The Best of Me (2014)

The Best of Me poster
Theatrical Performance
Domestic Box Office $26,766,213Details
International Box Office $14,293,205Details
Worldwide Box Office $41,059,418
Home Market Performance
Est. Domestic DVD Sales $12,397,363 Details
Est. Domestic Blu-ray Sales $2,298,938 Details
Total Est. Domestic Video Sales $14,696,301
Further financial details...

Synopsis

Dawson and Amanda are two former high school sweethearts who find themselves reunited after 20 years apart, when they return to their small town for the funeral of a beloved friend. Their bittersweet reunion reignites the love they’ve never forgotten, but soon they discover the forces that drove them apart twenty years ago live on, posing even more serious threats today. Spanning decades, this love story captures the enduring power of our first true love, and the wrenching choices we face when confronted with elusive second chances.

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$10,003,827 (37.4% of total gross)
Legs:2.68 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:65.2% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Production Budget:$26,000,000 (worldwide box office is 1.6 times production budget)
Theater counts:2,936 opening theaters/2,936 max. theaters, 3.8 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $35,315,905

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists

RecordRankAmount
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 3,101-3,200) 3,192 $26,766,213
All Time International Box Office (Rank 4,101-4,200) 4,115 $14,293,205
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 3,501-3,600) 3,513 $41,059,418

See the Box Office tab (Domestic) and International tab (International and Worldwide) for more Cumulative Box Office Records.


Watch Now On

Amazon VOD:Amazon
iTunes:iTunes
Google Play:Google Play, Google Play
Vudu:Vudu, Vudu
Netflix:Netflix, Netflix

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: October 17th, 2014 (Wide) by Relativity
International Releases: October 31st, 2014 (Wide), released as The Best Of Me (Australia)
January 9th, 2015 (Wide) (Germany)
May 1st, 2015 (Wide) (Spain)
June 18th, 2015 (Wide) (South Korea)
Video Release: February 3rd, 2015 by Universal Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sexuality, violence, some drug content and brief strong language.
(Rating bulletin 2341, 9/24/2014)
PG-13 for sexuality, violence, some drug content and brief strong language.
(Rating bulletin 2346, 10/29/2014)
Running Time: 118 minutes
Comparisons: vs. En kongelig affære
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Romance, You Can't Go Home Again, Funeral Reunions, Dysfunctional Family, Organized Crime, Romeo and Juliet Romance, Romantic Drama, 1990s, Set in Louisiana
Source:Based on Fiction Book/Short Story
Genre:Drama
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Contemporary Fiction
Production/Financing Companies: Relativity Media, Di Novi Pictures
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Oct 17, 2014 5 $10,003,827   2,936 $3,407   $10,003,827 1
Oct 24, 2014 8 $4,623,519 -54% 2,936 $1,575   $17,550,193 2
Oct 31, 2014 11 $2,736,279 -41% 2,327 $1,176   $21,894,683 3
Nov 7, 2014 13 $1,402,036 -49% 1,110 $1,263   $24,490,377 4
Nov 14, 2014 19 $692,600 -51% 722 $959   $25,740,344 5
Nov 21, 2014 24 $272,617 -61% 432 $631   $26,214,332 6
Nov 28, 2014 29 $101,358 -63% 165 $614   $26,433,161 7
Dec 5, 2014 38 $56,449 -44% 123 $459   $26,521,072 8
Dec 12, 2014 37 $38,823 -31% 90 $431   $26,584,550 9
Dec 19, 2014 39 $35,026 -10% 91 $385   $26,636,206 10
Dec 26, 2014 47 $27,114 -23% 55 $493   $26,686,684 11
Jan 2, 2015 51 $26,182 -3% 42 $623   $26,739,759 12
Jan 9, 2015 60 $12,843 -51% 31 $414   $26,761,283 13

