Weekend Moviegoers Take ‘Stuart’s’ Bait

Twas the weekend before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring--except for a mouse.

In what has so far proven to be a good but unspectacular Christmas moviegoing season, “Stuart Little,” based on the E.B. White classic, got off to a potent start this weekend, clearly outdistancing the other new arrivals, “Bicentennial Man” and “Anna and the King,” neither of which made a solid impression.

The $100-million-plus family film seemed to have many limitations, appealing mainly to young children. But in its first weekend on 2,878 screens, “Stuart” surprisingly overcame them, handily beating Sony Pictures’ initial predictions. Not only did the computer animated/live action production bring in kids and their parents to weekend matinees, but it also snared the No. 1 slot Friday night with adults.

There was nothing cheesy about “Stuart’s” first three days, which are being estimated at $15.4 million. And the film’s best days lie ahead. Starting today, about half the nation begins its annual year-end recess, meaning that children are eminently available.

The news at Sony is not all good, however. The studio paid for half of the Robin Williams tear-jerker “Bicentennial Man” (Disney footed the rest of the $90-million-plus bill). The special-effects film got clobbered by reviewers, hurting its chances with more sophisticated audiences. Its first weekend in 2,518 theaters was a barely animated $8.3 million.

As a film that appeals strongly to adult females, “Anna and the King,” starring Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fat, was left out in the cold, since most of its audience is busy getting ready for the holidays. First weekend in 2,134 theaters was a modest $5.1 million.

Neither “Bicentennial” nor “Anna” should be counted out just yet, though, since they might still spring to life when the holidays begin in earnest. Since adults are distracted right now, and the few that are going to the movies are seeing “The Green Mile” or taking their kids to see “Stuart” or “Toy Story 2,” attendance patterns are a bit sketchy.

On the other hand, four new national releases will blanket the nation by Christmas Day. So the going’s going to be tough.

“Stuart Little” did little to blunt the season’s blockbuster, “Toy Story 2,” which managed another $12.1 million in its fourth weekend in 3,228 theaters, bringing its total to more than $156 million.

“The Green Mile” was still in the hot seat, marking time until the holidays, when the three-hour sit won’t seem so daunting. Second weekend in 2,875 theaters was a terrific $12.6 million for a second-place finish and a strong 10-day total of $36.5 million.

There was promising news among the limited engagements, beginning with “Magnolia,” an ensemble drama set in the San Fernando Valley. Buoyed by stellar reviews, the film overcame its three-hour running time, blossoming to $184,000 in three days on just seven screens, a sweetly scented $26,000 per theater.

Mike Leigh’s Gilbert and Sullivan spectacle, “Topsy-Turvy,” picked up the New York Film Critics’ award for best picture, which helped it gross $24,000 at Manhattan’s Paris Theater, though the good news didn’t reach Los Angeles, where the film took in only about $7,000 in the first five days of its one-week Academy Award-qualifying run in Century City.

Totals for the top 12 films the weekend before Christmas were approximately $74 million, a scant 4% ahead of last year.

The fact that Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve fall on Friday this year will slice into business over the holidays, so that total grosses may not reach last year’s lofty heights.