In the United States , Sony and Columbia Pictures released '' Sense and Sensibility '' on a slow schedule compared to mainstream films , first premiering it on 13 December 1995 . Believing that a limited release would position the film both as an " exclusive quality picture " and increase its chances of winning Academy Awards , Columbia dictated that its first weekend involve only seventy cinemas in the US ; it opened in eleventh place in terms of box office takings and earned $ 721,341 . To benefit from the publicity surrounding potential Academy Award candidates and increase its chance of earning nominations , the film was released within " Oscar season " . The number of theatres showing '' Sense and Sensibility '' was slowly expanded , with particular surges when its seven Oscar nominations were announced and at the time of the ceremony in late March , until it was present in over one thousand cinemas across the US . By the end of its American release , '' Sense and Sensibility '' had been watched by more than eight million people , garnering an " impressive " total domestic gross of $ 43,182,776
ceremony in late March
68th Academy Awards
Sense and Sensibility (film)