Daily Box Office Performance

DateRankGross%YD%LWTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossDays
Oct 16, 2014 P $525,000     0     $525,000  
Oct 17, 2014 4 $4,131,906     2,936 $1,407   $4,131,906 1
Oct 18, 2014 6 $3,791,315 -8%   2,936 $1,291   $7,923,221 2
Oct 19, 2014 6 $2,080,606 -45%   2,936 $709   $10,003,827 3
Oct 20, 2014 6 $677,313 -67%   2,936 $231   $10,681,140 4
Oct 21, 2014 6 $900,478 +33%   2,936 $307   $11,581,618 5
Oct 22, 2014 5 $664,967 -26%   2,936 $226   $12,246,585 6
Oct 23, 2014 4 $680,089 +2%   2,936 $232   $12,926,674 7
Oct 24, 2014 8 $1,581,406 +133% -62% 2,936 $539   $14,508,080 8
Oct 25, 2014 8 $1,940,091 +23% -49% 2,936 $661   $16,448,171 9
Oct 26, 2014 10 $1,102,022 -43% -47% 2,936 $375   $17,550,193 10
Oct 27, 2014 10 $345,392 -69% -49% 2,936 $118   $17,895,585 11
Oct 28, 2014 8 $508,890 +47% -43% 2,936 $173   $18,404,475 12
Oct 29, 2014 8 $379,237 -25% -43% 2,936 $129   $18,783,712 13
Oct 30, 2014 8 $374,692 -1% -45% 2,936 $128   $19,158,404 14
Oct 31, 2014 13 $540,381 +44% -66% 2,327 $232   $19,698,785 15
Nov 1, 2014 10 $1,415,482 +162% -27% 2,327 $608   $21,114,267 16
Nov 2, 2014 11 $780,416 -45% -29% 2,327 $335   $21,894,683 17
Nov 3, 2014 9 $283,034 -64% -18% 2,327 $122   $22,177,717 18
Nov 4, 2014 10 $379,667 +34% -25% 2,327 $163   $22,557,384 19
Nov 5, 2014 11 $250,785 -34% -34% 2,327 $108   $22,808,169 20
Nov 6, 2014 11 $280,172 +12% -25% 2,327 $120   $23,088,341 21
Nov 7, 2014 13 $452,531 +62% -16% 1,110 $408   $23,540,872 22
Nov 8, 2014 13 $617,869 +37% -56% 1,110 $557   $24,158,741 23
Nov 9, 2014 13 $331,636 -46% -58% 1,110 $299   $24,490,377 24
Nov 10, 2014 14 $151,449 -54% -46% 1,110 $136   $24,641,826 25
Nov 11, 2014 14 $204,234 +35% -46% 1,110 $184   $24,846,060 26
Nov 12, 2014 13 $99,613 -51% -60% 1,110 $90   $24,945,673 27
Nov 13, 2014 13 $102,071 +2% -64% 1,110 $92   $25,047,744 28
Nov 14, 2014 - $242,976 +138% -46% 722 $337   $25,290,720 29
Nov 15, 2014 - $297,616 +22% -52% 722 $412   $25,588,336 30
Nov 16, 2014 - $152,008 -49% -54% 722 $211   $25,740,344 31
Nov 17, 2014 - $45,951 -70% -70% 722 $64   $25,786,295 32
Nov 18, 2014 - $63,981 +39% -69% 722 $89   $25,850,276 33
Nov 19, 2014 - $53,261 -17% -47% 722 $74   $25,903,537 34
Nov 20, 2014 - $38,178 -28% -63% 722 $53   $25,941,715 35
Nov 21, 2014 - $88,587 +132% -64% 432 $205   $26,030,302 36
Nov 22, 2014 20 $114,656 +29% -61% 432 $265   $26,144,958 37
Nov 23, 2014 - $69,374 -39% -54% 432 $161   $26,214,332 38
Nov 24, 2014 - $31,291 -55% -32% 432 $72   $26,245,623 39
Nov 25, 2014 - $44,012 +41% -31% 432 $102   $26,289,635 40
Nov 26, 2014 - $22,234 -49% -58% 432 $51   $26,311,869 41
Nov 27, 2014 - $19,934 -10% -48% 432 $46   $26,331,803 42
Nov 28, 2014 - $37,082 +86% -58% 165 $225   $26,368,885 43
Nov 29, 2014 - $42,516 +15% -63% 165 $258   $26,411,401 44
Nov 30, 2014 - $21,760 -49% -69% 165 $132   $26,433,161 45
Dec 1, 2014 - $6,947 -68% -78% 165 $42   $26,440,108 46
Dec 2, 2014 - $9,209 +33% -79% 165 $56   $26,449,317 47
Dec 3, 2014 - $7,425 -19% -67% 165 $45   $26,456,742 48
Dec 4, 2014 - $7,881 +6% -60% 165 $48   $26,464,623 49
Dec 5, 2014 - $18,394 +133% -50% 123 $150   $26,483,017 50
Dec 6, 2014 - $24,022 +31% -43% 123 $195   $26,507,039 51
Dec 7, 2014 - $14,033 -42% -36% 123 $114   $26,521,072 52
Dec 8, 2014 - $5,369 -62% -23% 123 $44   $26,526,441 53
Dec 9, 2014 - $6,625 +23% -28% 123 $54   $26,533,066 54
Dec 10, 2014 - $6,522 -2% -12% 123 $53   $26,539,588 55
Dec 11, 2014 - $6,139 -6% -22% 123 $50   $26,545,727 56
Dec 12, 2014 - $12,515 +104% -32% 90 $139   $26,558,242 57
Dec 13, 2014 - $17,601 +41% -27% 90 $196   $26,575,843 58
Dec 14, 2014 - $8,707 -51% -38% 90 $97   $26,584,550 59
Dec 15, 2014 - $4,069 -53% -24% 90 $45   $26,588,619 60
Dec 16, 2014 - $5,437 +34% -18% 90 $60   $26,594,056 61
Dec 17, 2014 - $3,443 -37% -47% 90 $38   $26,597,499 62
Dec 18, 2014 - $3,681 +7% -40% 90 $41   $26,601,180 63
Dec 19, 2014 - $11,153 +203% -11% 91 $123   $26,612,333 64
Dec 20, 2014 - $13,394 +20% -24% 91 $147   $26,625,727 65
Dec 21, 2014 - $10,479 -22% +20% 91 $115   $26,636,206 66
Dec 22, 2014 - $7,365 -30% +81% 91 $81   $26,643,571 67
Dec 23, 2014 - $7,542 +2% +39% 91 $83   $26,651,113 68
Dec 24, 2014 - $2,972 -61% -14% 91 $33   $26,654,085 69
Dec 25, 2014 - $5,485 +85% +49% 91 $60   $26,659,570 70
Dec 26, 2014 - $8,464 +54% -24% 55 $154   $26,668,034 71
Dec 27, 2014 - $10,631 +26% -21% 55 $193   $26,678,665 72
Dec 28, 2014 - $8,019 -25% -23% 55 $146   $26,686,684 73
Dec 29, 2014 - $6,122 -24% -17% 55 $111   $26,692,806 74
Dec 30, 2014 - $6,404 +5% -15% 55 $116   $26,699,210 75
Dec 31, 2014 - $4,372 -32% +47% 55 $79   $26,703,582 76
Jan 1, 2015 - $9,995 +129% +82% 55 $182   $26,713,577 77
Jan 2, 2015 - $9,852 -1% +16% 42 $235   $26,723,429 78
Jan 3, 2015 - $10,529 +7% -1% 42 $251   $26,733,958 79
Jan 4, 2015 - $5,801 -45% -28% 42 $138   $26,739,759 80
Jan 5, 2015 - $2,136 -63% -65% 42 $51   $26,741,895 81
Jan 6, 2015 - $2,507 +17% -61% 42 $60   $26,744,402 82
Jan 7, 2015 - $1,853 -26% -58% 42 $44   $26,746,255 83
Jan 8, 2015 - $2,185 +18% -78% 42 $52   $26,748,440 84
Jan 9, 2015 - $4,017 +84% -59% 31 $130   $26,752,457 85
Jan 10, 2015 - $6,034 +50% -43% 31 $195   $26,758,491 86
Jan 11, 2015 - $2,792 -54% -52% 31 $90   $26,761,283 87
Jan 12, 2015 - $1,019 -64% -52% 31 $33   $26,762,302 88
Jan 13, 2015 - $1,302 +28% -48% 31 $42   $26,763,604 89
Jan 14, 2015 - $1,085 -17% -41% 31 $35   $26,764,689 90
Jan 15, 2015 - $1,524 +40% -30% 31 $49   $26,766,213 91

