Weekend Box Office Wrap-Up

Here's how much money the new movies made this weekend, along with what I had predicted:

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs:
My Prediction: $30 million
Weekend Gross: $30.1 million

The Informant!:
My Prediction: $6 million
Weekend Gross: $10.5 million

Love Happens:
My Prediction: $9 million
Weekend Gross: $8.5 million

Jennifer's Body:
My Prediction: $20 million
Weekend Gross: $6.8 million

I was pretty far off on Jennifer's Body, but guess right on Meatballs. Next week, Fame, Pandorum and Surrogates open wide. In limited release (probably (definitely) just NYC), Brief Interviews With Hideous Men and The Boys Are Back (actually, I read this might open wider on Friday).

Here are trailers for the latter two:




 

Judy Greer: Sassy Sidekick for Hire

Judy Greer, a fine actress who did good work in The TV Set, Arrested Development and Adaptation. (as that waitress who remembered Charlie Kaufman's "key lime pie.") is so often stuck with one of the worst types of roles written for women: the Sassy Best Friend. In 27 Dresses and now Love Happens she is constantly telling the leading actress that she needs to 'get that man,' or as in the Love Happens trailer, she pokes her head around the corner and says, "She's available" when Aaron Eckhart asks Jennifer Aniston out on a date. Do people like this really exist? Why must Ms. Greer keep playing them? She does as fine a job as any one could, because she's very good. Still, the roles should not exist.

Hollywood, please stop writing the sassy side kick roles at all. And also, write Judy Greer a lead. Thank you.

He's Just Not That Into You was a bad movie, but it had this amusing guide to Chick Flick Cliches:



And here's the Love Happens trailer so you can see Ms. Greer's sassiness in action:

Weekend Movies

Opening this weekend are:

"Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" which looks fairly Okay. It's got a 67 on Metacritic, so maybe it is good. Its presented in many locations in 3D. Here's Ebert's latest rant against 3D (you have to scroll down to read about "The Hole"). I agree completely. 3D makes the screen dark and you can never get into the story because you're always actively aware that what you're seeing is augmented by glasses on your face. Voice cast is pretty strong with Bill Hader, Anna Farris, Bruce Campbell and Andy Samberg. Mr. T also does a voice but I didn't want to be 'That Guy' and mention it. Yet, here we are.

"Love Happens" is one of those movies that I want to be good, but probably is not. It stars the very likeable pairing of Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart. From Variety's review, it sounds like a good movie's buried underneath a love story, which is barely there. I may be quoting them exactly. Sorry, Variety.

"Jennifer's Body" is written by Diablo Cody and stars the always boring Megan Fox (though I've heard she's okay or good in this) and the always enjoyable Amanda Seyfried. It premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, which must seem like a bad decision now as it was largely shrugged off or just outright hated.

Finally, "The Informant!" comes out tomorrow. It's opening WIDE - 2,500 screens. That seems like an absurd number to me, but I'm glad because it means I don't have to search for it. I'm just worried if it fails so wide, the studio will say, "See? THAT'S why don't make art films." Soderbergh directed it, The Playlist loved it, I'm satisfied.

I won't bother with films currently in release, but here are my obligatory predictions for the new films at the weekend box office (Friday-Sunday):
1. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs: $30 million
2. Jennifer's Body: $20 million
3. The Informant!: $9 million
4. Love Happens: $6 million