Sunday
Sep292019
Abominable and Judy both meet eager audiences
Sunday, September 29, 2019 at 6:28PM | Weekend Box Office Actuals September 27th-29th 🔺 = New or Expanding / ★ = Recommended |
|
| W I D E |
PLATFORM / SPECIALTY TITLES |
 Abominable |
 Judy |
| 1 🔺 Abominable $20.6 *new* |
1 🔺 Judy $2.9 on 461 screens *new* QUICK TAKE |
| 2 Downton Abbey $14.3 (cum. $58.3) DAME MAGGIE |
2 🔺 Nothing to Lose 2 $606k on 97 screens *new* |
| 3 Hustlers $11.3 (cum. $80.5) REVIEW, PODCAST ★ |
3 🔺 Linda Ronstadt... $385k on 247 screens (cum. $2.2) REVIEW |
| 4 It Chapter Two $10.2 ($193.7) |
4 Official Secrets $149k on 260 screens (cum. $1.6) |
| 5 Ad Astra $10 (cum. $35.3) REVIEW ★ |
5 Chhichhore $136k on 78 screens (cum. $1.9) |
numbers on that chart are pulled from boxofficemojo
Judy and Abominable were the stories of the weekend, both opening well. Despite opening on 461 screens, Judy was the 7th highest grosser of the weekend with a promising $6313 per screen average. A good launch for Renée Zellweger's Oscar campaign which will expand to more cities/theaters next weekend and probably also a sign that adults are ready for the Oscar-aiming fare to arrive. Abominable benefitted from an opportune release date, despite being that rarity: a non-sequel. It's been over a month since the last animated feature with a wide release and that was the underperformer Angry Birds 2 so demand was high.
tagged Abominable, Judy, box office
Abominable, Judy, box office
Reader Comments (19)
I went through my unseen DVR and watched Picnic at Hanging Rock. It was beautifully unsettling. And the music is still stuck in my head.
I saw Judy in a *packed* theatre (largely gays and grays). While middling overall, I did enjoy Zellweger's renditions and offbeat energy more than anticipated.
Then I randomly watched, back to back, two wildly different films with protoganists who are famed gynecologists: Dead Ringers and Dr. T and the Women. You can guess which one was the standout.
I saw La dentellière with a very young and quite magnificent Isabelle Huppert. I don't understand why is it so hard to watch classic European movies on the big screen. Every time I go to one the theatre is packed.
I saw Judy and found it ok. Renee Zellweger is perfectly fine, if hardly revelatory. I'm pretty tired of stars seeing their road to an Oscar in doing celebrity imitations, and this movie doesn't change my mind. I absolutely did not like the gay subplot, which was pandering, or worse. (What, she had only two gay fans in all of London?). I think Zellweger is being given a lot of credit because the black hair makes her unrecognizable, and therefore she must be ... acting? I haven't seen anyone better so far, but it will be a weak year, if no one better comes along.
"Abominable and Judy". I see. The Renée Erasure has begun here. Not coming back.
Downton Abbey - completely enjoyable and well done for fans. Like, there is not a frame I would complain about. Thomas Leech very good as leading man, and Max Brown should be at CAA if not already.
Ad Astra - although implausible, this movie was also very well made and engrossing thanks to Brad Pitt.
Out of Africa - this was my tonic to toxic news. I watched it in increments, and I can't believe how beautiful the film stock and costumes still are. Everyone in the movie is a part of the vivid environment created by Sydney Pollack and everyone who worked on that film, including extras, animals and nature. I really recommend it for mental health, and it made me realize how rare those kinds of epic films are, like The English Patient, Talented Mr. Ripley, etc.
I thought Renee was impeccable in Judy. It's quite possibly her best performance—or at least the one that underscores that she's one of the most serious, proficient, and multifaceted craftswomen of her generation. Not just an accident of "You had me at hello" charisma. It recalled Down with Love that way.
It reminded me a bit of Frost/Nixon. Frank Langella barely resembles Nixon and didn't do a bang-on impression. He dialed up certain things and let other things go, a kind of editing that only someone really in control can achieve. He captured a Nixonian essence—something deeper and more spiritual—much the way Zellweger does. Except her singing and musical performances really put it over the top. Even the "greatest" actresses of her generation are rarely doing so much, so well, in a single performance.
