The Oscar's effects are particularly noticeable for the specialized art-house and small indie films. In 1999, some of the Oscar favorites included Miramax's “The Cider House Rules,” which won Screenplay (Adapted) and Supporting Actor for Michael Caine, and Fox Searchlight's “Boys Don't Cry,” for which Hilary Swank won Best Actress.

The 1999 Oscar-winning dark comedy, “American Beauty,” which had opened in September, reaped the benefits of its five Oscars the day after the ceremonies. The film grossed $727,544 on Monday, a day after taking Best Picture, Director, and Actor trophies. This represented a 132 percent surge from its total of $313,542 on the same day a week before. Monday is historically the weakest day of the box-office week.

The specific date of a film's release is also a crucial variable in determining its Oscar prospects and ultimate box-office appeal. A December release, John Madden's historical romantic comedy, “Shakespeare in Love,” the 1998 Oscar-winner, enjoyed a significant box-office boost over the first post-Oscar weekend, with a three-day gross of $4.4 million, up 48 percent from the previous weekend

The Oscar award's potential pecuniary effect became more apparent in the 1960s and 1970s. Billy Wilder' “The Apartment” was the only Oscar-winner in the entire decade to have grossed less than $10 million; the average gross of the other winners was $21 million.

For smaller, independently produced films, a Best Picture nomination is of major help at the box-office. Consider Louis Malle's intimate drama, “Atlantic City” (1981), which was nominated for five awards, including the Best Picture Oscar, after being cited as best film of the year by the prestigious National Society of Film Critics.