by Nathaniel R
The 10 biggest hits of all time when adjusted for inflation. All but one of them was nominated for Best Picture and three of them won.
We hear it every year: "The Oscars only nominate films that no one has heard of!" Every year this untruth is spread by people who a) don't pay attention to movies and are thus not the target audience of the Oscars anyway and b) don't think things through before proclaiming them and c) haven't worked out that in our increasingly niche world MANY people haven't heard of tv shows, albums, movies, or plays that are of utmost importance to a whole other group of people.
Somehow this myth of "obscure taste" has sunk deep into the Academy's own mindset and they've bought in to it. This week's catastrophic announcement suggests that they've bought into this myth that they don't like popular things to the point of self-loathing. So, here's a quick bit of factual history to bust this myth once again. Our work is never done!
Box office history is harder to suss out prior to 1980 when box office reporting became a more regular occurrence. But most historical indications suggest that the nominees for Best Picture before then were often sizeable hits. Part of the divide that's happened in the past 38 years, which people are never honest about when they complain about Oscar's "relevancy," is that audiences became progressively less interested in human drama (Oscar's bread and butter from 1928 onward), which they mostly sought out on TV, and more interested in visual effects spectacle, cartoons, and mega-sequels. The former is an Oscar interest, the second one has its own category so they mostly ignore it, and the third is not an Oscar interest for which we are grateful because if you want the same things to win prizes every year, look to the Emmys!
So is there any kind of truth to the notion that Oscar doesn't like popular films and only embraces obscure ones? Let's look at the evidence from 1980 onwards...
BEST PICTURE FIELDS AND WHERE THE FILMS RANKED IN POPULARITY FOR THEIR YEARS
For the purposes of this analysis we will interpret "popularity" as box office grosses though though the two things are not necessarily equivocal. Most people will buy tickets to sequels to films they loved the first time repeatedly, even if they like the sequels less and less. Most people who see "obscure" movies (i.e. ones without gigantic p&a budgets) based on Oscar nominations generally like them. This is especially true of Best Picture nominees and winners that audiences only come around to later like Shawshank Redemption, Spotlight, and many many other examples.
I pulled the year ranking from boxoffice mojo. The number in parenthesis is how many movies were released that year according to them.
Coal Miner's Daughter was a huge hit in 1980.
1980 (116)
Coal Miner's Daughter #7
Ordinary People #11
The Elephant Man #25
Raging Bull #27
Tess #33
Verdict: two big hits, two minor hits, and one 'small' film that greatly benefited from the Oscar boost (Tess)
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? 9 to 5 #2 would have been a fun nominee but Oscar rarely if ever goes for "silly" comedies. And at the time people didn't think Empire Strikes Back #1 was the best Star Wars film, plus it was a sequel. The only clear miss among blockbusters was Private Benjamin #6 since Oscar voters did like that film. Just not enough for Best Picture, apparently. And shouldn't they be able to choose which of the blockbusters is most worthy rather than having all blockbusters thrust upon them?
1981 (113)
Raiders of the Lost Ark #1
On Golden Pond #2
Chariots of Fire #7
Reds #13
Atlantic City #55
Verdict: two blockbusters, two big hits, and one 'smaller' film that wasn't a big deal outside of critical acclaim.
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? They already went with big hits.
1982 (132)
E.T. #1
Tootsie #2
The Verdict #11
Gandhi #12
Missing #56
Verdict: two blockbusters, two big hits (that were undoubtedly helped to major hit status by the Oscars since they opened late) and one small film that wasn't a big deal outside of critical acclaim.
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? They already chose the best ones...
1983 (163)
Terms of Endearment #2
The Big Chill #13
The Right Stuff #33
Tender Mercies #78
The Dresser #100
Verdict: one blockbuster, one big hit, one minor hit, and two small films that weren't all that popular outside of critical acclaim.
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? Nope. They already went with the acceptable choices.
Younger audiences have a hard time grasping how popular something like Amadeus was in 1984. It was basically as big a hit then as, say, Hidden Figures recently was. In other words a huge crowd pleaser.
