Moviegoers Get the ‘Blues,’ Big Time

“Varsity Blues” scored a big win over its competition, taking in $17.5 million to become the highest-grossing film ever released over the long Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.

“It proves once again the teen audience is a formidable one, and remember, this was an R-rated movie,” said Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box-office tracking firm Exhibitors Relations Co.

“At First Sight” had more of a struggle, debuting in fifth place with $8.4 million. Dergarabedian said the film, which appealed to a more adult audience than “Varsity Blues,” had to compete with a number of other adult-oriented films still playing strong in the marketplace.

Meanwhile, the news wasn’t good for two new films, “Virus” and “In Dreams.”

Perhaps it was the title, but “Virus” starring Jamie Lee Curtis opened in ninth place, while “In Dreams” starring Annette Bening didn’t even break the Top 10 in its debut weekend.

Weekend Box Office

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Four-day gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1. “Varsity Blues” $17.5 2,121 1 (Paramount) $17.5 $8,258 2. “Patch Adams” $12.0 2,898 4 (Universal) $98.7 $4,165 3. “A Civil Action” $11.8 2,001 4 (Disney/Touchstone) $31.3 $5,878 4. “The Thin Red Line” $11.3 1,528 4 (Fox) $14.4 $7,436 5. “At First Sight” $8.4 1,814 1 (MGM) $8.4 $4,655 6. “Stepmom” $7.9 2,358 4 (Sony/Columbia) $72.0 $3,300 7. “You’ve Got Mail” $6.6 2,554 5 (Warner Bros.) $98.9 $2,593 8. “The Prince of Egypt” $6.3 2,215 5 (DreamWorks) $82.6 $2,839 9. “Virus” $6.0 2,018 1 (Universal) $6.0 $2,980 10. “Shakespeare in Love” $4.7 648 6 (Miramax) $21.3 $7,299

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SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.