For the first time in the year 2010, there is a new movie bringing in top honors at the weekend box office. Dear John, starring Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried, brought in $32.4 million to snag the win for the weekend. James Cameron's Avatar still holds strong at second place with $23.6 million.
Avatar was released back on December 18th and held the top spot for seven straight weeks before the Nicholas Sparks adaptation released this past weekend. Despite its box office success, critics have not been too fond of Dear John.
Roger Ebert claims, " [Dear John] tells the heartbreaking story of two lovely young people who fail to find happiness together because they're trapped in an adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel."
It seems the film's biggest flaw is the fact that nothing really sets it apart from any other romance film. Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune agrees and says, "[Dear John] follows the weepie formula to the letter."
In its first weekend of release, John Travolta's action-packed thriller From Paris with Love came in third place with $8.1 million. Mel Gibson's Edge of Darkness and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's Tooth Fairy rounded out the top five.
Crazy Heart, featuring Oscar front-runner Jeff Bridges and his Golden Globe and SAG Award winning performance, is now beginning to be shown in more and more theaters nationwide after starting out in limited release. It made a huge jump from 14th to 8th and could possibly jump into the top five in a future weekend. Here is the complete results of the weekend box office.
Check out a complete list of Toledo showtimes to go see these films for yourself.
Comments
Do you actually get to go to ALL of these movies for you job?!?!! I can't imagine you going to a chick flick! :)
I read the novel by Nicholas Sparks and I thought it was good. But it was definitely a typical Nicholas Sparks romance novel and didn't stand out from the rest. I do want to see the movie eventually, but I am usually disappointed with movies after I read the book previously, therefore my expectations are not too high!
You do some really good reviews. I still need to see Avatar before it leaves the theater. It isn't something I'm thrilled about, but everybody I know has liked it...
I refuse to see it. I loved all the Nicholas Sparks books and every movie adaptation was butchered. Very suprised it took over Avatar.
I can't believe this topped Avatar. I haven't seen Avatar yet, but that makes me lose a little bit of faith in the supposed "amazingness" people rant and rave about.
I think "Dear John"'s box office success can mostly be attributed to timing. Of course a chick flick is going to do well when it's released the weekend before Valentines Day. This of course is to the utter disappointment of all males and mentally sane women who now have to deal with an alarming crazed female population that have seen this movie, and are now filled with ridiculous expectations about true love. Thanks a lot Nicholas Sparks. Suddenly roses and dinner will not be enough on this Hallmark holiday. Now she will be expecting me to enlist! Happy Valentine's Day! :P
I'm afraid Dear John is one that I have to wait for DVD release - I'm not big on crying in public and I hear I will be doing a lot of crying.
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