Denzel Washington’s new movie “Training Day,” turned the audience’s world upside down and swept up $22.6 million. With the successful opening, “Day” bested $20.9 million opening of “Remember the Titans” to become Denzel’s biggest. Showing in 2,712 seedy locations, “Day” averaged $8,316 per screen. “Day” also became Ethan Hawke’s largest opening and the first hit in which the actor has starred. However, “Day” was not his victory; it was Denzel’s. Many expect him to receive the Oscar nomination and win of which he was robbed in 1999 when he transformed himself into Rubin Carter for “The Hurricane.”
For the less duplicitous, “Serendipity” was indeed lucky. Opening at No. 2, “Serendipity” pulled$13.3million. “Serendipity” earned a career high for John Cusack as the lead while it gave Kate Beckinsale a follow-up to “Pearl Harbor.” The romance played out in 2,601 theaters for a $5,117 per-screen average.
Mum’s the “Word.” Falling 40 percent to No. 3, “Don’t Say a Word” felt the burn when “Training” started. “Word” collected $9.8 million but fell harder and faster than other Michael Douglas thrillers. With $31.9 million, “Word” has fallen behind the two-week pace of “A Perfect Murder” and must hold up well lest the “Word” soon be silenced for good.
In fourth place, “Zoolander” struggled to keep face. “Zoolander” fell 37 percent to $9.5 million in its second week. With $28.3 million overall, Ben Stiller’s comedy may reach profitability, but “Zoolander” will not launch his own line of sequels any time soon.
For No. 5, it was a long, boring “Joy Ride.” The teen horror flick tricked $7.3 million out of the hands of moviegoers. Staying in 2,496 locations, Paul Walker and Leelee Sobieski pulled $2,944 average per screen. Made in the vein of “Duel,” Steven Spielberg’s 1970s TV-movie, “Joy Ride” has little chance of gaining a cult or becoming a classic so the “Ride” should run out of gas very soon.
“Max Keebles Big Move” ended up being a feeble crawl. Debuting at No. 6 with $5.4 million, “Keeble” sought revenge in 2,014 locations for a poor $2,671 average. Disney must be getting desperate. “Keeble” represents yet another disappointment in a year where disappointments abound at the Mouse House. The studio is fifth among studios this year when it is accustomed to being first.
At No. 7, “Hearts in Atlantis” grossed $5 million, down 40 percent, for $16.4 total. Titles with “Atlantis” have not done well this year as Disney’s big-budget animation underperformed as well. Luckily, “Red Dragon,” the prequel to “Silence of the Lambs,” is coming together, and Hopkins will return to what he does best – making fun movies for a LOT of money.
“Hardball” turned out to be a slider. Although it held up well in its first weeks, “Hardball” is dropping normally under the competition. With another $3.6 million, the Keanu Reeves movie has earned $30.6 million but might not hit $40 million by the end of its career.
“The Others” is losing ground as it loses theaters and audience members. At No. 9 with $2.8 million, it may be “Others'” last week in the top ten. Rather than break $100 million as many hoped, “Others” might end up between its current $90.6 million and $100 million.
After ten weeks in the top ten, “Rush Hour 2” dropped to the ten spot. In its last weekend in the top ten, “Rush” took $1.7 million for $221.5 million total. The gross of “Rush Hour 2” stands at No. 25 of all time domestic grosses, just above “Mrs. Doubtfire” and below “The Lost World: Jurassic Park.”
Next weekend, Bruce Willis and Billy Bob Thorton and Cate Blanchett rove the country as “Bandits.” Saturday Night Live member Chris Kattan tries his hand in theaters as “Corky Romano,” and the Hong Kong import “Iron Monkey” sees if there is a little “hidden dragoon” left in American wallets.