Monday Morning Quarterback Part I
By BOP Staff
December 22, 2008
Scott Lumley: I think Jim Carrey's choice in projects is the main reason for his crippled box office juggernaut status. He's determinedly stuck to his guns and has attempted to stretch himself into new directions and ranges and has had mixed successes. I really had some high hopes for Carrey to post some monster numbers on Yes Man to redeem himself a bit. Regardless of what is going on in his personal life, I've always enjoyed him in nearly every single role he's ever tried.
It's possible he's headed down the Robin Williams career path, which would indicate several middling projects with the occasional blockbuster thrown in, but not necessarily with Carrey in the starring role. It's an all right thing to happen to a career, and nobody stays white hot forever, but a couple of years ago everyone would have said that Carrey's career should be a force of nature. It seems odd to look back at his career trajectory and watch what has happened.
Sean Collier: You have to wonder, though, whether it's just that he genuinely enjoys doing these over-the-top comedies. The Truman Show, The Majestic and Eternal Sunshine seemed to be steering his trajectory in a more serious direction, then he went back to Fun With Dick and Jane. Now, Yes Man. It seems like he can't stay away from twisting his face and making funny noises for more than a few years at a time. He doesn't need the money; this might just be fun for him.
Max Braden: The honeymoon may be over but his career doesn't have to be. It's interesting, though, that Adam Sandler is still as strong a draw as ever after some dramatic roles like Reign Over Me, while Carrey struggles to return to comedy after working in other genres.
David Mumpower: I see the problem exactly the opposite of Sean. I don't think Carrey is drawn to comedy in that regard. To the contrary, I see roles such as Fun with Dick and Jane and this one as purely cynical roles. Performances such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind are the ones he desperately covets. He wants that Academy Awards nomination so much he can taste it. While he continues to try to earn that bit of credibility his ego sorely needs, he has lazily determined that after a couple of projects like that, he can always go back to the rubber-face schtick he had mastered on In Living Color. This weekend, he received a wake-up call that he isn't that guy any more and he needs to try harder. He's in exactly the same boat as Mike Myers, which leads me to one conclusion: buddy movie! Oh, the horror.
Daron Aldridge: I can envision David's buddy comedy now with the "unlikely pairing" of Count Olaf and Fat Bastard as adopted brothers who go on a cross-country search for their birth parents. Fart jokes and creepy prosthetics abound. Even if Yes Man can pull off the impressing but often glossed over multiplier of Fun with Dick and Jane (5.24) for a total of $94 million, I would say that he is not past his prime, but Bruce Almighty will not happen again. Both titles seem humorous enough but utterly forgettable, which makes me wonder how Dick and Jane posted that final tally. January to March of 2005 must have been slooooow. I think that his diehard fans, like Scott, will still show up but that group seems to be dwindling in devoted membership.
| 1 |
Yes Man |
Warner Bros. |
$18,160,000 |
$18,262,471 |
New |
$18,262,471 |
| 2 |
Seven Pounds |
Columbia Pictures (Sony) |
$16,000,000 |
$14,851,136 |
New |
$14,851,136 |
| 3 |
The Tale of Despereaux |
Universal |
$10,507,040 |
$10,103,675 |
New |
$10,103,675 |
| 4 |
The Day the Earth Stood Still |
Twentieth Century Fox |
$10,150,000 |
$9,890,105 |
- 67.6% |
$48,366,989 |
| 5 |
Four Christmases |
New Line Cinema |
$7,745,000 |
$7,701,375 |
- 41.1% |
$100,110,827 |
| 6 |
Twilight |
Summit Entertainment |
$5,227,000 |
$5,189,319 |
- 34.7% |
$158,425,218 |
| 7 |
Bolt |
Walt Disney Pictures |
$4,256,000 |
$4,146,856 |
- 44.4% |
$94,900,059 |
| 8 |
Slumdog Millionaire |
Warner Independent Pictures |
$3,150,000 |
$3,053,760 |
+ 40.4% |
$12,037,510 |
| 9 |
Australia |
20th Century Fox |
$2,325,000 |
$2,174,188 |
- 47.9% |
$41,796,525 |
| 10 |
Quantum of Solace |
Columbia Pictures (Sony), MGM |
$2,150,000 |
$2,051,882 |
- 44.8% |
$161,200,412 |
| 11 |
Milk |
Focus Features |
$1,641,290 |
$1,729,156 |
- 33.5% |
$10,410,039 |
| 12 |
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa |
DreamWorks |
$1,510,000 |
$1,569,610 |
- 50.7% |
$172,392,069 |
| |
Also Opening/Notables |
| |
The Wrestler |
Fox Searchlight |
$209,474 |
$202,714 |
New |
$288,220 |
| |
Nothing Like the Holidays |
Overture Films |
$1,319,000 |
$1,305,439 |
- 63.0% |
$5,924,513 |
| |
Doubt |
Miramax Films |
$729,000 |
$680,948 |
+ 34.2% |
$1,399,548 |
| |
Gran Torino |
Warner Bros. Pictures |
$468,000 |
$468,221 |
+ 72.3% |
$859,860 |
| |
The Reader |
The Weinstein Company |
$100,150 |
$92,790 |
- 44.8% |
$349,240 |
| |
Frost/Nixon |
Universal |
$364,845 |
$378,052 |
- 39.6% |
$1,491,262 |
| |
Transporter 3 |
Lionsgate |
$650,000 |
$682,033 |
- 71.0% |
$31,069,389 |
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Click here for all weekend data
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Box office data supplied by Exhibitor Relations
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