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Oct 17, 2014 6 $12,926,674   2,936 $4,403   $12,926,674 1
Oct 24, 2014 8 $6,231,730 -52% 2,936 $2,123   $19,158,404 2
Oct 31, 2014 11 $3,929,937 -37% 2,327 $1,689   $23,088,341 3
Nov 7, 2014 13 $1,959,403 -50% 1,110 $1,765   $25,047,744 4
Nov 14, 2014 19 $893,971 -54% 722 $1,238   $25,941,715 5
Nov 21, 2014 26 $390,088 -56% 432 $903   $26,331,803 6
Nov 28, 2014 32 $132,820 -66% 165 $805   $26,464,623 7
Dec 5, 2014 36 $81,104 -39% 123 $659   $26,545,727 8
Dec 12, 2014 39 $55,453 -32% 90 $616   $26,601,180 9
Dec 19, 2014 45 $58,390 +5% 91 $642   $26,659,570 10
Dec 26, 2014 48 $54,007 -8% 55 $982   $26,713,577 11
Jan 2, 2015 54 $34,863 -35% 42 $830   $26,748,440 12
Jan 9, 2015 58 $17,773 -49% 31 $573   $26,766,213 13

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date
Opening
Weekend
Opening
Weekend
Screens
Maximum
Screens
Theatrical
Engagements
Total
Box Office
Report
Date
Australia 10/31/2014 $666,587 222 222 452 $1,663,862 4/1/2020
Germany 1/9/2015 $453,562 0 0 0 $859,167 8/22/2018
South Korea 6/18/2015 $38,314 0 0 0 $55,615 8/29/2018
Spain 5/1/2015 $302,241 179 179 542 $737,555 11/28/2018
 
Rest of World $10,977,006
 
International Total$14,293,205 4/1/2020

International Cumulative Box Office Records


Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records


Weekly US DVD Sales

DateRankUnits
this
Week
% ChangeTotal
Units
Spending
this
Week
Total
Spending
Weeks
in
Release
Feb 8, 20152227,405 227,405$3,401,979$3,401,9791
Feb 15, 20153141,964-38% 369,369$2,123,781$5,525,7602
Feb 22, 20151343,093-70% 412,462$644,671$6,170,4313
Feb 11, 20181226,818 879,169$256,380$11,279,342158
Apr 8, 20181417,741 912,125$160,379$11,582,266166

Weekly US Blu-ray Sales

DateRankUnits
this
Week
% ChangeTotal
Units
Spending
this
Week
Total
Spending
Weeks
in
Release
Feb 8, 2015550,995 50,995$1,015,305$1,015,3051
Feb 15, 2015842,457-17% 93,452$784,598$1,799,9032

Our DVD and Blu-ray sales estimates are based on weekly retail surveys, which we use to build a weekly market share estimate for each title we are tracking. The market share is converted into a weekly sales estimate based on industry reports on the overall size of the market, including reports published in Media Play News.

For example, if our weekly retail survey estimates that a particular title sold 1% of all units that week, and the industry reports sales of 1,500,000 units in total, we will estimate 15,000 units were sold of that title. The consumer spending estimate is based on the average sales price for the title in the retailers we survey.

We refine our estimates from week to week as more data becomes available. In particular, we adjust weekly sales figures for the quarter once the total market estimates are published by the Digital Entertainment Group. Figures will therefore fluctuate each week, and totals for individual titles can go up or down as we update our estimates.

