Box Office: Is the “Star” Stellar?
by Peter Knegt (September 20, 2009)
A scene from Jane Campion's "Bright Eyes." Image courtesy of the Apparition.
After a promising mid-week debut, Jane Campion’s “Bright Star” dimmed a bit over its opening weekend, according to estimates provided by Rentrak earlier this afternoon. The film - which marks the first film from Apparition, the new film distribution outfit from former Picturehouse chief Bob Berney and producer Bill Pohlad, from River Road - had debuted to a $4,507 daily average on two screens this past Wednesday, an admirable number for a mid-week debut in the midst of a major, publicity-stealing film festival (that it had screened at just days earlier). But upon its expansion to 19 screens over the weekend, the film grossed a more fair $190,343 for a $10,018 per-theater-average. Though these numbers are certainly short of stellar, “Star” was hindered by a few factors: Rosh Hashanah, the typically underwhelming September box office, and an overcrowded batch of competitors - most notably wide releases of its fellow TIFF-titles Steven Soderbergh’s “The Informant!” and Karyn Kusama’s “Jennifer’s Body.” Debuting an awards-bait title this early in the season is always a bit of a risk - especially on a weekend when the industry hasn’t quite exhaled from the Venice-Telluride-Toronto triad - and though the next few weeks will be “Star”‘s true test, it seems so far it’s not paying off. Though it notably debuted on at least twice the screens, diluting its average (perhaps an error in itself), “Star”‘s opening does not fare well against Campion’s other films. On 7, 2 and 6 screens respectively, “The Portrait of a Lady,” “Holy Smoke” and “In The Cut” each averaged between $15,000 and $17,000, while “The Piano” debut to a whopping $37,854 per its four theaters back in November 1993 (and that’s not even considering inflation, in which all those numbers would increase substantially). A hopeful note for “Bright Star” was its significant rise in grosses on Saturday (which also might suggest Rosh Hashanah’s role in “Star”‘s numbers). After a $51,252 Friday take, the film rose to $81,818 on Saturday, and is estimated to take $57,273 on Sunday. Since Wednesday, the film’s total stands at $207,289, and it should be interesting to see what the next few, non-Rosh Hashanah, non-TIFF weekends entail.
|
iW’s Celebrates Black History Month
iW's shares with you films celebrating Black History Month.
Up In The Air
Now Playing Everywhere Tickets & Showtimes: www.TheUpInTheAirMovie.com Up In The Air has it all Remarkable Acting Vintage Directing Heartfelt Storytelling Unforgettable Entertainment Nominated for 6 Academy Awards Including Best Picture Become a fan: www.TheUpInTheAirMovie.com |
this ia problem with american critic if there is no blood and gor special effects they cannot appreciate great quality movies i have seen it time and time again also where the distributors and the critics forget what great films with performance and script is it is sad this film was selected at telluride festival which is know for quality films so that should speak for it self
I have nothing but respect for Apparition and the work they have put into bringing Bright Star to US audiences. And I tried to be hopeful throughout this article in the way I approached any criticism of its performance this weekend. I most certainly understand this was a tough weekend to start things off, and that a 19 theater count makes using a per-theater-average as a comparative tool complicated - and feel this was made clear on both accounts. I hope very much that Bright Star’s performance in the weeks to come makes any negative suggestion in this article prove itself horribly misguided. In the meantime, I do stand by my hesitation in championing the film’s initial numbers, though I apologize if my tone came across as more harsh than hopeful, as I too am a supporter of quality films.
BRIGHT STAR is a beautiful film and has performed very well so far. The tone of the article and characterization of the opening, comparing it to other Campion films on different screen counts and in different situations, is really harsh and unfair, especially for IndieWire. This is a tough time in the indie business and generally the arrival of a film like this, with the opening of a new distributor should be supported. I admit I’m totally biased, but Jeanne and I and our team have been working very hard on this film. Being on the road with Jane, Jan and the cast and seeing the hard work they’ve done to get the film out to the public makes me naturally very defensive about the project. We’re supporters of quality films and really believe this film will have a lasting impact on audiences, it really stays with you.
Adding to garymey’s note, comparing Claire Denis 35 SHOTS to SUMMER HOURS is an unfair comparison. Despite both being French, SUMMER is a much higher profile (read: glossier) film, has a well known star (Binoche) and got a much stronger Times review (“masterpiece” vs. “lovely”). These days, any time such a wonderful, sublime (some may say difficult) film opens to these numbers, it should warrant more Hurrah’s.
garymey, I think the article actually speaks to your concerns quite clearly. We’ll see what happens next weekend, but its hard to celebrate this opening wholeheartedly.
The problem with comparing BRIGHT STAR to those previous Campion movies is that each had at least one major movie star in them which can bring in people who might not other be seeking a “Jane Campion film.”
BRIGHT STAR is likely to have better legs than any of those releases as word of mouth keeps sophisticate audiences coming and spreading the word, especially among those interested in literature and poetry and the female audience in general. Opening against Rosh Hashanah is always an interesting challenge bit it also shifts attendance to keep midweek grosses stronger.
I think you have been a bit harsh in your analysis of the opening.