Box Office: August 2006 Archives

Sorry for the tardy weekend numbers. Between the Emmys, Billie Jean King being fetted at the US Open and writing Tom Cruise stories, it's been a busy week...and it's only Tuesday!

But here is how some of the films with gay characters did over the weekend, according to final box office figures released Monday:
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby: The Will Ferrell comedy featuring Ali G as a gay French racing champion remained in second place adding $8.1 million in ticket sales. It has grossed a superb $127.8 million in four weeks and seems to have plenty of gas left in its tank.

Little Miss Sunshine: My favorite movie all summer is NUMBER THREE WITH A BULLET! This gem expanded to more than 1,400 theaters and took in $7.4 million, a 31 percent increase over the weekend prior. The film, which features a wonderful portrayal by Steve Carell of a depressed gay man on a road trip with his dysfunctional family, has grossed $28.9 million to date and I think will be around a few more months. See it!

The Devil Wears Prada: My second favorite movie of the year is winding down its stellar run as it dropped to 20th place taking in $880,462. The film featuring Meryl Streep in a tremendous performance as an icy fashion editor and Stanley Tucci as one of her gay designers, has grossed $120.6 million in all.

Quincieanera: The Sundance Film Festival winner is now in just under 100 theaters and is doing steady business for an art film in limited release. It features several gay characters as part of the drama going on in an Echo Park neighborhood. The film took 33rd place with a weekend gross of $216,973 for a total of $1.7 million to date.

The Night Listener: This film that has Robin Williams as a gay talk radio host and Bobby Cannavale as his ex-lover is now in just under 500 theaters and continues to fade fast. It fell to 44th place (from 26th last weekend) with $76,640 in ticket sales. It has grossed $7.8 million to date.

Another Gay Movie stayed in 54th place playing in just 14 locations. The raunchy gay comedy in the vein of "American Pie" earned $45258 for a one-month total of $363,986.

New release "Queens" about a bunch of gay couples being married in a mass ceremony in Spain with their mothers complicating EVERYTHING, opened in five locations and took in $16,494.

"The Groomsman," which features John Leguiizamo as a man who comes out to his high school buddies at a wedding, added eight theaters to its run resulting in 650 percent increase in ticket sales from last week! The sweet Ed Burns-directed flick took in $11,062 and has grossed $118,582 to date.

"The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green" fell out of the top 100 as it played in only one theater over the weekend where it earned $2,533. The film grossed $145,354 overall.

My favorite movie of the summer, "Little Miss Sunshine," broke into the top 10 over the weekend! The film's terrific ensemble cast includes Steve Carell as a gay academic who goes on a road trip with his dysfunctional family as he recovers from a suicide attempt. His boyfriend left him for his arch-rival who is now topping the best sellers list.

'Sunshiine" took seventh place after adding 538 theaters (691 total) and grossed $5.6 million. The Fox
Searchlight release has taken in $12.7 million to date and expands into more than 1,400 theaters on Friday. "The regional openings were very strong throughout the weekend," said Searchlight Chief Operating Officer Steve Gilula. "The momentum continues."

Another film with a prominent gay character, "Talldega Nights: the Ballad of Ricky Bobby" finished in second place after two weekends on top. The Will Ferrell NASCAR comedy, which features Ali G as an openly gay French racing champion, took in $13.75 million, crossing the $100 million mark on Thursday. The film, released by Sony Pictures entertainment, has grossed $114.3 million in three weeks. "It’s a picture that appeals to the whole country," said Rory Bruer, Sony’s president of domestic distribution. "It’s attracted everybody."

"The Devil Wears Prada," which features Stanley Tucci as a magazine executive working for Meryl Streep, dropped to 15th place after two months in theaters but continues to earn money. "Prada" added $1.3 million to its total which has now reached an impressive $118.9 million.

Business went from bad to worse for "The Night Listener," the suspense thriller that star Robin Williams as a gay radio host and Bobby Cannavale as his ex-boyfriend. Business for "Listener" plummeted by more than 75 percent as it steadily loses theaters. It took in $384,000 over the weekend and $7.5 million overall.

The critically-acclaimed "Qunicearnera," winner of the top prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival, saw its grosses keep growing as it continues to roll out into more theaters each week. The film with several gay characters took in $170,000 over the weekend and has grossed $516,000 overall.

"Another Gay Movie" played in 14 locations (three less than last week) but dropped in business by only 23 percent. The comedy earned $54,452 over the three days for a total of $292,911 to date.

The political family drama "Poster Boy" expanded to four theaters and took in $8,484 for a two week totl of $20,772.

And finally, "The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green" is now playing in only one theater and added $4,184 to its total which now stands at $25,469.

For a full box office report, see my story in today's Daily News.

It was another very gay weekend at the movies with the number one movie, "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," featuring a gay race car driver played by Ali G. The movie took in an estimated $22 million in week two and should cross the $100 million mark by the end of the week.