Because sales figures are estimated based on sampling, they will be more accurate for higher-selling titles.

Full financial estimates for this film, including domestic and international box office, video sales, video rentals, TV and ancillary revenue are available through our research services. For more information, please contact us at research@the-numbers.com.

Leading Cast

Michelle Monaghan    Amanda
James Marsden    Dawson

Supporting Cast

Luke Bracey    Young Dawson Cole
Liana Liberato    Young Amanda Collier
Caroline Goodall    Evelyn
Gerald McRaney    Tuck
Sebastian Arcelus    Frank Reynolds
Jon Tenney    Harvey Collier
Ian Nelson    Jared
Schuyler Fisk    Older April
Rob Mello    Ted Cole
Hunter Burke    Abee Cole
Sean Bridgers    Tommy Cole

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

Michael Hoffman    Director
J. Mills Goodloe    Screenwriter
Will Fetters    Screenwriter
Michael Hoffman    Screenwriter
Nicholas Sparks    Story Creator
Denise Di Novi    Producer
Alison Greenspan    Producer
Nicholas Sparks    Producer
Ryan Kavanaugh    Producer
Theresa Park    Producer
Tucker Tooley    Executive Producer
Robbie Brenner    Executive Producer
Ron Burkle    Executive Producer
Jason Colbeck    Executive Producer
Kenneth Halsband    Co-Producer
D. Scott Lumpkin    Co-Producer
Oliver Stapleton    Director of Photography
Patrizia Von Brandenstein    Production Designer
Matt Chesse    Editor
Aaron Zigman    Composer
Bob Bowen    Music Supervisor
Ruth E. Carter    Costume Designer
Ronna Kress    Casting Director

DVD Sales: Alexander's Really Good, Wonderful, Amazing Start on DVD

March 1st, 2015

There were a lot of new releases in the top 30 of the DVD sales chart. However, there were only two new releases in the top five. Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day earned first place, as it sold 345,000 units and generated $5.98 million during its first week of release. More...

Home Market Numbers: Hitmen vs. Vampires

February 22nd, 2015

New releases grabbed the top two spots on the Blu-ray sales chart for the week ending February 8, with John Wick taking the top spot and Dracula Untold taking a close second place. Two other new releases debuted in the top ten: The Best of Me took fifth place, and Ouija took eighth.

This welcome shot of sales helped fuel a strong increase over last year for Blu-ray sales. Compared to last year, 21% more units were sold, and revenue jumped 17%. Overall, the Blu-ray share of home market sales ticked up a percentage point, to 43%.

While this week's Blu-ray numbers do represent a drop from last week, sales were down only 0.7% in terms of units sold and 7.5% in revenue, perhaps suggesting that slightly lower prices helped maintain sales of units and supported the increase from last year. More...

DVD Sales: Dracula's Debut Tells an Important Story

February 22nd, 2015

New releases occupied four of the top five spots on the DVD sales chart for the week ending February 8. The top spot went to Dracula Untold, with 237,000 units sold and $4.16 million in consumer spending during its first week of release. With this strong result, I think the odds of this film becoming the first of a franchise have increased.

Second place, just barely, went to The Best of Me, with 227,000 units sold and $3.45 million in consumer spending. The Best of Me edged out John Wick, sending it to third place with 227,000 units sold and $3.44 million in spending.

More...

Blu-ray Sales: Wick Lights up the Competition

February 22nd, 2015

The Blu-ray sales chart was dominated by two new releases. John Wick led the way with 301,000 units / $6.30 million for an opening week Blu-ray share of 57%. The film was an action film with visual style, but not a ton of visual effects, so this is better than expected. More...

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for February 3rd, 2015

February 2nd, 2015

It is a slow week on the home market, and will remain a slow week until the winter blockbusters start coming out. According to Amazon.com, this week the biggest release is John Wick. Granted, the Blu-ray Combo Pack is Pick of the Week material, but the film only made $43 million at the box office, so it likely won't sell a lot on the home market. The other two contenders for Pick of the Week are The Overnighters on DVD or Blu-ray and Dear White People - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray. Are three are worth picking up. The Overnighters is arguably the best, but I love the Film Noir style in John Wick, so I'm awarding that one the Pick of the Week. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Ouija Wins, But Stars Softer Than Expected

October 28th, 2014

Ouija poster

As expected, Ouija won the race for first place, but it finished on the very low end of expectations. On the other hand, John Wick beat expectations earning second place. Overall, these two results balanced out, but this still resulted in the box office falling 12% from last weekend to $116 million. More importantly, it was 13% higher than the same weekend last year. 2014 is still behind 2013, but it is chipping away at the deficit, which has fallen to under $300 million at $8.20 billion to $8.49 billion. 2014 is still behind last year's pace by 3.4%, but if it can close that gap by the same amount in November and December, then at least by the end of the year, it will have closed the gap enough to call it a spiritual victory. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Fury et al are a Little Calmer than Expected

October 21st, 2014

Fury poster

The weekend box office was a little softer than expected, with Fury earning first place, but with much less than some were expecting. I was a little more conservative and I was still off by close to $10 million. The rest of the top five, on the whole, were also not quite as strong as expected, so the overall box office fell 11% from last weekend. However, it was 26% higher than the same weekend last year, which is the much more important figure. 2014 is still behind 2013 by more than $300 million, or 3.6%, at $8.05 billion to $8.36 billion, but if we can close the gap a little bit each week, we can at least make it a respectable race in the end. More...

