(New Line), a boxing-based family drama starring Jimmy Smits, opened out of the top 10 with $1.5 million from 802 screens. Seats were far from ``pretty vacant'' for the limited release debut of the Sex Pistols documentary ``The Filth and the Fury'' (Fine Line) in one New York theater. Director Julien Temple's look back at the seminal British punk combo pulled in a stellar $12,000 at the weekend, and $18,000 since its Wednesday debut. The film expands to Chicago next weekend and Los Angeles on April 14.
According to Exhibitor Relations Co., which collects the studios' data, the top 12 films this weekend grossed a combined $77 million, up five percent from last weekend, and up one percent from the year-ago period when ``The Matrix'' -- a four time Oscar winner -- pulled in $27.8 million.
``El Dorado,'' set in the 16th century, follows two Spanish stowaways (voiced by Kevin Kline and Kenneth Branagh) who discover the fabled city of gold where they are treated as gods by the locals until love and greed rear their heads.
DreamWorks distribution president Jim Tharp said its $12.5 million opening was ``a little disappointing,'' and he would have preferred a figure in the mid-teens. Reviews for the film were mixed, but he predicted the gross would hold up over ensuing weekends because of a lack of competition in the family arena.
``High Fidelity'' received strong reviews, and it pulled in equal shares of males and females primarily in the 18-30 age bracket, said Chuck Viane, president of Disney's Buena Vista Pictures distribution unit. Noting that Cusack's romantic comedy ``Grosse Pointe Blank'' opened at $6.8 million en route to $29 million in 1997, he hoped to bring in the review-sensitive, over-30 crowd in coming weeks.
In its 29th weekend, ``American Beauty'' has grossed $117 million, and it should end up with $135 million domestically, said DreamWorks' Tharp. Its Oscar haul included best picture, director (Sam Mendes), actor (Kevin Spacey), cinematography (Conrad Hall) and original screenplay (Alan Ball). This weekend it boosted its screen count by 328 to 1,990.
``The Cider House Rules'' (Miramax), which snagged Oscars for supporting actor Michael Caine and screenwriter/novelist John Irving, fell two places to No. 11 with $2.2 million. Its screen total dropped by 203 to 1,468. The drama's total stands at $53.1 million in its 17th weekend.
Rounding out the top 10 were ``Final Destination'' (New Line) at No. 7 with $5.2 million (17-day total $28.2 million); and ``Mission to Mars'' (Touchstone) at No. 8 with $6.4 million (24- day total $54.5 million). Teen movies ``Here on Earth'' (Fox) and ``Whatever It Takes'' (Columbia) tied at No. 9 with $2.4 million. Their 10 day totals are $8.1 million and $7.5 million, respectively.
Universal Pictures is a unit of Seagram Co. Ltd.. Warner Bros., Fine Line Features and New Line Cinema are units of Time Warner Inc.. Touchstone Pictures and Miramax Films are units of Walt Disney Co.. Twentieth Century Fox is a unit of Fox Entertainment Group Inc.. Columbia Pictures is a unit of Sony Corp.. DreamWorks SKG is privately held.
Film industry worries about lack of Oscar films (2000-12-01)Rookies Torpedoed at Box Office (2000-05-01)Roberts Beats Tarnished 'El Dorado' at Box Office (2000-04-02)Oscar Winner Mendes Back Home to Spielberg Boost (2000-04-02)Oscar Gets a Facelift With Sunday's Awards (2000-03-28)
