As America sinks deeper into a recession, we grab onto whatever comfort is offered. For the past two weeks, that comfort was a puppy named Marley. This week that comfort is a crotchety old man by the name of Clint Eastwood. Eastwood’s Gran Torino is the box office champ this weekend, beating out brides, Brad, puppies, and Gary Oldman as a Jewish mystic in The Unborn.
What is it about Clint Eastwood that is so comforting? In Gran Torino, he pulls out a shotgun and actually utters the line “Get off my lawn.” Does America have a love affair with fictionalized vigilantes? Or is Clint Eastwood with a shotgun just the film equivalent of a cup of hot chocolate?
Clint Eastwood set a new personal best at the North American box office on Sunday as “Gran Torino” sped to No. 1, hoping to grab the attention of Oscar voters a day before nominations ballots are due.
The light drama, in which the 78-year-old actor/director plays a grumpy old man who takes on some neighborhood thugs Dirty Harry-style, earned $29 million during the three days beginning Friday, distributor Warner Bros. Pictures said.
Eastwood’s previous best weekend was “Space Cowboys” with $18 million in 2000.
It was the first weekend that “Gran Torino” was in wide release across the United States and Canada. It spent the past four weekends in fewer than 100 theaters and has earned $40.1 million to date.Warner Bros., a unit of Time Warner Inc, hopes “Gran Torino” will score with Oscar voters even though it has largely been ignored by other awards groups. Ballots must be received by the close of business on Monday, and nominations will be announced on January 22, a month before the awards ceremony takes place in Hollywood.
Another potential influence on Oscar voters is the Golden Globe Awards, which will kick off later on Sunday in Beverly Hills at 8 p.m. EST (0100 GMT). The top Globe contenders are “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Doubt” and “Frost/Nixon,” with five nominations each. “Gran Torino” received one, for original song.
“Benjamin Button” is the only one in the Top 10, falling two places to No. 5 with $9.5 million in its third weekend. The total for the Paramount Pictures rose to $94.3 million. Brad Pitt stars as a man who ages backwards.
Miramax Films’ Catholic drama “Doubt” has earned $23 million after five weekends, and Universal Pictures’ journalism drama “Frost/Nixon” $7.7 million after six.
The No. 2 movie at the weekend box office was the 20th Century Fox comedy “Bride Wars,” starring Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson, with $21.5 million in its first weekend.
Also new were the Rogue Pictures/Universal Pictures supernatural thriller “The Unborn” at No. 3 with $21.1 million, and TriStar Pictures’ faith-themed drama “Not Easily Broken” at No. 8 with $5.6 million. Their respective studios said the openings exceeded expectations.
After two weekends at No. 1, Fox’s canine saga “Marley & Me” fell to No. 4 with $11.4 million. The film, starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson, has earned $123.7 million to date.
Haha, Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway couldn’t beat Clint Eastwood’s box office. That’s got to hurt. People have been saying for months that Clint really wants to get an Oscar nomination for acting this year. All of his Oscars are for directing and producing, so I guess I could see how the Best Actor prize would be Eastwood’s brass ring. I adore Clint as a director and as a celebrity, but I have to admit that he’s not the best actor in the world – perhaps he should just take comfort in the fact that his surly brand of film justice is a hit with filmgoers, and leave it at that.
Here’s the Gran Torino trailer:
Clint Eastwood is shown in stills from Gran Torino via AllMoviePhoto
I’m sorry, but they called Gran Torino a “light drama”? I saw it during its early release in Toronto and loved it, but it’s completely full of racial slurs and a dark story line. I guess because there was a lot of humour in the film that they’re calling it light? Even more surprising, most of the humour came from the racial slurs (please don’t jump on me, you have to see the movie to understand).
I loved this movie and Clint did an amazing job. Everyone laughed and enjoyed the movie.
Love me some Clint Eastwood.
We saw this movie yesterday and it was incredible. Clint is still ten times cooler, and far more interesting, than most actors half his age.
It’s odd to think he’s never won an acting Oscar. Movie sounds great from poster’s comments, maybe this one will do it for him.
my hubby and a friend saw it weeks ago during the early release, and CAN’T WAIT to see it again!!
i missed out the first time, but since they are so excited to see it again, no doubt i will. those two aren’t even huge CE fans outside of the dirty harry series, so this must be good!
I’ll bet “Get off my lawn” will become a classic line, just like “Go ahead, make my day.”
Eastwood has said this is his last acting role, so if he doesn’t get the award this time, it’ll never happen.
“Go ahead…mow my lawn.”
Clint Eastwood used his outward crankiness to come across as tough and yet also heroic at the same time, well done i’d say
its a carbine not a shotgun, dummie
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