Another big success is "Little Miss Sunshine" featuring Steve Carell as a gay man who recovers from a broken heart (and suicide attempt) by going on a road trip with his dysfunctional family. Still in limited release, the comedy had the highest per-screen average of any film in the top 12 at a whopping $16,993.

"Sunshine" played in 153 theaters, 95 up from last weekend, and earned $2.9 million for a cumulative total of $5.6 million. The Fox Searchlight release expands to 600 theaters on Friday then 1,500 locations the following weekend. This platforming strategy is designed to give the film momentum through good word of mouth and is so far working like a charm.

"The Devil Wears Prada," which co-stars Stanley Tucci as a gay magazine executive and Meryl Streep as a bitch for the ages, added $1.95 million to its total as it begins to wind down a sensational summer run. It has a total gross of $116.6 million to date.

Meanwhile, "The Night Listener" which stars Robin Williams as a gay radio host and Bobby Cannavale as his ex-lover, took a free-fall at the box office in its second weekend with a drop in business of 59.5 percent. The film took in $1.4 million for a two-week take of $6.3 million.

Here is a link to my full box office report in today's Daily News.

Here are some results for some indiie films still in limited release:

- "Another Gay Movie": This tasteless comedy in the tradition of the "American Pie" movies took in $68,302 in 17 theaters, that's a 36.4 percent jump in business from last weekend. It's overall gross to date is $195,990.

- "The Groomsman" written and directed by Ed Burns is about a group of life-long friends who reunited for a wedding. One of the friends comes out to the group after staying away for 10 years. The film took in just $8,233, a 45.7 percent drop in business from last weekend. It's grossed just $100,096 so far.

- "The Mostly Unfabulous Life of Ethan Green" took in $7,366 over the weekend, up 46.9 percent from last weekend. The film has earned $134,586 since its debut.

- "Poster Boy," which has been waiting two years for release, played in two theaters and earned $3,806 in its LA debut.

Updated from Sunday:

In my previous post "The Gayest Weekend Ever At The Movies," I left out a movie that just happened to go on to to earn $47 million in its opening weekend and achieve the third biggest August opening in history! That movie, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," stars, of course, Will Ferrell as the title character but is also a mainstream film that features a gay villain who isn't tragic. He is an arrogant gay French race car driver and powerful champion named Jean Girard portrayed by Sacha Baron Cohen (better known as Ali G). The racing nemesis of Ferrell's characfer does not fall into any limp-wristed stereotypes, is not de-sexualized, nor is he assaulted or ridiculed in any way.

Jean is brought in to dethrone the "All-American" and unbeatable Ricky Bobby. In his first scene, the sophisticated and wealthy racer boldly displays his sexuality in a beer bar by introducing his "husband" (Andy Richter) to the other racers and crew members. He then gives hubby a big smooch for all to see followed by a little squeeze of his man's rear end.

I missed the screening of "Talladega" but will catch up with it soon. Did manage to take in "The Night Listener" in Palm Springs this weekend and thought Robin Williams and Bobby Cannavale played a very believable and complicated gay couple in the film. I thought the performances were solid (including the amazing Toni Collette) but left the theater feeling a bit dissatisfied, like "So what?" I didn't really care of the kid existed or not.

At any rate, "Night Listener" did manage to debut in the top 10 despite playing in only 1,367 theaters. It grossed an estimated $3.55 million. Meanwhile, the Sony Pictures Classic title "Quinceanera," opened in just eight locations and earned $96,900. That movie, the winner of the top prize at the Sundance Film Festival this year, features Jesse Garcia as a tough young cholo kicked out of his parents' home because he is gay. He is taken in by his great-uncle and becomes involved with his gay landlords.

Drawing an astounding per-screen average ($25,169 - higher than any film in release) was the sensational "Little Miss Sunshine." This gem from Fox Searchlight expanded from seven to 58 theaters in its second weekend and grosses and will go into wide release Aug. 18. "Sunshine," featuring Steve Carell as a gay academic recovering from a suicide attempt, has grossed $2.2 million to date.

Here are the box office results of other gay themed movies in the marketplace last weekend that were reported Monday: the outrageous comedy "Another Gay Movie" did quite well in limited release with a weekend gross of $50,069. Playing in five theaters, "Gay Movie" had a hefty per-screen average of $10,013 and has grossed $101,016 to date.
"Shock to the System," starring Chad Allen, did not make much of an impact in the two theaters it played in with a total gross of just $2,750. The film simulteously debuted on the Here! TV pay channel so should get plenty of sampling that way.

And finally, "The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life Of Ethan Green," a very fuinny movie that I thought was a cut above a lot of the gay comedies out there, is fading fast. Down to just four theaters, "Ethan" took in just $5,016 for a total gross to date of $124,826.