‘China Cry’ a Top Moneymaker in 1st Weekend

“China Cry,” the inspirational film produced by Tustin-based Trinity Broadcasting Network, grossed $609,660 in its first weekend of release, making it one of the top 20 moneymakers in the nation for that period. Now showing in 135 theaters nationally, the film averaged $4,516 per screen, ranking it third in the country in that category.

In Orange County, where it is playing on 13 screens, “China Cry” grossed nearly $50,000, averaging nearly $4,000 per screen. At Mann’s Westwood IV in Los Angeles, the film grossed $11,418, more than double that of the NC-17-rated “Henry and June,” which also was playing at the theater complex. A theater in Tulsa, Okla., reported a $13,374 gross and another in Portland, Ore., reported $21,501.

“It’s not outstanding, but it’s a very creditable showing,” said John Krier, president of Exhibitor Relations, a Los Angeles firm that tracks box office results. In addition to the relatively small number of screens showing “China Cry,” Krier noted that Trinity sold thousands of discounted tickets through its Christian programming service and television network and that that fact would have to be considered in evaluating the film’s performance, especially its per-screen average.

“China Cry” is based on the life of Chinese-American evangelist Nora Lam, portraying her struggles with Communist authorities in defense of her Christian faith. Shot mostly in Hong Kong and Macao, the $6-million film features an all-Asian cast of film veterans and several newcomers, but no major stars. Daily Variety observed that the “absence of Caucasian characters is certainly no obstacle to getting into the story, and it’s interesting that it takes a conservative religious organization to defy Hollywood thinking on that count.”