Market Charts > 2004 > Genres > Documentary

Box Office Performance for Documentary Movies in 2004

← 2003 Summary for all Years 2005 →
RankMovieRelease
Date		 Theatrical
Distributor		MPAA
Rating		2004 GrossTickets Sold
1 Fahrenheit 9/11 Jun 23, 2004 Lionsgate R $119,114,517 19,181,081
2 NASCAR: The IMAX Experience Mar 12, 2004 Warner Bros. PG $19,558,397 3,149,500
3 Super Size Me May 7, 2004 IDP Distribution PG-13 $11,529,368 1,856,580
4 What the #$'! Do We Know Feb 6, 2004 Captured Light Not Rated $10,091,903 1,625,105
5 Space Station Apr 19, 2002 IMAX Films Not Rated $9,598,551 1,545,660
6 Bugs! (IMAX) Mar 14, 2003 SK Films Not Rated $9,528,407 1,534,365
7 Adrenaline Rush: The Scienc… Oct 18, 2002 Giant Screen Films Not Rated $8,909,046 1,434,628
8 Pulse: A Stomp Odyssey Oct 11, 2002 Giant Screen Films Not Rated $7,760,025 1,249,601
9 To Be and To Have Sep 17, 2003 New Yorker Not Rated $7,065,318 1,137,732
10 Touching the Void Jan 23, 2004 IFC Films R $4,593,598 739,709
11 The Fog of War Dec 19, 2003 Sony Pictures Cla… PG-13 $3,922,139 631,584
12 The Corporation Jan 17, 2004 Zeitgeist Not Rated $3,493,516 562,562
13 Control Room May 21, 2004 Magnolia Pictures Not Rated $2,589,616 417,007
14 My Architect Nov 14, 2003 New Yorker Not Rated $2,382,942 383,726
15 Riding Giants Jul 9, 2004 Sony Pictures PG-13 $2,276,368 366,564
16 The Story of the Weeping Camel Jun 4, 2004 ThinkFilm PG $1,751,698 282,076
17 Ghosts of the Abyss Apr 11, 2003 Walt Disney G $1,322,679 212,991
18 Metallica: Some Kind of Mon… Jul 9, 2004 IFC Films Not Rated $1,222,708 196,893
19 Fade to Black Nov 5, 2004 Paramount Vantage R $728,802 117,359
20 Going Upriver: The Long War… Oct 1, 2004 ThinkFilm PG-13 $613,252 98,752
21 Tarnation Oct 6, 2004 WellSpring Not Rated $478,112 76,990
22 Outfoxed - Rupert Murdoch's… Aug 6, 2004 Cinema Libre Not Rated $405,900 65,362
23 Still, We Believe: The Bost… May 7, 2004 ThinkFilm Not Rated $396,803 63,897
24 End of the Century: The Sto… Aug 20, 2004 Magnolia Pictures Not Rated $391,950 63,115
25 The Hunting of the President Jun 11, 2004 Regent Releasing Not Rated $376,552 60,636
26 Broadway: The Golden Age, b… Jun 11, 2004 First Independent… Not Rated $341,493 54,990
27 America's Heart and Soul Jul 2, 2004 Walt Disney Not Rated $314,000 50,563
28 Bukowski: Born Into This May 28, 2004 Magnolia Pictures R $311,431 50,149
29 Galapagos Oct 29, 1999 IMAX Films Not Rated $305,814 49,245
30 Mayor of the Sunset Strip Mar 26, 2004 First Look R $257,315 41,435
31 This Old Cub Mar 26, 2004 Emerging Pictures Not Rated $253,531 40,826
32 The Agronomist Apr 23, 2004 ThinkFilm PG-13 $226,189 36,423
33 Tibet - Cry of the Snow Lion Sep 19, 2003 Artistic License Not Rated $202,592 32,623
34 Imelda Jun 11, 2004 Unico Entertainment Not Rated $200,992 32,365
35 The Yes Men Sep 24, 2004 MGM R $198,975 32,041
36 Uncovered: The Whole Truth … Aug 13, 2004 Cinema Libre Not Rated $190,424 30,664
37 Lost Boys of Sudan Feb 20, 2004 Shadow Not Rated $182,839 29,442
38 Bush's Brain Aug 20, 2004 Vitagraph Films PG-13 $176,610 28,439
39 De fem benspaend May 28, 2004 Koch Lorber Films Not Rated $150,966 24,310
40 Lightning in a Bottle Oct 22, 2004 Sony Pictures Cla… PG-13 $136,367 21,959
41 Dig Oct 1, 2004 Palm/Manga Not Rated $127,067 20,461
42 Howard Zinn Jun 18, 2004 First Run Features Not Rated $116,230 18,716
43 In the Face of Evil Oct 1, 2004 Non Fiction Films PG-13 $110,577 17,806
44 Yves St. Laurent Jan 7, 2004 Empire Pictures Not Rated $97,092 15,634
45 Carlos Castaneda: Enigma of… Mar 5, 2004 Indican Pictures Not Rated $94,848 15,273
46 Aileen: Life and Death of a… Jan 9, 2004 Lantern Lane Ente… R $85,992 13,847
47 Encounter in the Third Dime… Feb 26, 1999 nWave Pictures Not Rated $78,181 12,589
48 Word Wars May 28, 2004 Seventh Art Relea… Not Rated $76,481 12,315
49 Guerrilla: The Taking of Pa… Nov 26, 2004 Magnolia Pictures Not Rated $72,933 11,744
50 In the Realms of the Unreal Dec 24, 2004 WellSpring Not Rated $70,465 11,347