1984 (168)
Amadeus #12
Places in the Heart #24
The Killing Fields #25
A Passage to India #34
A Soldier's Story #47
Verdict: one big hit and three regular sized hits (all helped along by Oscar buzz) and one small hit boosted by prestige factors (successful play + oscar buzz).
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? 1984 had several enduring pop culture blockbusters like Splash #10, Romancing the Stone #8, The Karate Kid #8, Ghostbusters #1, Footloose #7, etcetera but think about it. Did they really need best picture nominations? Okay, maybe Romancing the Stone but light adventure is not really in the Academy's wheelhouse.
1985 (180)
The Color Purple #4
Out of Africa #5
Witness #8
Prizzi's Honor #32
Kiss of the Spider-Woman #53
Verdict: three blockbusters (two of them helped along by Oscar buzz since they opened late), one hit, and one small indie considerably elevated by Oscar buzz and critical acclaim.
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? They already had 60% blockbusters so stop bitching about Back to the Future #1 missing.
1986 (209)
Platoon #3
Hannah and Her Sisters #30
Children of a Lesser God #32
A Room with a View #44
The Mission #52
Verdict: one blockbuster (helped along by Oscar buzz), three hits, and one ambitious but not super popular film boosted by critical acclaim and Oscar buzz.
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? Aliens #7 (which won two Oscars) definitely belonged on the list but it was a sequel and Oscar has issues with those.
1987 (238)
Fatal Attraction #2
Moonstruck #5
Broadcast News #18
The Last Emperor #25
Hope and Glory #88
Verdict: two blockbusters, two big hits (one of them helped considerably by oscar attention) and one arthouse sleeper helped by acclaim and surprise Oscar favor.
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? They already chose the best blockbusters from that year? What else you want from them!?? You're never satisfied.
The #1 movie of the year used to win Best Picture more often than it does now. That much is true. But then sequels didn't used to so thoroughly dominate the box office.
1988 (254)
Rain Man #1
Working Girl #11
Dangerous Liaisons #32
Mississippi Burning #33
The Accidental Tourist #35
Verdict: two blockbusters, and three hits (all of which were helped by their Oscar boost)
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? We're still annoyed that they didn't include Who Framed Roger Rabbit? #2 but one senses that they almost included A Fish Called Wanda #12
1989 (240)
Driving Miss Daisy #8
Dead Poet's Society #10
Born on the 4th of July #17
Field of Dreams #19
My Left Foot #68
Verdict: two blockbusters (one helped by Oscar buzz), two hits (one helped by Oscar buzz), and one small film not all that popular outside of critical acclaim.
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? When Harry Met Sally #11 and The Little Mermaid #13 would have looked fine in a Best Pic lineup but Oscar hasn't like romantic comedies since the 1930s and they didn't come around to animated features until the 1990s when the whole world did.
1990 (225)
Ghost #2
Dances with Wolves #3
The Godfather Part Three #17
Awakenings #23
Goodfellas #26
Verdict: two blockbusters and three hits (only one of which, Awakenings, was considerably helped along by Oscar attention).
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? Sure Dick Tracy#9 (which won 3 Oscars) and arguably even the very zeitgeisty Pretty Woman #4. But they did choose the 2nd and 3rd highest grossing of the year. And no, Home Alone #1 didn't need to be a Best Picture nominee.
Would more animated pictures have been nominated in the past 17 years if they hadn't added an Animated Feature category? We think so, yes.
1991 (245)
Beauty and the Beast #3
The Silence of the Lambs #4
The Prince of Tides #16
JFK #17
Bugsy #25
Verdict: two blockbusters, three hits (all three used Oscar attention to get there as they were late December releases)
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? Yes, Terminator 2: Judgment Day but it walked away with 4 Oscars which is a good tribute for its technical perfection. But the 1991 list is full of hits so the question is kind of moot.
1992 (235)
A Few Good Men #5
Unforgiven #11
Scent of a Woman #19
The Crying Game #20
Howards End #48
Verdict: two blockbusters, two hits (one of which directly became a sensation due to its Oscar buzz), and one mildly popular arthouse prestige pic which just happened to be a total masterpiece.
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? Yes, A League of Their Own. But a lot of people had trouble respecting that one. I think it was the lightness of tone and the girliness of it. But WE love it. The big miss this year is obviously The Last of the Mohicans #17 which was oddly a big hit and Oscar friendly and yet Oscar didn't bite. What was that about?
