National Video Rentals : ‘Carlito’s’ Catches ‘The Fugitive’

“The Fugitive” was finally caught but, surprisingly, not by “Mrs. Doubtfire.” The Al Pacino gangster movie “Carlito’s Way” muscled its way past “The Fugitive,” the long-running No. 1 rental, to the top, dropping “Fugitive” to No. 2. But to hear some retailers talk about the way renters are clamoring for “Mrs. Doubtfire,” you’d think it was already No. 1. The Robin Williams comedy did jump from No. 38 to No. 5, a nifty climb for any other movie. For this blockbuster, though, anything less than No. 1 is a disappointment. “Malice,” the thriller with Alec Baldwin, is doing strong business, jumping from No. 8 to No. 3, and could challenge for No. 1. The animated feature “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm” debuted at No. 23. There’s not much renter interest so far in “Mr. Jones,” the drama starring Richard Gere. It inched up just one notch, to No. 19.

* This drama, starring Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid, was just in theaters for about a month late last year, grossing a paltry $9.1 million. But Ryan is big in the rental market, largely due to “Sleepless in Seattle,” and she has another drama in theaters now--”When a Man Loves a Woman.” So her rental-market popularity plus her high profile due to the current release may translate into rental business for “Flesh and Bone,” which debuted at a modest No. 18.

Rank Weeks Last on the Week Chart 1.”Carlito’s Way” 2 4 2.”The Fugitive” 1 8 3.”Malice” 8 3 4.”Cool Runnings” 5 3 5.”Mrs. Doubtfire” 38 2 6.”What’s Love Got to Do With It” 3 6 7.”The Joy Luck Club” 4 5 8.”In the Line of Fire” 6 12 9.”Demolition Man” 9 9 10.”The Age of Innocence” 10 4 *”Flesh and Bone” ... 1

Source: Billboard Publications Inc.