51 Short Cut to Nirvana: Kumbh… Oct 22, 2004 Mela Films Not Rated $69,084 11,124
52 The Weather Underground Jun 6, 2003 Shadow Not Rated $63,755 10,266
53 Bright Leaves Aug 27, 2004 First Run Features Not Rated $62,474 10,060
54 Proteus Jul 30, 2004 Strand Releasing R $62,031 9,988
55 Voices of Iraq Oct 29, 2004 Magnolia Pictures Not Rated $57,102 9,195
56 Divan Mar 19, 2004 Zeitgeist Not Rated $56,214 9,052
57 Born Into Brothels: Calcutt… Dec 8, 2004 ThinkFilm R $55,045 8,863
58 Hiding and Seeking Feb 6, 2004 First Run Features Not Rated $51,091 8,227
59 Ônibus 174 Oct 8, 2003 ThinkFilm R $48,818 7,861
60 This So-Called Disaster Apr 21, 2004 IFC Films Not Rated $45,195 7,277
61 Paper Clips Nov 24, 2004 Slowhand Cinema G $42,311 6,813
62 Tom Dowd and the Language o… Aug 13, 2004 Palm/Manga Not Rated $40,238 6,479
63 Power Trip Mar 12, 2004 Artistic License Not Rated $38,593 6,214
64 Tying the Knot Oct 1, 2004 IDP Distribution Not Rated $37,464 6,032
65 Incident at Loch Ness Sep 17, 2004 Eden Rock/Abramorama PG-13 $36,830 5,930
66 Beyond the Gates of Splendor Nov 5, 2004 Every Tribe Enter… PG-13 $36,412 5,863
67 Hearts and Minds Jan 1, 1974 Rialto Pictures R $28,287 4,555
68 Maestro Mar 12, 2004 Not Rated $25,315 4,076
69 Bonhoeffer Jun 20, 2003 First Run Features Not Rated $24,944 4,016
70 WMD: Weapons of Mass Deception Dec 3, 2004 Cinema Libre Not Rated $21,843 3,517
71 S-21: The Khmer Rouge Death… May 19, 2004 First Run Features Not Rated $21,678 3,490
72 Orwell Rolls in His Grave Jul 23, 2004 Sky Harbor Basement Not Rated $19,257 3,100
73 Faster Apr 23, 2004 Slamdance on the … PG-13 $16,265 2,619
74 People Say I'm Crazy Apr 30, 2004 Palo Alto Pictures Not Rated $15,679 2,524
75 American Storytellers Nov 7, 2003 Indican Pictures Not Rated $15,642 2,518
76 A Letter to True Sep 8, 2004 Zeitgeist Not Rated $13,835 2,227
77 Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme Jul 16, 2004 Palm/Manga Not Rated $11,255 1,812
78 Let's Get Frank Jul 14, 2004 Random Media Not Rated $9,386 1,511
79 Girlhood Oct 31, 2003 Not Rated $8,935 1,438
80 Cuba: Island of Music Jan 16, 2004 Cinema Four Not Rated $8,806 1,418
81 I'll Sing for You Mar 26, 2004 First Run Features Not Rated $8,798 1,416
82 With All Deliberate Speed May 14, 2004 CameraPlanet/Disc… Not Rated $4,920 792
83 My Flesh and Blood Nov 26, 2003 Not Rated $4,274 688
84 Saints and Sinners Jun 18, 2004 Avatar Not Rated $3,826 616
85 Brothers in Arms Aug 27, 2004 First Run Features Not Rated $3,270 526
86 Venus Boyz Aug 22, 2003 First Run Features Not Rated $3,230 520
87 The Life and Times of Allen… Aug 20, 2004 New Yorker Not Rated $2,668 429
88 Moog Sep 24, 2004 Plexifilm Not Rated $2,227 358
89 Still, the Children are Here Nov 5, 2004 First Run/Icarus Not Rated $2,210 355
90 Rivers and Tides Jun 28, 2002 Roxie Releasing Not Rated $2,039 328
91 Jesus, You Know Dec 3, 2004 Leisure Time Feat… Not Rated $604 97
Total Gross of All Movies$235,563,421
Total Tickets Sold37,932,871

Note: This chart ranks movies by the amount they earned during 2004. It includes movies released in previous years that earned money during 2004. For example, a movie released over Thanksgiving in 2010 will most likely earn money in 2010 and 2011. Click on the individual movie to see its total gross over all the years in which it played.

Inflation-adjusted figures are based ticket sale estimates, and may not be precise due to rounding errors.

Our Theatrical Market pages are based on the Domestic Theatrical Market performance only. The Domestic Market is defined as the North American movie territory (consisting of the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and Guam).

The yearly amounts on our Theatrical Market pages are based on box office years. Each box office year starts on the first Monday of the year, so the previous year ends on the Sunday before the first Monday. For example, the "2017 box office year" started on January 2, 2017 so the "2016 box office year" ended on Sunday, January 1, 2017.