1993 (259)
The Fugitive #3
Schindler's List #9
The Piano #38
In the Name of the Father #61
Remains of the Day #66
Verdict: one blockbuster, one big hit, one regular sized hit, and two minor hits (all but the blockbuster propelled partially by Oscar buzz)
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? Yes: Jurassic Park. But perhaps Schindler's List sucked up all the Spielberg worship? Otherwise this list is a strong one, quality wise. And isn't that what matters. Do you really need Philadephia #12 in there just cuz it was a hit. Not all Oscar bait is equal.
1994 (258)
Forrest Gump #1
Pulp Fiction #10
Four Weddings and a Funeral #21
Shawshank Redemption #51
Quiz Show #56
Verdict: one blockbuster, one big hit, one regular sized hit, and two minor hits... all were hits without Oscar attention; this was a rare no December releases nominated for Best Picture year.
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? One could argue that if they didn't have a bias against action movies, Speed #8 would have looked good in the history books as a Best Pic nominee. Some might say The Lion King #2, too, but it walked away with 2 Oscars. It's fine.
Tom Hanks sure sold a lot of movie tickets in the 1990s
1995 (280)
Apollo 13 #3
Braveheart #18
Babe #28
Sense & Sensibility #39
Il Postino #77
Verdict: one blockbuster, two hits, one arthouse hit with considerable prestige factor, and one foreign film greatly boosted by oscar attention
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? Just one: Se7en #9. But at the time people hadn't caught on to Fincher's worth quite yet and it wasn't as big a hit as Silence of the Lambs and came out during the glut of serial killer films in the mid 1990s.
1996 (311)
Jerry Maguire #4
The English Patient #19
Shine #41
Fargo #67
Secrets & Lies #108
Verdict: one blockbuster, one big hit, two minor hits, and one critical darling which didn't really crossover to mainstream love. This happens to be the year when people first started grumbling en masse about Oscar taste diverging from mainstream taste but it's worth noting that The English Patient was hugely popular with the public even though it was thought of as an "Oscar" movie, first and foremost. In large part the shift to arthouse fare happened with the rise of Miramax and Harvey Weinstein's campaigning power BUT it wasn't like Oscar was ignoring popular films!
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? No. Listen there was a reason this was dubbed "the year of the indie" the mainstream stuff, Jerry Maguire excepted, was pretty bad. I mean did you really want Independence Day #1 or Twister #2 or The Rock #7 as Best Picture nominees? Anything more popular than The English Patient that year (other than Maguire) would have looked embarrassing that year.
1997 (303)
Titanic #1
As Good As It Gets #6
Good Will Hunting #7
LA Confidential #24
The Full Monty #45
Verdict: three blockbusters (all three of which were released in december so they used their Oscar buzz as part of their cultural force), one hit, and one feelgood arthouse sleeper that crossed over a bit with the public.
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? If the Academy still liked romantic comedies (they only really liked them in the 1930s, admittedly the genre's highwater mark) they could have done a lot worse than nominating My Best Friend's Wedding #9. But all the Best Picture nominees that year were popular with the public so why grouse?
1998 (336)
Saving Private Ryan #1
Shakepeare in Love #18
Life is Beautiful #35
The Thin Red Line #59
Elizabeth #65
Verdict: one blockbuster, one big hit (propelled largely by its Oscar campaign), one foreign film that crossed over into a substantial hit, and two lush but artier efforts helped by critical acclaim to solid grosses.
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? They did embarrass themselves by not including The Truman Show #12, but that wasn't really a blockbuster. Just a big hit.
The Sixth Sense is one of the most successful horror films of all time, and one of the few ever nominated for Best Picture.
1999 (385)
The Sixth Sense #2
The Green Mile #12
American Beauty #13
Cider House Rules #41
The Insider #69
Verdict: one blockbuster, two big hits, two minor successes, one of which was almost entirely sold on its Oscar prospects (Cider House Rules)
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? They were already pretty generous with the hits -- and picked the best one (The Sixth Sense) though some would argue for Toy Story 2 here.
