By the numbers, the Academy Awards are roughly 50 percent less relevant than they have been the last five years. While all five candidates for the top Oscar have managed respectable ticket sales, they collectively have been seen by fewer moviegoers than any batch of best-picture nominees in 20 years.

　　For the first time since the 1997 "Titanic" juggernaut, no blockbuster is in the mix, and it's the first time in 15 years without at least one $100 million hit among the best-picture contenders going into the Oscars.

　　A year ago, best-picture candidates had grossed $696 million a week before the Oscars.

　　A year ago, the largest audience in four years tuned in to see the academy crown $377 million sensation "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" as best picture. "Eyeballs staring at the movie screen translates to eyeballs staring at the TV screen," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "People like to have a vested interest in what they're watching. When `Titanic' does $1.8 billion in worldwide box office, you've got a lot of people out there with a vested interest."

　　Edging toward $90 million, "The Aviator" leads this year's roster, followed by "Ray," which topped out at about $75 million and is now on home video. "Million Dollar Baby," "Sideways" and "Finding Neverland" are in the $45 million to $55 million range.

　　The last three years, there has been a "Lord of the Rings" megahit competing. Other past blockbuster contenders included "Gladiator," "The Sixth Sense," "Saving Private Ryan," "Forrest Gump" and "Ghost."

　　The big hits of 2004 included "Shrek 2," "Spider-Man 2" and "The Incredibles," but they were lighter flicks that never drew much best-picture buzz. And liberal-minded Hollywood did not give serious best-picture consideration to the religious blockbuster "The Passion of the Christ.

　　The feature-animation competition arguably could be called the real best-picture competition for mainstream movie fans.

　　At $436 million, "Shrek 2" far out-grossed the entire best-picture lineup combined. Add in "The Incredibles" ($259 million) and "Shark Tale" ($160 million), and the three animated nominees did more than 2 1/2 times the business of the five best-picture contestants.

　　The Oscars, though, are not necessarily a place for popular sentiment, often singling out small films such as this year's "Vera Drake" or "Being Julia" for key nominations.

　　"I have never equated the Academy Awards with how much money a movie takes in," said Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal, which released "Ray." "That's the People's Choice Awards. This is not about the public. This is about the industry bestowing its awards on what they think are the best films of the year."