles Times, "I've gone around in movies blowing people away with a .44 magnum. But that doesn't mean I think that's a proper thing to do."

7. The English Patient (1996)

Domestic gross (inflation adj.): $110.4 million Domestic gross: $78.7 million is one of only three Best Picture winners never to make its way into the weekend top five. Based on the novel of the same name, it takes place during World War II and stars both Ralph Fiennes as a Hungarian burn victim and Willem Dafoe as a Canadian intelligence officer who lost his thumbs while being tortured. Can you say “crowd-pleaser”? was nominated for twelve Academy Awards and won nine, and it received almost u Photo: AP

Domestic gross (inflation adj.): $110.4 million

Domestic gross: $78.7 million



The English Patient is one of only three Best Picture winners never to make its way into the weekend top five. Based on the novel of the same name, it takes place during World War II and stars both Ralph Fiennes as a Hungarian burn victim and Willem Dafoe as a Canadian intelligence officer who lost his thumbs while being tortured. Can you say “crowd-pleaser”?



The English Patient was nominated for twelve Academy Awards and won nine, and it received almost unanimous critical acclaim. It also entered the pantheon of immortality when it was the subject of an episode of Seinfeld, in which the character Elaine hates the movie so much that it alienates her from her friends, destroys her relationship with her boyfriend and gets her fired from her job.

6. Amadeus (1984)

Domestic gross (inflation adj.): $109.3 million Domestic gross: $51.6 million Like is also one of only three Best Picture winners never to reach the weekend top five. The film is based on the Peter Shaffer stage play of the same name and tells the story of Salieri, a mediocre composer who is so consumed with jealousy over the more talented Mozart that he ultimately drives his rival to his death and then goes insane. was nominated for eleven Oscars and won eight. It was the presumptive favorite Photo: Warner Brothers

Domestic gross (inflation adj.): $109.3 million

Domestic gross: $51.6 million



Like The English Patient, Amadeus is also one of only three Best Picture winners never to reach the weekend top five. The film is based on the Peter Shaffer stage play of the same name and tells the story of Salieri, a mediocre composer who is so consumed with jealousy over the more talented Mozart that he ultimately drives his rival to his death and then goes insane.



Amadeus was nominated for eleven Oscars and won eight. It was the presumptive favorite going into the Oscar ceremony, despite competing with such films as The Killing Fields and A Passage to India. However, the boost that the film received from winning the Oscar was minimal. It was only the 12th highest grossing movie of 1984, a year in which it was hopelessly overshadowed by Beverly Hills Cop, Ghostbusters and Footloose.

5. Braveheart (1995)

Domestic gross (inflation adj.): $109.3 million Domestic gross: $75.6 millionMel Gibson’s seemed like a long shot candidate for Best Picture. The historical epic was up against and and Gibson was competing in the Best Director category against such talents as Ron Howard and Ang Lee. However, despite major historical inaccuracies and allegations of homophobia, xenophobia and Anglophobia, the film won both the Best Picture Oscar and the Best Director Oscar, which Gibson accepted while wearing a Photo: Paramount Pictures

Domestic gross (inflation adj.): $109.3 million

Domestic gross: $75.6 million



Mel Gibson’s Braveheart seemed like a long shot candidate for Best Picture. The historical epic was up against Apollo 13 and Sense and Sensibility, and Gibson was competing in the Best Director category against such talents as Ron Howard and Ang Lee. However, despite major historical inaccuracies and allegations of homophobia, xenophobia and Anglophobia, the film won both the Best Picture Oscar and the Best Director Oscar, which Gibson accepted while wearing a kilt.



Despite the film’s many technical achievements, its thrilling depiction of the Battle of Stirling Bridge and the classic status that it enjoys today, the movie was not a huge blockbuster during its theatrical run. Its $76 million domestic take was low compared to that of other Oscar winners, and completely anemic when compared to that of other Mel Gibson films. One possible reason for this was the film’s brutal violence, which had already been trimmed to avoid an NC-17 rating.

