Feature Films by LDS/Mormon Filmmakers and Actors
Weekend Box Office Report (U.S. Domestic Box Office Gross)
Weekend of August 20, 2004
[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 Change $/Thtr Days
--- --------------------------- ----------- ------ ------- ----
2 Without a Paddle (NEW) 13,528,946 2,730 3
Plot revolves around the 13,528,946 $4,955
search for LDS folk hero
D.B. Cooper's lost treasure
[NOT OFFICIALLY INCLUDED IN BOX OFFICE CHART (see note below)]
6 Collateral 10,156,357 -37% 3,029 17
Bryan H. Carroll* 69,721,408 $3,353
(assoc. producer
2nd unit director)
14 Napoleon Dynamite 1,787,873 +2% 577 73
Jared Hess (writer/director) 19,111,581 $3,098
Jerusha Hess
(writer/costume designer)
Jon Heder (1st billed star)
Aaron Ruell (3rd billed star)
Jeremy Coon (producer/editor)
Sean Covel (producer)
Chris Wyatt (producer)
Munn Powell (cinematographer)
Cory Lorenzen
(production designer)
Curt Jensen (art director)
Tim Skousen, Brian Petersen
(assistant directors)
16 Benji: Off the Leash! (NEW) 1,541,381 877 3
Actors: Nick Whitaker, 1,541,381 $1,724
Chris Kendrick, Duane Stephens,
Neal Barth, Christy Summerhays,
Lincoln Hoppe, Scott Wilkinson
17 The Notebook 774,126 -33% 621 59
Ryan Gosling 76,295,611 $1,246
(1st billed star)
31 Anchorman: 241,442 -63% 322 45
The Legend of Ron Burgundy 84,136,909 $749
Brent White (editor)
40 Around the World in 80 Days 134,453 -29% 193 68
Perry Andelin Blake 23,775,251 $696
(production designer)
41 Bugs! 132,681 +0.2% 31 528
stars Papilio, 12,362,206 $4,280
a Great Mormon butterfly
42 Riding Giants (documentary) 128,787 -2% 64 45
Jeff Clark 1,687,033 $2,012
(featured LDS surfer)
52 Saints and Soldiers 63,375 -14% 27 17
Ryan Little 396,534 $2,347
(director/producer/cinematographer)
Adam Abel (producer)
Brian Brough
(assoc. producer/produc. manager)
Wynn Hougaard (editor)
J Bateman (composer)
Matt Whitaker (screenwriter)
Jennifer Buster (casting)
Actors: Corbin Allred, Larry Bagby III,
Kirby Heyborne, Lincoln Hoppe,
Curt Dousett, Ben Gourley,
Ethan Vincent, etc.
74 Mean Creek (NEW) 29,170 4 3
LDS lead character 29,170 $7,292
89 The Best Two Years 10,084 +411% 9 185
Scott S. Anderson 948,485 $1,120
(writer/producer/director)
Michael Flynn (producer)
Fred C. Danneman (executive producer)
Gordon Lonsdale (cinematographer)
Wynn Hougaard (editor)
Michael McLean (songwriter, music supervisor)
Dave Sapp
(line producer/1st A.D./unit production manager)
Darin Anderson (production manager)
Michael L. McDonough (sound editor)
Rebecca Nibley (costume designer)
Actors: K.C. Clyde, Kirby Heyborne,
David Nibley, Cameron Hopkin,
Scott Christopher, Michael Flynn
93 Home on the Range 7,364 -54% 8 143
Roseanne Barr (actress) 50,026,353 $920
(1st billed star)
102 The Young Black Stallion 4,078 -28% 4 242
Reed Smoot (cinematographer) 6,502,980 $1,019
115 China: The Panda Adventure 1,652 -17% 2 1123
Reed Smoot (cinematographer) 3,849,753 $826
CHRIS KENDRICK BECOMES FIRST LATTER-DAY SAINT STAR TO CROSS OVER FROM LDS CINEMA TO MAINSTREAM FEATURE: We long ago said that this would eventually happen. Some four years after the release of "God's Army," Chris Kendrick - the second-billed star of the newly released "Benji: Off the Leash!" has become the first Latter-day Saint to crossover into mainstream film.
Now, this feat demands a bit of explanation. First of all, we are talking only about starring roles and major supporting roles that are POSTER-BILLED: they actor's name appears on the official movie poster. Many of the stars of LDS Cinema movies have had small roles in mainstream featue films, but were not poster-billed.
