The Fall Movie Scorecard So Far
October 20, 2008Back in September, I posted this little list of what I thought were the noteworthy releases for the fall season. It’s time to check in with this list and see how these movies have fared:
Burn After Reading: Great reviews and decent box office, at $55.2 million. Struck a chord with Coen Brothers fans, at least.
The Duchess: Good reviews but absolutely dismal box office, at $5.6 million. Some praise for Ralph Fiennes and Keira Knightley but obviously failed to find an audience.
Nights in Rodanthe: Poorly reviewed and poorly received at the box office, with $36.9 million. Too schmaltzy for these hard times, maybe?
Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist: Great reviews and okay box office, at $26.7 million. The cutie-pie leads will both get a boost from this, so lets call it a success.
Appaloosa: More great reviews for a movie with no legs at the box office. Appaloosa has brought in only $10.9 million. Deconstructed Westerns, like this and 3:10 to Yuma, just don’t seem to jive with audiences.
Body of Lies: Mediocre reviews for the fall’s biggest disappointment so far, with only $24.5 million at the box office. This is the one that has everyone saying that the era of the $20-million movie star is dead.
The Secret Life of Bees: Decent reviews and decent box office, $11.1 million, for it’s first week out. This might go on to be a modest hit.
So, yeah, this hasn’t been a terrific season so far for the studios, which have seen several of their most-hyped projects hit theatres like lead balloons. The one big winner has been Beverly Hills Chihuahua, which kind of explains a lot about the mood of the country, I think.
As for the next few weeks, Hecklerspray reports from across the pond that Quantum of Solace isn’t tracking so well. It’s apparently too somber for the critics who are expecting a little bit of ring-a-ding-ding from the Bond franchise. I kind of agree on that general principle. It was fun to see Daniel Craig swanking around in a tux. I don’t know that I’m so much interested in seeing him brood in a sweater. (FWIW, I love their suggestion about shouting out the names of product-placed brands and I really think I’ll try that).
Pride and Glory isn’t looking so hot, either, but for a strange reason. It’s being accused of being too formulaic. It’s a cop drama, debuting to a nation that has made some 47 “Law and Order” spin-offs into lasting hits. I don’t think that being formulaic is necessarily a problem. Solid, if predictable, crime stories starring very good actors will probably play just fine to most movie-goers. I’ll be curious to see if audiences defy the critics on this one.
