New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

20 YEARS AGO

Speed 2: Cruise Control - June 13, 1997
Pop quiz: You have a runaway hit film and concept, what do you do next?  How about make a bomb of a sequel Sandra Bullock returns without Keanu Reeves for some slow-speed thrills on a cruise ship hijacked by Willem Dafoe.  Despite dismal reviews, Speed 2 managed to open at #1 with $16.1 million from 2,615 theaters, and grossed $48.6 million.  But compared to its $160 million budget and the first film’s $121 million gross, this sequel was a flop.  It also "won" the Raspberry Award for Worst Remake or Sequel.
 
Ulee’s Gold - June 13, 1997
Though this drama only received limited release and a $9.1 million gross, it’s notable for earning Peter Fonda his first and only Best Actor nomination at the Academy Awards.
 
Batman & Robin - June 20, 1997
George Clooney took over from Val Kilmer in the second over-the-top Batman film by director Joel Schumacher. Chris O'Donnell returns as Robin, Arnold Schwarzenegger plays the villain Mr. Freeze, with Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy, and Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl. Predictably bad one-liners and poor reviews weren’t enough to keep audiences away, so Batman & Robin scored the #1 weekend box office spot with $42.8 million from 2,932 theaters - a decline from Batman Returns and Batman Forever.  Batman & Robin’s $107 million gross was also the lowest of the series by a large margin.  Christopher Nolan rectified things by rebooting the series in 2005.  

My Best Friend’s Wedding - June 20, 1997
This is, of course, a Julia Roberts comedy, but it was also a boost for Cameron Diaz, who plays  the wife-to-be of Julia’s lifelong friend, played by Dermot Mulroney.  My Best Friend’s Wedding opened at #2 with $21.6 million and went on to gross $127 million in the U.S.  This was the second highest grossing film for Julia Roberts to date, after Pretty Woman’s $178 million total.

Face/Off - June 27, 1997
John Woo’s thriller features a stretch of a concept: John Travolta’s FBI agent and Nicolas Cage’s terrorist swap faces following surgery.  The casting here was perfect.  Face/Off opened at #1 with $23.3 million from 2,621 theaters and grossed $112 million, beating the total for Cage’s Con Air, which was at #5 in its fourth weekend of release.

Hercules - June 27, 1997
Disney’s animated adventure had actually premiered on June 15th, but went wide this weekend.  Tate Donovan voices the Greek mythological hero, with Danny DeVito, James Woods, and Rip Torn providing additional voices. Hercules took in $21.4 million to place second this weekend, and earned $99 million overall, roughly equal to the gross for The Hunchback of Notre Dame the previous summer.
 
 

Continued:       1       2       3       4       5