‘Varsity Blues’ Runs to Daylight to Stay No. 1

“Varsity Blues,” the high school tale of football, sex and beer in a Texas town, continued to draw young moviegoers to retain the No. 1 spot at the box office this weekend.

The film, starring James Van Der Beek of TV’s “Dawson’s Creek,” grossed an estimated $10.6 million. “Patch Adams,” which had dipped in recent weeks, jumped back to second place with $8.1 million, followed by the legal drama “A Civil Action” with $7.6 million.

All three far outpaced the $2.1 million in ticket sales for “Gloria”--the only new film in wide release. A remake of John Cassavetes’ 1980 story of a mob mistress who flees with a young boy after hit men kill his family, “Gloria,” starring Sharon Stone, took in a meager average of $1,375 per location and failed to crack the top 10.

The World War II epic “The Thin Red Line” dropped to No. 4 with $5.8 million while “Stepmom” climbed to No. 5 with $5.2 million. “At First Sight” fell one spot to No. 6 in its second week with $4.9 million, and “You’ve Got Mail” held seventh place with $4.2 million.

“The Prince of Egypt” shared its No. 8 slot with “Shakespeare in Love,” at $3.6 million each.

The critically praised “A Simple Plan” rounded out the top 10 with $3.4 million on just 660 screens for a per-screen average of $5,152, the second-highest average among the top 10 movies. “Shakespeare in Love” had the highest average at $5,496 per theater.