By my reckoning, that was Minority Report, and it made a lot less.
In 2002, for example, no film made more than Spider Man, but, while I'd be among the first to argue that it was a fun movie, it wasn't close to being the year's best (ragardless of what measuring device you use). The #1 box office movie also happens to be the best movie out there. The 2003/4 winter movie season is a rare exception. The truth is, more often than not, the two are not in synch. Somewhere along the way, someone has confused popularity with quality. But what does this have to do with me? Even if I like a movie, why should I be concerned whether more Americans see it on a given weekend than anything else? The cast and crew of a film are directly affected, since, in the movie business, future earnings are based on past performance. I can readily understand why the studio CEOs are interested in this information - it impacts their bottom line. When did this become a spectator sport? Why should I care?
Projected grosses are reported during every news show each Sunday night, with "real" numbers arriving 24 hours later. Even as recently as 15 years ago, the box office tally was relegated to a small chart on the back page of the entertainment section.
When I first began going to the movies, there was no way for an "average" film-goer to find out how much a motion picture had grossed over a weekend. All but the die-hards would probably better enjoy the experience by waiting until the movie is playing in its general run and can be seen in relative comfort on a weeknight. Would I recommend braving the throngs of teens who will be packing multiplexes on a Saturday night for the benefit of seeing Miracle a week early? Depends on your tolerance for that sort of thing. It's not great art, but it's about as good as mass-market motion picture entertainment gets in the dead of winter. In this case, the short answer is "yes," especially if you have interest in (a) hockey, (b) the 1980 Winter Olympics, or (c) the "Miracle on Ice." Anyone not falling into one of the above categories will view this as a feel-good, underdog-triumphs sports story. Disney's Miracle doesn't arrive in theaters until next weekend, and I won't be posting my review until tomorrow or Monday, but, as often happens when there's a national sneak preview (as there is tonight), I get requests from curious movie-goers asking whether it's worth the effort.
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