2000 (374)
Gladiator #4
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon #12
Erin Brockovich #13
Traffic #15
Chocolat #32
Verdict: one blockbuster, three very big hits (two of which used Oscar buzz to help them), and one feel good hit specifically pitched on its Oscar prospects (Chocolat)
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? It was strange at the time that they weren't enamored by Cast Away #2 but the 2000 list had nothing other than hits in it.
2001 (356)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring #1
A Beautiful Mind #11
Moulin Rouge! #43
Gosford Park #59
In the Bedroom #68
Verdict: two blockbusters, one hit, and two minor hits with specific prestige factors (both using their Oscar campaigns to propel them)
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? Did you really want Pearl Harbor #7 included just because it was "popular"? I think not. I suppose in retrospect they could have honored the first Harry Potter #1 with being embarrassing but it's DEFINITELY nowhere near as good as anything nominated (with the exception of maybe the winner, A Beautiful Mind)
2002 (480)
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers #2
Chicago #10
Gangs of New York #35
The Hours #56
The Pianist #80
Verdict: two blockbusters, two minor hits, and one prestige hit that didn't quite explode. All five were released in December so their Oscar campaigns were part of their initial public identity.
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? Only Catch Me If You Can #11. I mean does anyone honestly think My Big Fat Greek Wedding #5 or Attack of the Clones #3 or Chamber of Secrets #4 deserved a spot?
Only two trilogies have seen all their entries nominated for Best Picture: The Godfather and The Lord of the Rings
2003 (551)
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King #1
Seabiscuit #17
Master and Commander: Far Side of the World #31
Mystic River #33
Lost in Translation #67
Verdict: one blockbuster, one big hit, two minor hits, and one critical darling. None really needed Oscar attention to become hits (only Lord of the Rings and Master and Commander were released late in the year.)
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? Finding Nemo #2 but they knew they had a category in which to automatically honor it. Also the first Pirates of the Caribbean#3 but given what came after perhaps skipping it was wise. Otherwise including a hit to include a hit would have resulted in VERY embarrassing choices. The Matrix Reloaded #4 anyone? Terminator 3 #8 ?
2004 (551)
The Aviator #22
Million Dollar Baby #24
Ray #37
Sideways #40
Finding Neverland #61
Verdict: two big hits (both propelled by Oscar glories), two hits, and one film pitched solely on Oscar appeal that was a minor success. The story that the early Aughts is telling us requires one to look at actual box office charts of the time. As the Aughts progress you'll notice more and more franchises and sequels and animated features taking up ALL of the top ten lists. The Aviator and Million Dollar Baby, for example, are easy to imagine as top ten hits of their entire year if you place them back in the 1980s.
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? Yes, The Incredibles #5. I also loved Spider-Man 2 #2, but it was a sequel and even superhero fans didn't rally around it like they did say The Dark Knight. Otherwise had the Academy felt the need to include a big hit they had DIRE choices like The Day After Tomorrow #7, National Treasure #9, or Troy #13. Some would have been happy with a Passion of the Christ #3 nomination but we're glad they passed on Mel Gibson's quasi religious gore epic.
2005 (547)
Brokeback Mountain #22
Crash #49
Munich #62
Goodnight, and Good Luck. #89
Capote #95
Verdict: one big hit (sold largely on Oscar appeal), two minor hits, and two just barely hits sold largely on Oscar appeal. This is one of the years wherein people complained loudly about Oscar's taste not aligning with the publics but the untold story whenever that complaint is lobbed is 'well, what could they have nominated instead?' In the case of 2005, the top 30 hits are all pretty dire in quality with a few exceptions (Batman Begins, Walk the Line, etcetera), none of them exceptions enough to demand Best Picture placement. This will come to be the norm more and more in the land of franchises which is why people should always think before lodging this complaint. But, yes, this was a particularly quiet year in terms of Oscar films being big grossers, as none broke $100 million barrier and none had grossed more than around $50 million before the nominations (both of which are rarities)
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? Not really some might say Batman Begins, but that'd be a stretch. Others would argue for the bloated King Kong #5 or the exciting but ultimately silly War of the Worlds #4. Walk the Line #16, a big hit and quite Oscary was a strange exclusion, though, given their history. Otherwise if you wanted to pull in films that were more popular than Brokeback Mountain, you'd have to have gone with dross like Chicken Little #14 or non-impressive flicks like Hitch #11 or Flightplan #20 or The Chronicles of Narnia #2 or whatnot.
