Weekend Box Office : Oscar Nominee Boost Tapers Off

The box-office boost enjoyed by the Oscar nominees appears to have tapered off. Though “Unforgiven” has grossed almost $5 million since its re-release, this week’s tally was down 42%; “Scent of a Woman” and “A Few Good Men” both plunged 32%. “The Crying Game” dropped 25%, as did “Howards End.” “Mad Dog and Glory” was the top grossing new film, but along with other newcomers such as “Amos and Andrew,” “The Best of the Best 2” and “Swing Kids,” it was edged out by “Falling Down,” which led for the second straight week, “Groundhog Day” and “Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey.”

* Though Bruce Beresford’s “Rich in Love” performed below studio expectations, Bob Dingilian, MGM’s executive VP of marketing, still has high hopes. “This is a special film, one that appeals to a sophisticated audience,” he says. “Though the grosses are less than we’d hoped, we have great faith in the picture. Releasing it in only 24 theaters gives it some breathing room . . . allowing word of mouth to kick in.”

Weekend Box Office

Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1. “Falling Down” $7.6 1,827 2 (Warner Bros.) $19.0 $4,174 2. “Groundhog Day” $5.4 1,742 4 (Columbia) $43.5 $3,110 3. “The Crying Game” $4.3 1,097 15 (Miramax) $33.8 $3,913 4. “Homeward Bound” $4.1 1,784 5 (Walt Disney) $28.8 $2,270 5. “Mad Dog and Glory” $3.8 1,098 1 (Universal) $3.8 $3,475 6. “Amos and Andrew” $3.6 1,233 1 (Columbia) $3.6 $2,930 7. “Best of the Best 2” $2.84 1,247 1 (Fox) $2.84 $2,278 8. “Sommersby” $2.839 1,654 5 (Warner Bros.) $37.5 $1,717 9. “Aladdin” $2.834 1,608 17 (Walt Disney) $188.0 $1,763 10. “Swing Kids” $2.0 542 1 (Walt Disney) $2.0 $3,631 * “Rich in Love” $140,434 24 1 (MGM) $140,434 $5,851

SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.