Weekend Box Office : ‘Body’ Struggles to Make the Top 5

Madonna’s “Body of Evidence” barely made it to the Top 5. The film had been expected to do better, based on the pop star’s notoriety and a torrent of publicity about its sexual content and its restricted R rating. There’s little chance for a box-office spurt, as the weight of largely negative reviews sinks in.

Based on weekend estimates, “Aladdin” regained first place, continuing the dance it’s been doing with “A Few Good Men.” After only four weekends, the heavily touted “Hoffa” starring Jack Nicholson dropped off the Top 10.

Disney/Touchstone Pictures’ tough-sell “Alive,” with its strong, sobering subject matter and lack of major star names, made a surprisingly strong debut in third place. Jean-Claude Van Damme’s “Nowhere to Run” sprinted to a good fourth-place showing.

* “The Crying Game” continues hearty business in its limited run, doing almost as well as 10th-place “Chaplin.”

Weekend Box Office

Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1. “Aladdin” $8.6 2,331 10 (Walt Disney) $137 $3,689 2. “A Few Good Men” $7.7 2,148 6 (Columbia) $100 $3,588 3. “Alive” $7.5 1,132 1 (Touchstone) $7.5 $6,625 4. “Nowhere to Run” $7.2 1,745 1 (Columbia) $7.2 $4,126 5. “Body of Evidence” 6.1 2,050 1 (MGM) $6.1 $2,976 6. “Scent of a Woman” $5.5 1,212 4 (Universal) $15.9 $4,570 7. “The Bodyguard” $4.2 1,705 8 (Warner Bros.) $101 $2,463 8. “Forever Young” $3.9 1,625 5 (Warner Bros.) $45 $2,400 9. “Home Alone 2” $3.1 1,777 9 (Fox) $156 $1,745 10. “Chaplin” $1.8 1,080 4 (TriStar) $6.5 $1,667 * “The Crying Game” $1.5 171 8 (Miramax) $8.3 $8,947

SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co. and industry estimates