2006 (608)
The Departed #15
Little Miss Sunshine #51
The Queen #57
Babel #92
Letters from Iwo Jima #138
Verdict: one blockbuster (which won), two hits, and two films sold largely on Oscar appeal which didn't really crossover. Letters from Iwo Jima is a very rare example of a film that was nominated for Best Picture before becoming anything like a hit. It had grossed less than $3 million before the nominations were announced.
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? No. Most of the blockbusters would have been embarrassing choices (Night at the Museum #2? Cars #3?) Only Casino Royale,#9, was arguably worthy, for the way it successfully reinvented a long-running franchise. But again, long running series. This is not the Emmys. Oscar has never been about sequels outside of The Godfather and The Lord of the Rings.
Juno, a rare high school centric film, to win Oscar hearts
2007 (631)
Juno #15
No Country For Old Men #36
Atonement #50
Michael Clayton #55
There Will Be Blood #56
Verdict: one big hit, one hit, and three minor hits. Like the year before it, with the exception of Juno, none were big hits before the nominations.
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? Not really. Some may argue The Bourne Ultimatum #7 but it did win three craft Oscars which was a fitting tribute to that successful series. Did anyone really want Transformers #3 or Spider-Man 3 #1 called the "best" of their year?
2008 (607)
Slumdog Millionaire #16
Curious Case of Benjamin Button #20
The Reader #82
Milk #88
Frost/Nixon #120
Verdict/Consequences: The late Aughts were when the drumbeats got super loud for Oscar to 'get with the times!' and three straight years of nominating films that weren't really hits definitely convinced people that this had always been the case and would always be the case despite other years arguing that this merely happened from time to time but was not a permanent feature. This year had two big hits (one propelled largedly by their Oscar campaigns), and two minor successes and one flop (the latter three were all traditional "Oscar bait" and their nominations over films like The Dark Knight #1 and WALL•E #5 angered quite a few people.
As a result of the widespread complaints, a sudden rule change. We would now have ten nominees for best picture.
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? Yes, the two previously mentioned above.
Avatar is the top grossing film ever if you dont adjust for inflation and the 15th biggest ever if you do. Either way it was a MASSIVE success.
2009 (521)
Avatar #1
Up #5
The Blind Side #8
Inglorious Basterds #25
District 9 #27
Up in the Air #38
Precious #65
The Hurt Locker #116
An Education #132
A Serious Man #145
Verdict: With the newly expanded field we got a full range: three blockbusters, three big hits, one minor hit, and three films which struggled to capitalize on their critical goodwill including the amazing best picture winner The Hurt Locker.
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? No. Some people were clamoring for Star Trek #7 to make it, but that would have been a stretch quality wise and it was the 9th or 10th film in a franchise.
2010 (537)
Toy Story 3 #1
Inception #6
True Grit #13
The King's Speech #18
Black Swan #25
The Social Network #32
The Fighter #35
The Kids Are All Right #114
127 Hours #119
Winter's Bone #143
Verdict: two blockbusters, five big hits, and three indies that did okay for themselves but not major crossover success.
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? No outside of the two top ten grossers they included it was all sequels and family stuff like Despicable Me #7.
2011 (602)
The Help #13
Descendants #39
War Horse #41
Moneyball #47
Hugo #49
Midnight in Paris #59
The Artist #71
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close #97
The Tree of Life #132
Verdict: one blockbuster, four hits, two small sleeper successes that got everyone talking, and two films that didn't get popular outside of Oscar love (Extremely Close) or critical love (Tree of Life).
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? No, with the exception of Bridesmaids #14
Remember when Lincoln was a surprise giant hit. That was weird, right? I mean it was good but still. Unexpected.
2012 (669)
Lincoln #13
Django Unchained #15
Les Miserables #18
Argo #22
Silver Linings Playbook #23
Life of Pi #27
Zero Dark Thirty #32
Beasts of the Southern Wild #130
Amour #145
Verdict: three big hits, four more hits, and then two films that didn't cross over outside of critical attention though they did well in arthouses.
