Box Office Update 10/12-10/14: Tyler Perry overtakes The Game Plan

Tyler Perry came up big, breathing life into the lackluster box office takes of the past few weeks. Sure, this time of year lower grosses are expected, but it is always nice to see a surprise like this. Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married topped the box office easily this past weekend, taking in more than $21 million. It topped its nearest competition by a figure north of $10 million. It was also a film that I missed, a problem that I hope to rectify in the near future. The one thing that I wish is that Perry would drop the possessive from his titles. More of a personal aesthetic than anything else, I don't particularly care for title possessives (John Carpenter has a habit of doing this too, and Jackie Chan's distributors like to add his name to titles as well).

The distant second place film is a film that no one expected to still be near the top after three weeks. The Game Plan had the strongest week to week hold of all the returning top ten films. I guess it shouldn't be all that surprising. There is no competition in the family film market, and while it doesn't tread any new water, the film is a definite crowd pleaser that is benefiting from strong word of mouth. It is going to be Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's biggest film since his top billing debut in The Scorpion King. It may also be interesting to note that Johnson has said The Game Plan will be the last film with 'The Rock' as part of his name (next up is Southland Tales).

Three other films marked their top ten debuts while one other made its return. First up are the two films that were expected to compete for the top spot; instead they duked it out for third. It was a close battle too, with less than $500K between them. The winner is the mediocre crime thriller We Own the Night with its strong cast that includes Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg, and Robert Duvall. It is a film that had a few good scenes but ultimately disappointed in its conventionalism. Close on its heels is the would-be classic Michael Clayton that could possibly garner George Clooney an Oscar nomination. While I don't think it is as great as others would have you believe, it is still a strong character piece that could have a good run on the big screen.

The only other film to debut in the top ten this week is Elizabeth: The Golden Age, the sequel to the 1998 Oscar-winning film Elizabeth, in sixth place. While this film was filled with grandiose pageantry, the substance was a bit lacking. The movie had many visual and aural distractions to keep one from truly getting into the story, and its lackluster showing at the box office could be indicative of a short run. It will likely find its audience once it hits DVD — I bet it will look gorgeous in high def.

Article Author: Chris Beaumont

Christopher Beaumont spends much of his time writing about music and movies when he isn't indulging in them. He is always ready to talk about his favorite form of entertainment and offer up recommendations. Follow: Twitter and Tumblr. Visit: Critical Outcast. …

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