Weekend Estimates: Fury an Unspectacular First

October 19th, 2014

Fury poster

Fury will top the box office chart this weekend with a solid, but unspectacular, $23.5 million, according to Sony’s Sunday morning estimate. Pre-weekend projections had the film closer to $30 million, and with an $80 million price tag, and Brad Pitt starring, the film is really underperforming at this point. By way of comparison, Gone Girl opened with $37.5 million three weeks ago. Fury will need really good legs, or a really strong performance overseas, to post a profit. More...

Limited Releases: Bird is the Word

October 17th, 2014

Birdman poster

It's an excellent week for limited releases with several films earning overwhelmingly positive reviews. This includes a couple that are also earning really loud buzz. Of these, Birdman is probably going to win the weekend race on the Per Theater Chart, while Dear White People should also be a hit. Diplomacy, Housebound, The Tale of Princess Kaguya, and others also deserve to find audiences, but not all will do so for various reasons (wrong genre, opening in Video on Demand, etc.). More...

Weekend Predictions: Are the New Releases All Wind and Fury?

October 16th, 2014

Fury poster

Three wide releases are trying to fight for box office dollars, including Fury, which could be the biggest hit of the month. Its reviews are excellent and the buzz is strong enough that is should have no trouble earning first place. The Book of Life is a family friendly animated horror film opening near Halloween. That should be a combination that spells box office success, but while the reviews are strong, the buzz is not as loud as I would like. Finally, there's The Best of Me, the latest from Nicholas Sparks, but I think the shine has come off his career. Its early reviews are terrible, which isn't surprising. The buzz is rather quiet, which is a little more surprising. This weekend last year, Gravity completed the hat-trick earning just over $30 million. I think Fury will top that. The best new release last year was Carrie, which earned just over $16 million earning third place in the process. It looks like there are a couple of films that will earn a similar amount this year. Additionally, the depth again appears to be better than last year, so 2014 should find itself on top of the chart, again. This is a surprise, as at the beginning of the month, it looked like 2014 would be in an extended slump by this point. More...

2014 Preview: October

September 30th, 2014

Fury poster

September is over and while it got off to a bad start, a really, really, truly terrible start, it actually ended on a bit of a strong note. Granted, no film has yet to reach $100 million, but The Maze Runner and The Equalizer both could get there in the end. As for October, we might go another month without a $100 million hit. There are a couple of films that have the potential to reach the century mark, Gone Girl and Fury. Hopefully they will get there, but given the recent box office woes, it is probably best to keep expectations low. Last October, there were two films that earned more than $100 million. Bad Grandpa just made it passed that mark. On the other hand, Gravity was a monster hit earning nearly $275 million. It you compare its run to this year's batch of films, it only ranks behind Guardians of the Galaxy. ... There's no way any film opening this month is going to match that. ... There no way the top two films will match that. ... The top three films might not match that. ... 2014 is going to get crushed in the year-over-year comparison and by the end of the month, it will be safe to say its chances of ever catching up to 2013 will be over. It is going to be a depressing month. More...


  1. Summary
  2. News
  3. Box Office
  4. International
  5. Video Sales
  6. Full Financials
  7. Cast & Crew
  8. Trailer

Synopsis

Dawson and Amanda are two former high school sweethearts who find themselves reunited after 20 years apart, when they return to their small town for the funeral of a beloved friend. Their bittersweet reunion reignites the love they’ve never forgotten, but soon they discover the forces that drove them apart twenty years ago live on, posing even more serious threats today. Spanning decades, this love story captures the enduring power of our first true love, and the wrenching choices we face when confronted with elusive second chances.

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$10,003,827 (37.4% of total gross)
Legs:2.68 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:65.2% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Production Budget:$26,000,000 (worldwide box office is 1.6 times production budget)
Theater counts:2,936 opening theaters/2,936 max. theaters, 3.8 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $35,315,905

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists

RecordRankAmount
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 3,101-3,200) 3,192 $26,766,213
All Time International Box Office (Rank 4,101-4,200) 4,115 $14,293,205
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 3,501-3,600) 3,513 $41,059,418

See the Box Office tab (Domestic) and International tab (International and Worldwide) for more Cumulative Box Office Records.


Watch Now On

Amazon VOD:Amazon
iTunes:iTunes
Google Play:Google Play, Google Play
Vudu:Vudu, Vudu
Netflix:Netflix, Netflix

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: October 17th, 2014 (Wide) by Relativity
International Releases: October 31st, 2014 (Wide), released as The Best Of Me (Australia)
January 9th, 2015 (Wide) (Germany)
May 1st, 2015 (Wide) (Spain)
June 18th, 2015 (Wide) (South Korea)
Video Release: February 3rd, 2015 by Universal Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sexuality, violence, some drug content and brief strong language.
(Rating bulletin 2341, 9/24/2014)
PG-13 for sexuality, violence, some drug content and brief strong language.
(Rating bulletin 2346, 10/29/2014)
Running Time: 118 minutes
Comparisons: vs. En kongelig affære
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Romance, You Can't Go Home Again, Funeral Reunions, Dysfunctional Family, Organized Crime, Romeo and Juliet Romance, Romantic Drama, 1990s, Set in Louisiana
Source:Based on Fiction Book/Short Story
Genre:Drama
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Contemporary Fiction
Production/Financing Companies: Relativity Media, Di Novi Pictures
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Leading Cast