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? Skyfall #4 was the only viable option that was bigger than Lincoln and Django Unchained but it was also the 20th+ film from a franchise. Still, it probably would have been nominated had they stuck with a top ten field instead of their weird 5-10 nominees depending on how voting goes.
2013 (688)
Gravity #4
American Hustle #17
Wolf of Wall Street #28
Captain Phillips #32
12 Years a Slave #62
Philomena #80
Dallas Buyers Club #95
Her #100
Nebraska #117
Verdict: one blockbuster, one really big hit, two hits, three minor hits, and two minor successes (the latter five and a couple of the bigger hits significantly buoyed by the Oscar buzz.)
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? Other than Frozen #3, which they had a whole category designed to reward, the giant hits were not particularly well regarded in terms of quality and they were mostly sequels. Though they did pass on two hits with Oscary elements: The Great Gatsby #18 and The Butler #29.
2014 (707)
American Sniper #1
The Imitation Game #36
The Grand Budapest Hotel #54
Selma #61
Birdman #78
The Theory of Everything #85
Boyhood #100
Whiplash #125
Verdict: one blockbuster, three hits, two minor hits, one critical darling that was almost a hit, and one crowd pleaser that never quite caught on.
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? I would argue no. It was mostly animated features that were fun but not amazing and sequels or bad cash-ins like Maleficent #8. Though they could have included the #18 grosser Gone Girl.
2015 (705)
The Martian #8
The Revenant #13
Mad Max Fury Road #21
Bridge of Spies #42
The Big Short #44
Spotlight #62
Brooklyn #70
Room #111
Verdict: two blockbusters, three hits, two sleeper successes that never became big hits, and one critical darling that never quite caught on with the public.
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? Yes, two: Star Wars: The Force Awakens #1 and Pixar's Inside Out #4 but the presence of an Animated Feature category has dimmed the chances of animated features making the expanded lineups (once people got used to the animated feature being a done deal for Pixar).
Hidden Figures success shouldn't have surprised people. But it did.
2016 (736)
Hidden Figures #14
La La Land #19
Arrival #29
Hacksaw Ridge #46
Fences #57
Lion #66
Manchester by the Sea #69
Moonlight #92
Hell or High Water #95
Verdict: two blockbusters, two hits, and four minor successes, some of which were boosted considerably by the Oscar attention.
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? NOPE! Sorry but Deadpool #6 would have made a totally embarrassing nominee, since it will be as dated in in a few years as, say, Shrek is now. These days if you want to find "quality" hits you usually have to find them in the top 30 of the year or so since the top ten most successful movies are almost always sequels or animated pictures. And if you look through the past several years Oscar has pretty much done exactly that, embracing hits (mostly) where they can.
2017 (740)
Dunkirk #14
Get Out #15
The Post #39
The Shape of Water #46
Darkest Hour #50
Three Billboards #52
Lady Bird #56
Phantom Thread #101
Call Me By Your Name #108
Verdict: two blockbusters, five medium to minor hits (all boosted by their Oscar runs), and two films that did better than they would have without Oscar attention but not as well as some might have hoped.
Was there a blockbuster the Academy could have honored without embarrassing themselves? Wonder Woman #3 more for its historic nature than any perfection (it's uneven) but Oscar has nominated things for historic reasons before. Otherwise the next truly viable options they totally nominated in major ways: Dunkirk and Get Out.
WHEW. Finis.
Our conclusion:
Oscar doesn't remotely need a "popular achievement" category. Their awards already take care of those things. What they could do to improve their reach into pop culture is to learn to appreciate genres outside of drama more naturally without needing lots and lots of cajoling to do so. Or perhaps, if the Board of Governors REALLY must make a change, they could appoint an executive committee who is able to save 1 or 2 movies a year (like in foreign film) and move Best Picture back to 10 spots so that anything that feels especially worthy that voters didn't recognize for some reason could still stand a chance.
A stunt category (which they've needed for a long time) would be another way to honor audience-popular genres that would actually function in much the same way the Oscars have already functioned: by attempting to recognize great achievements in all aspects of filmmaking.