Little Box Office Hits of 2008
Earlier this week, we reviewed the Top Ten box office hits of 2008 — now we take a look at the smaller successes of the year, those limited-release films that fared best.
Pardon this one disclaimer: I’m not counting Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds. It had a carefully planned limited release on IMAX screens, earning $65 million. I’m guessing Disney would have rolled it out bigger… if only there were more IMAX screens. The model must be working, as Disney announced five planned IMAX releases for animated movies, not including the upcoming Toy Story re-release.
The biggest little hits of 2008:
:: Between 1000 and 2000 screens
(Comparative note: About 115 films played on more than 2000 screens.)
The Secret Life of Bees, $37 million, Fox Searchlight
This multiracial period drama is still in theaters after a mid-October premiere, and has certainly benefitted from decent star power (Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson) and the popularity of Sue Monk Kidd’s novel.
:: Also-rans: Changeling (still in theaters), The Bank Job, The Other Boleyn Girl
Between 500 and 1000 screens:
:: Fireproof, $33 million, Samuel Goldwyn Films
Kirk Cameron continued his Christian crusade with yet another faith-based film, this one about a firefighter trying to save his marriage. The conservative right loves telling the rest of us sinners how much money movies like this can make — in this case, they’d be right.
:: Also-rans: Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Religulous
Fewer than 500 screens:
:: Under the Same Moon, $12 million, The Weinstein Company
A mini-hit about a Mexican boy crossing the U.S. border to find his mother. Little Adrian Alonso won the Young Artist Award for Best Performance in an International Feature.
:: Also-rans: Milk, The Visitor, In Bruges
There are a few films still in theaters that will probably burst this list in some way:
1. Jonathan Demme’s Rachel Getting Married has already earned about $10 million on fewer than 400 screens, and is still playing. Considering the strong reviews and heavy buzz, especially surrounding Anne Hathaway’s performance, it’ll easily eclipse $12 million if it can stay in theaters. Hathaway’s been nominated for a Golden Globe and the film is up for six Independent Spirit Awards.
2. Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire has earned $12 million on just over 500 screens, gaining screens and profits with every week. Although the per-screen average has plummeted recently, the grosses build. This is a brilliantly slow rollout, and if the North American audience will accept Slumdog Millionaire’s “exotic” locale and partial subtitling, this will be a big hit beyond New York and Los Angeles, especially after it receives an Oscar nomination for Best Picture (it will).
3. Gus Van Sant’s Milk has earned just over $10 million on 350+ screens. It won’t have the widespread acceptance Slumdog Millionaire, but a similar rollout, enormous accolades and a solid cast will build an audience.
:: Fewer than 50 screens
Priceless, $2.1 million, Samuel Goldwyn Films
Writer-director Andre Joseph found success with this romantic drama about a jewel thief reuniting with an old flame. A smaller example of the appeal that can be found from a black filmmaker and cast that doesn’t have Tyler Perry’s level of popularity and distribution.
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Other Posts of Interest
- Free DVD Giveaway: VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
- How Hannah Montana Has Hypnotized America
- Bulletin: Woody Allen Is Still Very Funny
- Review Roundup: TROPIC THUNDER, VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
- Tribeca Film Festival Report
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Feb 15, 2009
Reference: Kirk Cameron in FIREPROOF.
About an hour ago, my wife and I arrived home from a no-cost showing at a local church — a showing of FIREPROOF.
My wife and I have been married for just-under eight years [ages 48 and 58]–lots of opportunities to learn how to correctly maintain a marriage—mostly by learning the consequences of making mistakes.
We sat through most of FIREPROOF holding hands so tightly that we built up sweet between us–and kept sending “squeeze” signals when scenes in the movie reflected important moments in our own marriage. Often I thought to myself, “well, we made the correct choice in that test of our marriage commitment.”
We were extremely pleased that the film contained so many bold messages—messages sent to viewers of all ages and all stages of relationship building.
The “messages” in this film are so important both to Christians and to non-Christians that I wish every high school in the world would offer this film to their senior “health” classes. The fire fighting action scenes would keep everyone awake. The scenes concerning relationships paint a beautiful road map for people of all ages.
The church provided opportunities to pick up copies of the DVD and the book THE LOVE DARE. We brought home one of each—and will pass them along to our son and his wife—so young and so much ahead of them.
I strongly recommend that your readers call the local churches to see if they are planning community showings. If none in town, the DVD and the book are “eternal” investments worth their selling prices.
God Bless You All,
Stan Acres
Springfield, Oregon