Michelle Monaghan    Amanda
James Marsden    Dawson

Supporting Cast

Luke Bracey    Young Dawson Cole
Liana Liberato    Young Amanda Collier
Caroline Goodall    Evelyn
Gerald McRaney    Tuck
Sebastian Arcelus    Frank Reynolds
Jon Tenney    Harvey Collier
Ian Nelson    Jared
Schuyler Fisk    Older April
Rob Mello    Ted Cole
Hunter Burke    Abee Cole
Sean Bridgers    Tommy Cole

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

Michael Hoffman    Director
J. Mills Goodloe    Screenwriter
Will Fetters    Screenwriter
Michael Hoffman    Screenwriter
Nicholas Sparks    Story Creator
Denise Di Novi    Producer
Alison Greenspan    Producer
Nicholas Sparks    Producer
Ryan Kavanaugh    Producer
Theresa Park    Producer
Tucker Tooley    Executive Producer
Robbie Brenner    Executive Producer
Ron Burkle    Executive Producer
Jason Colbeck    Executive Producer
Kenneth Halsband    Co-Producer
D. Scott Lumpkin    Co-Producer
Oliver Stapleton    Director of Photography
Patrizia Von Brandenstein    Production Designer
Matt Chesse    Editor
Aaron Zigman    Composer
Bob Bowen    Music Supervisor
Ruth E. Carter    Costume Designer
Ronna Kress    Casting Director

DVD Sales: Alexander's Really Good, Wonderful, Amazing Start on DVD

March 1st, 2015

There were a lot of new releases in the top 30 of the DVD sales chart. However, there were only two new releases in the top five. Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day earned first place, as it sold 345,000 units and generated $5.98 million during its first week of release. More...

Home Market Numbers: Hitmen vs. Vampires

February 22nd, 2015

New releases grabbed the top two spots on the Blu-ray sales chart for the week ending February 8, with John Wick taking the top spot and Dracula Untold taking a close second place. Two other new releases debuted in the top ten: The Best of Me took fifth place, and Ouija took eighth.

This welcome shot of sales helped fuel a strong increase over last year for Blu-ray sales. Compared to last year, 21% more units were sold, and revenue jumped 17%. Overall, the Blu-ray share of home market sales ticked up a percentage point, to 43%.

While this week's Blu-ray numbers do represent a drop from last week, sales were down only 0.7% in terms of units sold and 7.5% in revenue, perhaps suggesting that slightly lower prices helped maintain sales of units and supported the increase from last year. More...

DVD Sales: Dracula's Debut Tells an Important Story

February 22nd, 2015

New releases occupied four of the top five spots on the DVD sales chart for the week ending February 8. The top spot went to Dracula Untold, with 237,000 units sold and $4.16 million in consumer spending during its first week of release. With this strong result, I think the odds of this film becoming the first of a franchise have increased.

Second place, just barely, went to The Best of Me, with 227,000 units sold and $3.45 million in consumer spending. The Best of Me edged out John Wick, sending it to third place with 227,000 units sold and $3.44 million in spending.

More...

Blu-ray Sales: Wick Lights up the Competition

February 22nd, 2015

The Blu-ray sales chart was dominated by two new releases. John Wick led the way with 301,000 units / $6.30 million for an opening week Blu-ray share of 57%. The film was an action film with visual style, but not a ton of visual effects, so this is better than expected. More...

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for February 3rd, 2015

February 2nd, 2015

It is a slow week on the home market, and will remain a slow week until the winter blockbusters start coming out. According to Amazon.com, this week the biggest release is John Wick. Granted, the Blu-ray Combo Pack is Pick of the Week material, but the film only made $43 million at the box office, so it likely won't sell a lot on the home market. The other two contenders for Pick of the Week are The Overnighters on DVD or Blu-ray and Dear White People - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray. Are three are worth picking up. The Overnighters is arguably the best, but I love the Film Noir style in John Wick, so I'm awarding that one the Pick of the Week. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Ouija Wins, But Stars Softer Than Expected

October 28th, 2014

Ouija poster

As expected, Ouija won the race for first place, but it finished on the very low end of expectations. On the other hand, John Wick beat expectations earning second place. Overall, these two results balanced out, but this still resulted in the box office falling 12% from last weekend to $116 million. More importantly, it was 13% higher than the same weekend last year. 2014 is still behind 2013, but it is chipping away at the deficit, which has fallen to under $300 million at $8.20 billion to $8.49 billion. 2014 is still behind last year's pace by 3.4%, but if it can close that gap by the same amount in November and December, then at least by the end of the year, it will have closed the gap enough to call it a spiritual victory. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Fury et al are a Little Calmer than Expected

October 21st, 2014

Fury poster

The weekend box office was a little softer than expected, with Fury earning first place, but with much less than some were expecting. I was a little more conservative and I was still off by close to $10 million. The rest of the top five, on the whole, were also not quite as strong as expected, so the overall box office fell 11% from last weekend. However, it was 26% higher than the same weekend last year, which is the much more important figure. 2014 is still behind 2013 by more than $300 million, or 3.6%, at $8.05 billion to $8.36 billion, but if we can close the gap a little bit each week, we can at least make it a respectable race in the end. More...

