This past weekend offered up at least one big surprise, at least to this writer. I was completely expecting the comedy Bride Wars to clean up at this weekend. Not necessarily be a blockbuster, mind you, but definitely draw enough to easily win the weekend. Imagine my surprise to see a movie other than Bride Wars at the top. I was a little shocked to say the least, but I was also a little bit happy.
The top film turned out to be Gran Torino. Not once did I expect Clint Eastwood's second film of 2008, and second Oscar hopeful, to be sitting securely in the number one slot. I am not disappointed at all, it actually makes me smile. Gran Torino is a powerful movie that seems rather simple on the surface, yet has a way of getting into your head and making you actually think. It is a wonderfully written story with characters to care about, and an emotional toll that you never see coming. Whether or not it will be able to sustain an audience is yet to be seen, but it is great to see a smart film making a connection with its audience.
Coming in well off the pace was my presumed winner, Bride Wars. The film has been savaged by critics and does not appear to be any great piece of entertainment, but it does look like it could be at least a little fun. It does, after all, star Kate Hudson and Ann Hathaway.
Finishing slightly behind Bride Wars, and well above where I was expecting it to finish, is The Unborn with a surprisingly potent opening weekend. It took in just under $20 million. The David S. Goyer film centers on a young woman with mother issues who uncovers a curse and must undergo an exorcism. The trailers look seriously creepy, although I am suspect of its PG-13 rating (a point that I will be able to speak on in the near future). Will it be better than The Invisible? I can only hope.
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