I also give her credit for hitting notes of warmth and openness that aren't so prominent in Judy Davis' rather sour take on the character. Just lovely, impeccable work. People will spend the next six months insisting the reviews are wrong. They're not! I hope she wins.
I found it weird that JUDY didnt really have an epilogue after the end scene. Just that she died later that year. They could've at least showed the real Judy Garland's picture or something at the end.
A re-watch of Hausu and a first-timer in Ad Astra.
I stayed home and binged The Politician, which is nuts and all over the place in a very Ryan Murphy way. Think Election meets The Royal Tenenbaums meets Cruel Intentions meets To Die For and a few other black comedies/satires and you'll get an idea of what it seems to be going for.
As for movies, I had a couple of very rewarding revisits in The Witches (1990) and Birth (2004).
Ad Astra in IMAX - I was a fan, but then I like James Gray’s work. Implausible? Whatever. Like Gray’s other work, the plot is incidental. The film is about Brad Pitt’s reckoning with issues of connection, loneliness, toxic masculinity, etc. And it was gorgeous. Not enough Ruth Negga, though. I love the dimension she brought to her role.
Hustlers - Entertaining, but pretty shoddy from a craft-making perspective. (The camera work and framing was awful, the fantasy/dream sequence was totally on the nose in the worst way, and the celebrity cameo at the end of the first act was pointless because it didn’t reveal anything new about the characters, settling or the time period.) Jennifer Lopez was the charismatic presence the film needed and though I won’t be banging the drum for her to get an Oscar nomination, I’ve seen far worse work get nominated. Also would love to see Keke Palmer and Lili Reinhart in more work.
Empire of the Sun - A buddy of mine screened a 35mm print. I had never seen it before and it holds up as a really solid piece of filmmaking. It settles into a bit of a lull in the second half, but those first three reels are really powerful. Commentary on classism feels relevant to today.
Judy - Agreed with most that Renée is fantastic but the film is not good. The flashbacks are completely unnecessary. I also get that it’s not the happiest of stories, but it was such a bummer slog to get through. I can’t recommend it, even with Renée doing career best work. That said, I love Renee’s more prickly choices, and I really want to get past this “Judy moment” and see what Renée decides to do next. And I love what Jessie Buckley was doing in an extremely underwritten character.
We saw Judy. I really liked Renée Zellweger in it. The movie was about as good as I thought it would be, which is *deeply ok*. The flashback scenes were awful, but there was some panache in craft here and there and, well, I'm a gay. It's the Zellweger show.
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Expertwriter, Jason’s Irishman piece is a few posts down ;)
Tried to get to Ad Astra but it didn't happen. We figure it can wait. Next weekend going to see Judy w/ a bunch of friends. Spouse and I stayed in and watched Long Day's Journey Into Night ('62) featuring an amazing performance by Katherine Hepburn (BW actress nommed, lost to Anne Bancroft in that notorious year that Bette Davis lost her bid to become the first actress to win a third Oscar for Baby Jane). It's all good stuff, if a bit of a slog - nearly 3 hrs. Jason Robards was also fab in it, as was a beautiful young Dean Stockwell.
I thought Renee was good in Judy, but the movie was pretty bad. I checked my phone for the time at one point (there were 40 minutes left) and I never do that. If you have some awareness of Judy Garland's story, this movie will shed no light on her whatsoever - it was strictly made as a performance piece.
The rapturous reviews for Renee have made me think about how diminished expectations play a role in Oscar narratives. (This is true of Jennifer Lopez this season as well.) Contrast the reaction to this performance to The Bening's performance in Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool, which was probably a superior performance in a superior movie. Yet when the film premiered at Telluride, it was met with a muted response, because people just expect Annette Bening to do superior work. She's going to have to be outstanding to win an Oscar or win in a 2014-type year.
I've also watched a couple episodes of The Politician, which is bad but so entertaining. Gwyneth looks very good for her age.
Say what you want - but Renée Zellweger really goes for it in Judy - I thought she was Great! I hope she wins the Oscar!
Also binged The Politician - not sure if I liked it - but can't wait for next season with Judith Light & Bette Midler.
Stumbled upon The A List - a BBC series - similar to Mean Girls & Lost :-)
Was anyone else bothered by the fact that the closing moment of "Judy" was shown in the trailer? I thought that was an insane choice. Totally negated the poignancy as it was already familiar to all that had seen the trailer.
I did not see a film this weekend, but I did see Madonna at BAM on Saturday night and it was a wonderful show.