4. The Last Emperor (1987)

Domestic gross (inflation adj.): $85.3 million Domestic gross: $43.9 million 1987’s is an epic historical drama about the last emperor of China, and it had all the makings of a Best Picture winner. Acclaimed director Bernardo Bertolucci directed it, and it featured breathtaking production values that the other nominees, such asand could not possibly compete with. Yet despite winning the Oscar, the film grossed only $44 million in the United States, making it the lowest grossing Oscar winner eve Photo: AP

Domestic gross (inflation adj.): $85.3 million

Domestic gross: $43.9 million



1987’s The Last Emperor is an epic historical drama about the last emperor of China, and it had all the makings of a Best Picture winner. Acclaimed director Bernardo Bertolucci directed it, and it featured breathtaking production values that the other nominees, such as Fatal Attraction and Moonstruck, could not possibly compete with. Yet despite winning the Oscar, the film grossed only $44 million in the United States, making it the lowest grossing Oscar winner ever up to that point.



The Last Emperor struggled long and hard to earn $44 million. It was released in October 1987 and took a full twelve weeks to reach the box office top ten, then wallowed in its lower reaches for two months. It finally reached the top five in week 22 of release and stood triumphantly at number four until the following weekend, when it fell out of the top five again. However, if it hadn’t been for that one weekend, The Last Emperor would have joined Amadeus and The English Patient as one of the only Best Picture winners never to see the top five.

3. No Country for Old Men (2007)

Domestic gross (inflation adj.): $78.9 million Domestic gross: $74.3 million is a 2007 Coen Brothers film based on the Cormac McCarthy book of the same name. The thriller is set in Texas in 1980, and Javier Bardem won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor on the strength of his chilling performance as a hit man. Critics hailed the film as a masterpiece, and Rolling Stone critic Peter Travers called it one of the best films of the decade. won the Best Picture Oscar despite the fact that the histori Photo: Miramax

Domestic gross (inflation adj.): $78.9 million

Domestic gross: $74.3 million



No Country for Old Men is a 2007 Coen Brothers film based on the Cormac McCarthy book of the same name. The thriller is set in Texas in 1980, and Javier Bardem won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor on the strength of his chilling performance as a hit man. Critics hailed the film as a masterpiece, and Rolling Stone critic Peter Travers called it one of the best films of the decade.



No Country for Old Men won the Best Picture Oscar despite the fact that the historical drama There Will Be Blood was heavily rumored to be the Academy’s favorite. However, neither the Oscar win nor the slow roll-out of the film into wide release could get it past the $100 million mark, or even the $75 million mark, and No Country for Old Men remains one of the lowest-grossing Best Picture winners of all time.

2. Crash (2005)

Domestic gross (inflation adj.): $61.5 million Domestic gross: $54.6 million Paul Haggis’ is a 2005 ensemble drama that takes place over the course of two days in a Los Angeles simmering with racial tensions. It also had the misfortune to be nominated for Best Picture in the same year as , the presumptive favorite to win that year. director Ang Lee won in his category, but took home the Best Picture Oscar, and a firestorm of controversy ensued. Gay rights activists accused the Academy of favorin Photo: AP

Domestic gross (inflation adj.): $61.5 million

Domestic gross: $54.6 million



Paul Haggis’ Crash is a 2005 ensemble drama that takes place over the course of two days in a Los Angeles simmering with racial tensions. It also had the misfortune to be nominated for Best Picture in the same year as Brokeback Mountain, the presumptive favorite to win that year. Brokeback Mountain director Ang Lee won in his category, but Crash took home the Best Picture Oscar, and a firestorm of controversy ensued.



Gay rights activists accused the Academy of favoring Crash over Brokeback Mountain out of anti-homosexual distress, and the film also suffered a backlash from people who felt that it negatively stereotyped Asians and Arabs. All the controversy gave the film enough of a boost to make back its $7 million budget several times over. However, its final box office take of $55 million made it the lowest grossing Best Picture winner since The Last Emperor.

The Hurt Locker (2009)

Domestic gross (inflation adj.): $17.5 million Domestic gross: $17 million The 2010 Best Picture winner is also the lowest grossing of all time. is about a US bomb squad during the Iraq War, and it was written by Mark Boal, who based his screenplay on his experiences as a journalist embedded with a bomb disposal team in Iraq. It received nearly unanimous acclaim from critics, although real-life veterans of the war characterized the film as inaccurate. won the Oscar for Best Picture, and its dir Photo: AP