Weekend Estimates: Fury an Unspectacular First

October 19th, 2014

Fury poster

Fury will top the box office chart this weekend with a solid, but unspectacular, $23.5 million, according to Sony’s Sunday morning estimate. Pre-weekend projections had the film closer to $30 million, and with an $80 million price tag, and Brad Pitt starring, the film is really underperforming at this point. By way of comparison, Gone Girl opened with $37.5 million three weeks ago. Fury will need really good legs, or a really strong performance overseas, to post a profit. More...

Limited Releases: Bird is the Word

October 17th, 2014

Birdman poster

It's an excellent week for limited releases with several films earning overwhelmingly positive reviews. This includes a couple that are also earning really loud buzz. Of these, Birdman is probably going to win the weekend race on the Per Theater Chart, while Dear White People should also be a hit. Diplomacy, Housebound, The Tale of Princess Kaguya, and others also deserve to find audiences, but not all will do so for various reasons (wrong genre, opening in Video on Demand, etc.). More...

Weekend Predictions: Are the New Releases All Wind and Fury?

October 16th, 2014

Fury poster

Three wide releases are trying to fight for box office dollars, including Fury, which could be the biggest hit of the month. Its reviews are excellent and the buzz is strong enough that is should have no trouble earning first place. The Book of Life is a family friendly animated horror film opening near Halloween. That should be a combination that spells box office success, but while the reviews are strong, the buzz is not as loud as I would like. Finally, there's The Best of Me, the latest from Nicholas Sparks, but I think the shine has come off his career. Its early reviews are terrible, which isn't surprising. The buzz is rather quiet, which is a little more surprising. This weekend last year, Gravity completed the hat-trick earning just over $30 million. I think Fury will top that. The best new release last year was Carrie, which earned just over $16 million earning third place in the process. It looks like there are a couple of films that will earn a similar amount this year. Additionally, the depth again appears to be better than last year, so 2014 should find itself on top of the chart, again. This is a surprise, as at the beginning of the month, it looked like 2014 would be in an extended slump by this point. More...

2014 Preview: October

September 30th, 2014

Fury poster

September is over and while it got off to a bad start, a really, really, truly terrible start, it actually ended on a bit of a strong note. Granted, no film has yet to reach $100 million, but The Maze Runner and The Equalizer both could get there in the end. As for October, we might go another month without a $100 million hit. There are a couple of films that have the potential to reach the century mark, Gone Girl and Fury. Hopefully they will get there, but given the recent box office woes, it is probably best to keep expectations low. Last October, there were two films that earned more than $100 million. Bad Grandpa just made it passed that mark. On the other hand, Gravity was a monster hit earning nearly $275 million. It you compare its run to this year's batch of films, it only ranks behind Guardians of the Galaxy. ... There's no way any film opening this month is going to match that. ... There no way the top two films will match that. ... The top three films might not match that. ... 2014 is going to get crushed in the year-over-year comparison and by the end of the month, it will be safe to say its chances of ever catching up to 2013 will be over. It is going to be a depressing month. More...

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Oct 17, 2014 5 $10,003,827   2,936 $3,407   $10,003,827 1
Oct 24, 2014 8 $4,623,519 -54% 2,936 $1,575   $17,550,193 2
Oct 31, 2014 11 $2,736,279 -41% 2,327 $1,176   $21,894,683 3
Nov 7, 2014 13 $1,402,036 -49% 1,110 $1,263   $24,490,377 4
Nov 14, 2014 19 $692,600 -51% 722 $959   $25,740,344 5
Nov 21, 2014 24 $272,617 -61% 432 $631   $26,214,332 6
Nov 28, 2014 29 $101,358 -63% 165 $614   $26,433,161 7
Dec 5, 2014 38 $56,449 -44% 123 $459   $26,521,072 8
Dec 12, 2014 37 $38,823 -31% 90 $431   $26,584,550 9
Dec 19, 2014 39 $35,026 -10% 91 $385   $26,636,206 10
Dec 26, 2014 47 $27,114 -23% 55 $493   $26,686,684 11
Jan 2, 2015 51 $26,182 -3% 42 $623   $26,739,759 12
Jan 9, 2015 60 $12,843 -51% 31 $414   $26,761,283 13

