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15 years ago - February 16, 2001

Down to Earth
Chris Rock stars in this remake of the 1978 fantasy comedy Heaven Can Wait, as a failing comedian who is killed in a car accident but is brought back as a rich old white businessman. The businessman is married to a woman played by Jennifer Coolidge, but inhabited by Rock he now pursues a woman played by Regina King. Reviews were poor, but it managed to be profitable thanks to Rock’s fame. Down to Earth opened at #2 behind Hannibal with $20.0 million from 2,521 theaters, and took in $64 million overall.

Recess: School’s Out
This animated adventure was based on the Disney Channel television series Recess, which was in its sixth and final season. T.J. Detweiler and his friends from the Third Street Elementary School are caught up in a plot by a rival of the school’s Principal Prickly to create a new ice age with a tractor beam. Reviews were decent, as was the audience response. Recess opened at #3 with $13.4 million from 2,624 theaters and went on to gross $36.7 million. Three direct-to-video movies followed from late 2001 to 2003.

Sweet November
This tragic romantic drama stars Charlize Theron as a terminally ill woman who is reluctant to fall for her lover played by Keanu Reeves. The film is a remake of the 1968 drama starring Sandy Davis and Anthony Newley. Critics were not impressed, and audience interest was moderate. Sweet November opened at #4 with $11.0 million from 2,268 theaters, bringing in a total gross of $25.2 million.

20 years ago - February 16, 1996

Muppet Treasure Island
This fifth movie in the franchise is based on the story of Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. Kermit takes on the role of Captain Smollett, while Tim Curry plays Long John Silver, Billy Connolly plays Billy Bones, and Kevin Bishop plays Jim Hawkins. Miss Piggy plays Benjamina Gunn. Muppet Treasure Island turned out to be the best performing of the sequels to date, though none would match the $65 million gross of The Muppet Movie in 1979 until the 2011 reboot. Muppet Treasure Island edged out Adam Sandler’s comedy Happy Gilmore for the #2 spot behind last week’s carryover Broken Arrow with #10.1 million from 2,070 theaters. It went on to earn $34.3 million.

Happy Gilmore
Adam Sandler stars in this sports comedy as a former hockey player who enters a golf tournament in order to save his grandmother’s home from foreclosure. Happy does well with an unconventional slapshot-style drive, but needs coaching from a one-handed former pro-golfer played by Carl Weathers. His rival is Shooter McGavin, played by Christopher McDonald, and Julie Bowen plays his love interest. Bob Barker has a great cameo in which he fist-fights with Sandler, which won Best Fight at the MTV Movie Awards. Critics weren’t too impressed, and Sandler was even nominated for a Razzie Award for this performance. But while Happy Gilmore didn’t earn the large grosses Sandler’s comedies over the following ten years, it remains one of his higher-rated fan favorites on RottenTomatoes.com. Happy Gilmore opened at #3 in a dead heat with the Muppets, with $10.1 million from 2,022 theaters, and earned $38.8 million overall.

City Hall
This political and crime drama centers around John Cusack as the Deputy Mayor of New York City, who serves a popular mayor played by Al Pacino. The plot involves an investigation into a cop-mobster shootout that claimed the life of an innocent bystander, which leads to a broader scandal. Danny Aiello, Bridget Fonda, and Martin Landau co-star. Reviews were mixed. City Hall opened at #4 with $8 million from 1,815 theaters and brought in a total of $20.3 million.

Mr. Wrong
This romantic comedy stars Ellen DeGeneres as a woman who thinks she has met Mr. Right in the form of Bill Pullman until it’s clear he’s a stalker. Joan Cusack and Dean Stockwell co-star. DeGeneres was starring in the third season of her television series “Ellen,” but this movie was released a year before she famously came out as gay during the fourth season. This film received poor reviews and failed to match its budget at the box office. Mr. Wrong opened at #6 with $5.1 million from 1,487 theaters and only managed to gross $12.8 million overall.

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