LDS Films Weekend Box Office Report 7 December 2001

Home

Feature Films by LDS/Mormon Filmmakers and Actors Weekend Box Office Report (U.S. Domestic Box Office Gross) Weekend of December 7, 2001 [If table lines up improperly, use mono-spaced font, i.e. Courier]

Natl  Film Title                       Weekend Gross
Rank  LDS/Mormon Filmmaker or Actor    Total Gross   Screens  Days
----  ------------------------------   -------        -----   ----
1     Ocean's Eleven (NEW)            $38,107,822      3,075     3
      LDS characters: Malloy twins

3     Behind Enemy Lines                8,042,009      2,844    10
      David Veloz (screenwriter)       31,180,676

8     Out Cold                          1,396,830      1,651    19
      A. J. Cook (female lead)         12,242,292

11    Life as a House                     639,486      1,068    45
      Mark Andrus (screenwriter)       14,846,545

25    Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure    101,578         18   304
      Scott Swofford (producer)         5,740,023
      Reed Smoot (cinematographer)
      Sam Cardon (composer)
      Stephen L. Johnson (film editor)

37    Mulholland Drive                     70,755         89    63
      Joyce Eliason (producer/writer)   5,265,058

44    Joy Ride                             37,795         97    66
      Paul Walker (2nd billed star)    21,886,577

55    China: The Panda Adventure           19,993         21   136
      Reed Smoot (cinematographer)      1,614,293

68    Galapagos                            11,647          9   773
      Reed Smoot (cinematographer)     11,949,525

70    Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man     11,123          7   584
      Reed Smoot (cinematographer)     12,922,604

79    Island of the Sharks                  7,125          6   955
      Alan Williams (composer)         10,545,039

93    All Access                            4,556          4   258
      Reed Smoot (cinematographer)        971,694

129   Mark Twain's America 3D                 217          1  1256
      Alan Williams (composer)          2,136,342

The big news in film this week was the not unexpected first place box office performance of "Ocean's Eleven," directed by Steven Soderbergh (who received two Best Director Academy Award nominations last year for "Erin Brockovich" and "Traffic"). Although the "Ocean's Eleven" filmmakers are not Latter-day Saints, two of the eponymous "Eleven" are Mormons. Non-LDS actors Scott Caan and Casey Affleck play Turk and Virgil Malloy -- Mormon twins hired by Johnny Ocean to assist in his simultaneous robbery of three Las Vegas casinos. The inclusion of these characters may be oddly appropriate, considering the fact that roughly 2 out of 11 Las Vegas residents are LDS, and the city itself was founded by Latter-day Saints. This is also Soderbergh's 3rd major film with LDS characters (after very minor inclusion in "The Limey" and "Traffic"). Of course, robbing casinos may not qualify the fictional Malloy brothers as role models, but maybe working with George Clooney, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts made them momentarily lose their heads.

"Behind Enemy Lines," written by Mormon writer David Veloz and inspired by the downing of Utah pilot Scott O'Grady, continued to draw in large audiences in its 2nd week of release. It was 3rd at the box office, bringing its total gross to $31 million.

There must be quite a few snowboarding enthusiasts or A.J. Cook fans out there, because "Out Cold" remained in the top 10 in its third week of release. With LDS Canadian (now a Utah resident) A.J. Cook as female lead, the movie has earned over $12 million.

Pixar's "Monsters, Inc" was in 4th place, an impressive showing considering the film has been playing for five weeks. Mark Andrus' "Life as a House" was in 11th place nationwide.

Next Week: Mitch Davis's long awaiting Tongan missionary film "The Other Side of Heaven" opens in Sandy at the Jordan Commons, and in Orem at the Scera. The following week it will open throughout Utah. Also: Find out which LDS screenwriter inspired Peter Jackson to make "The Lord of the Rings."