Weekend Box Office #163

The second surgery is done, the eyepatch has been cast away, and I am seeing the world in three dimensions again. Too bad too many of the scripts I read are only one-dimensional.

Opening this weekend in theaters:

EVERYBODY'S FINE (2133 theaters). This is getting pretty good reviews, and the cast is solid, though at the same time it looks a bit small -- and like the kind of movie people will wait for word of mouth about. Figure $12.4 million this weekend, though it might hold steady through the holidays.

BROTHERS (2088 theaters). Solid cast in Maguire, Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman (my wife's future sister-wife), but the reviews have been underwhelming, and it has a sheen of genericness about it. $14.3 million, and it probably won't hold well through the holidays.

ARMORED (1915 theaters). Though it looks like a big b-movie heist tale, the script actually was a Nicholl winner a few years back, so hope is high. Still, the profile is a bit low. $8.1 million.

TRANSYLMANIA (1007 theaters). This is listed in opening, though I have no idea what it is.

Also opening in 15 theaters is UP IN THE AIR, which was just named by the National Board of Review as the best film of the year, and which is on my shortlist.

*******

The 5-day Thanksgiving weekend was better for the holdovers than the new films, particularly THE BLINDSIDE, which crossed the $100 million mark in only 10 days. That sound you hear is people dusting off old uplifting sports scripts.

OLD DOGS made only $24.2 million in its first 5 days. Word got around fast.

NINJA ASSASSIN did $21.2 million. FANTASTIC MR. FOX did only 9.4 million.