LDS Films Weekend Box Office Report 26 December 2003

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Feature Films by LDS/Mormon Filmmakers and Actors Weekend Box Office Report (U.S. Domestic Box Office Gross) Weekend of December 26, 2003 [If table lines up improperly, use mono-spaced font, i.e. Courier]

Natl Film Title                Weekend Gross  %B.O. Theatrs
Rank LDS/Mormon Filmmaker/Star   Total Gross  Chnge  $/Thtr  Days
--- ---------------------------  -----------  ----- -------  ----
 5  Paycheck (NEW)                13,462,374   --    2,762      5
    Aaron Eckart (actor)          18,615,272        $4,874
      (2nd-billed star)

17  The Cat in the Hat             1,260,080  -46%   1,299     38
    Eric McLeod (exec. producer)  97,011,510          $970
    Aldric La'Auli Porter
      (assoc. producer/1st A.D.)
    Danielle Chuchran (actress)

22  The Young Black Stallion (NEW)   629,999   --       51      5
    Reed Smoot (cinematographer)     702,402       $12,352

40  The Missing                      134,719  -68%     146     33
    Aaron Eckart (actor)          25,904,967          $922
    Aldric La'Auli Porter
      (assoc. producer/1st A.D.)

52  Timeline                          49,665  -63%     320     33
    Paul Walker (lead actor)      19,043,607          $155

72  Pride and Prejudice                8,692  -39%       4     24
    Andrew Black (director)          126,929        $2,173
    Jason Faller (producer)
    Kynan Griffin (co-producer)
    Anne K. Black (screenplay/produc. designer)
    Jason Faller; Katherine Swigert (screenplay)
    Travis Cline (cinematographer)
    Ben Carson (composer)
    Alexander Vance (editor)
    Actors: Ben Gourley, Hubbel Palmer,
      Amber Hamilton, Carmen Rasmusen

82  Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man   1,604  +70%       2   1325
    Reed Smoot (cinematographer)  15,600,962          $802

83  Galapagos                          1,581  -72%       2   1522
    Reed Smoot (cinematographer)  14,254,017          $790

89  The Legend of Johnny Lingo         1,042 +108%       1    122
    Gerald Molen (producer)          973,659        $1,042
    John Garbett (producer)

97  China: The Panda Adventure           224   +1%       1    885
    Reed Smoot (cinematographer)   3,544,956          $224

AARON ECKHART MOVIE "PAYCHECK" OPENS AT #5: The top-grossing movie made by a Latter-day Saint this weekend was "Paycheck," which stars Latter-day Saint BYU graduate Aaron Eckhart in the 2nd billed role, as the nemesis to top-billed Ben Affleck. Affleck and Eckhart share billing with Uma Thurman, hot off her starring role in "Kill Bill, Vol. 1". But, honestly, I think Thurman had more screentime than Eckhart, and I thought she was a bigger name than Eckhart, so I'm a bit puzzled about how he got billing over her.

Eckhart is one of Hollywood's most talented actors, and he acquits himself well in "Paycheck" with the script given him. As written, Eckhart's character is the villain, and a somewhat shallow one at that, but he manages to bring life and interest to the character.

FROM UTAH WITH LOVE: "MODERN TIMES" RE-RELEASED IN THEATERS: "Modern Times," made in 1936, was a fitting cap to the career of Charlie Chaplin's most endearing character, "The Tramp." "Modern Times" was re-issued this week on restored prints. Playing in 7 theaters this influential comedy grossed $35,809 over the weekend. The film, which depicts Chaplin's "Tramp" as an assembly-line factory worker struggling to survive the impersonal demands of the machine age was ranked #33 on the American Film Institute's "100 Years 100 Laughs" list of America's greatest comedy films. Why, you are wondering, do we mention this here? Because Chaplin's co-star in "Modern Time" was none other than Utahn Paulette Goddard. Alas, the film doesn't make it into LDS Film box office table because Ms. Goddard was not a Latter-day Saint. She was the daughter of an Episcopalian mother and a Jewish father, both from Utah. Although both of Goddard's parents were from Utah, she herself was born in on Long Island, New York. Goddard was maried to Chaplin for a time. "Modern Times" was her most famous role. (More details about Goddard's Utah background can be found here: http://www.ldsfilm.com/actors/Goddard.html). Interestingly enough, Chaplin's most frequent co-star was a native of Utah, and probably a Mormon: Mack Swain, who played the Tramp's nemesis in many Chaplin films. Swain and Chaplin appeared together in at least 22 films, including: The Gold Rush (1925), A Busy Day (1914), Caught in a Cabaret (1914), Caught in the Rain (1914), Gentlemen of Nerve (1914), His Musical Career (1914), Laughing Gas (1914), Pay Day (1922), The Pilgrim (1923) and When Comedy Was King (1960).