Also, there have been numerous Latter-day Saint actors that have made both LDS films and mainstream films. Generations of Latter-day Saint actors have done this, including actors such as Mark Deakins, who had the lead role in the major Church-produced film "How Rare a Possession" and also had a supporting role in "Star Trek: Insurrection." But referring specifically to "LDS Cinema" (theatrically-released films made by and about Latter-day Saints) constrains the playing field to relatively recent times.
Of course, there have ALREADY been Latter-day Saint actors who have crossed over the OTHER direction: from mainstream feature films to LDS Cinema. The first Latter-day Saint actor to have a poster-billed role in an LDS Cinema film after doing so in mainstream films was Wilford Brimley, who was one of the stars of the 2nd modern "LDS Cinema" released: "Brigham City," who has had poster-billed roles 15 theatrically-released feature films that we have box office data for. Brimley is not, however, an active churchgoer. The first active Latter-day Saint actor to have a poster-billed role in an LDS Cinema film AFTER having a starring (poster-billed) role in a mainstream theatrical release was Corbin Allred. Before serving his mission in Australia, Allred had the third-billed role in "Diamonds" (1999), opposite Kirk Douglas and Dan Ackroyd. Just two weeks ago Allred's 2nd theatrically-released feature film opened in theaters: "Saints and Soldiers," an LDS Cinema film in which he stars as a Latter-day Saint serviceman trapped behind enemy lines in Germany during World War II.
It is interesting that the first active Latter-day Saint actor to cross over from mainstream to LDS Cinema preceded the first active Latter-day Saint actor to cross over in the opposite direction by only two weeks.
Of course, LDS Cinema fans recall that Bro. Nick Whitaker -- the top-billed human star of "Benji: Off the Leash!" -- also had an important supporting role in Richard Dutcher's LDS Cinema film "Brigham City." Whitaker played "Spencer," the younger brother of Jacque Gray's character, whose murder signalled to Brigham's sheriff (and bishop) that there was a serial killer in his town. Whitaker memorably pleaded with the sheriff (played by Dutcher) to save the life of his sister. Whitaker also had the unforgettable and silent but pivotal job of passing the sacrament to Dutcher in his role as bishop, when Dutcher's character first refused, and then finally accepted at Whitaker's continued offering. Symbolically, young Nick Whitaker, as a deacon and Aaronic Priesthood holder, literally stood in the place Jesus Christ in this scene.
Despite the importance of his part, Nick Whitaker had few lines in "Brigham City" and his part was not poster-billed. Nick Whitaker's "Benji" co-star, however, had the third-billed role in the LDS Cinema film "Handcart," and has the 2nd-billed role in "Benji": Latter-day Saint actor Kendrick (who ALSO had a small part and a few lines in "Brigham City") plays Whitaker's step-father in "Benji: Off the Leash!" Interestingly enough, Kendrick plays the villain in this new "Benji" movie. He plays the part of a cruel animal breeder who mistreats both his family and the dogs that he owns. Chris Kendrick has thus made history. He is the first Latter-day Saint actor starring in an LDS Cinema movie to "cross over" and star in a mainstream (non-LDS Cinema) theatrical release.
We should mention three other Latter-day Saint actors who almost but didn't quite become the first to reach this milestone. Tayva Patch had the 6th-billed role on the poster for "Brigham City," in which she played the FBI agent from New York City. She then had the 8th-billed role in the mainstream film "Little Secrets," but did not receive poster-billing for the part. Rick Macy and Tayva Patch had the 4th- and 5th-billed parts as the parents of the lead character in the LDS Cinema film "Out of Step," but neither received poster-billing for their parts. Macy had the 6th-billed role in "Little Secrets," but was not poster-billed. Finally, Jan Broberg Felt had the 4th poster-billed role as "Sariah" in "The Book of Mormon Movie, Vol. 1: The Journey." She had the 5th-billed role in "Little Secrets," but only the four lead parts in that film received poster-billing. What all of this means is that thus far, Wilford Brimley, Corbin Allred and Chris Kendrick remain the only Latter-day Saint actors who have had poster-billed roles in both LDS Cinema and mainstream theatrically-released features. Even Kirby Heyborne, a poster-billed actor in 6 LDS Cinema films, has yet to match Chris Kendrick's accomplishment of breaking into "mainstream film."