Daily Box Office Performance

DateRankGross%YD%LWTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossDays
Oct 16, 2014 P $525,000     0     $525,000  
Oct 17, 2014 4 $4,131,906     2,936 $1,407   $4,131,906 1
Oct 18, 2014 6 $3,791,315 -8%   2,936 $1,291   $7,923,221 2
Oct 19, 2014 6 $2,080,606 -45%   2,936 $709   $10,003,827 3
Oct 20, 2014 6 $677,313 -67%   2,936 $231   $10,681,140 4
Oct 21, 2014 6 $900,478 +33%   2,936 $307   $11,581,618 5
Oct 22, 2014 5 $664,967 -26%   2,936 $226   $12,246,585 6
Oct 23, 2014 4 $680,089 +2%   2,936 $232   $12,926,674 7
Oct 24, 2014 8 $1,581,406 +133% -62% 2,936 $539   $14,508,080 8
Oct 25, 2014 8 $1,940,091 +23% -49% 2,936 $661   $16,448,171 9
Oct 26, 2014 10 $1,102,022 -43% -47% 2,936 $375   $17,550,193 10
Oct 27, 2014 10 $345,392 -69% -49% 2,936 $118   $17,895,585 11
Oct 28, 2014 8 $508,890 +47% -43% 2,936 $173   $18,404,475 12
Oct 29, 2014 8 $379,237 -25% -43% 2,936 $129   $18,783,712 13
Oct 30, 2014 8 $374,692 -1% -45% 2,936 $128   $19,158,404 14
Oct 31, 2014 13 $540,381 +44% -66% 2,327 $232   $19,698,785 15
Nov 1, 2014 10 $1,415,482 +162% -27% 2,327 $608   $21,114,267 16
Nov 2, 2014 11 $780,416 -45% -29% 2,327 $335   $21,894,683 17
Nov 3, 2014 9 $283,034 -64% -18% 2,327 $122   $22,177,717 18
Nov 4, 2014 10 $379,667 +34% -25% 2,327 $163   $22,557,384 19
Nov 5, 2014 11 $250,785 -34% -34% 2,327 $108   $22,808,169 20
Nov 6, 2014 11 $280,172 +12% -25% 2,327 $120   $23,088,341 21
Nov 7, 2014 13 $452,531 +62% -16% 1,110 $408   $23,540,872 22
Nov 8, 2014 13 $617,869 +37% -56% 1,110 $557   $24,158,741 23
Nov 9, 2014 13 $331,636 -46% -58% 1,110 $299   $24,490,377 24
Nov 10, 2014 14 $151,449 -54% -46% 1,110 $136   $24,641,826 25
Nov 11, 2014 14 $204,234 +35% -46% 1,110 $184   $24,846,060 26
Nov 12, 2014 13 $99,613 -51% -60% 1,110 $90   $24,945,673 27
Nov 13, 2014 13 $102,071 +2% -64% 1,110 $92   $25,047,744 28
Nov 14, 2014 - $242,976 +138% -46% 722 $337   $25,290,720 29
Nov 15, 2014 - $297,616 +22% -52% 722 $412   $25,588,336 30
Nov 16, 2014 - $152,008 -49% -54% 722 $211   $25,740,344 31
Nov 17, 2014 - $45,951 -70% -70% 722 $64   $25,786,295 32
Nov 18, 2014 - $63,981 +39% -69% 722 $89   $25,850,276 33
Nov 19, 2014 - $53,261 -17% -47% 722 $74   $25,903,537 34
Nov 20, 2014 - $38,178 -28% -63% 722 $53   $25,941,715 35
Nov 21, 2014 - $88,587 +132% -64% 432 $205   $26,030,302 36
Nov 22, 2014 20 $114,656 +29% -61% 432 $265   $26,144,958 37
Nov 23, 2014 - $69,374 -39% -54% 432 $161   $26,214,332 38
Nov 24, 2014 - $31,291 -55% -32% 432 $72   $26,245,623 39
Nov 25, 2014 - $44,012 +41% -31% 432 $102   $26,289,635 40
Nov 26, 2014 - $22,234 -49% -58% 432 $51   $26,311,869 41
Nov 27, 2014 - $19,934 -10% -48% 432 $46   $26,331,803 42
Nov 28, 2014 - $37,082 +86% -58% 165 $225   $26,368,885 43
Nov 29, 2014 - $42,516 +15% -63% 165 $258   $26,411,401 44
Nov 30, 2014 - $21,760 -49% -69% 165 $132   $26,433,161 45
Dec 1, 2014 - $6,947 -68% -78% 165 $42   $26,440,108 46
Dec 2, 2014 - $9,209 +33% -79% 165 $56   $26,449,317 47
Dec 3, 2014 - $7,425 -19% -67% 165 $45   $26,456,742 48
Dec 4, 2014 - $7,881 +6% -60% 165 $48   $26,464,623 49
Dec 5, 2014 - $18,394 +133% -50% 123 $150   $26,483,017 50
Dec 6, 2014 - $24,022 +31% -43% 123 $195   $26,507,039 51
Dec 7, 2014 - $14,033 -42% -36% 123 $114   $26,521,072 52
Dec 8, 2014 - $5,369 -62% -23% 123 $44   $26,526,441 53
Dec 9, 2014 - $6,625 +23% -28% 123 $54   $26,533,066 54
Dec 10, 2014 - $6,522 -2% -12% 123 $53   $26,539,588 55
Dec 11, 2014 - $6,139 -6% -22% 123 $50   $26,545,727 56
Dec 12, 2014 - $12,515 +104% -32% 90 $139   $26,558,242 57
Dec 13, 2014 - $17,601 +41% -27% 90 $196   $26,575,843 58
Dec 14, 2014 - $8,707 -51% -38% 90 $97   $26,584,550 59
Dec 15, 2014 - $4,069 -53% -24% 90 $45   $26,588,619 60
Dec 16, 2014 - $5,437 +34% -18% 90 $60   $26,594,056 61
Dec 17, 2014 - $3,443 -37% -47% 90 $38   $26,597,499 62
Dec 18, 2014 - $3,681 +7% -40% 90 $41   $26,601,180 63
Dec 19, 2014 - $11,153 +203% -11% 91 $123   $26,612,333 64
Dec 20, 2014 - $13,394 +20% -24% 91 $147   $26,625,727 65
Dec 21, 2014 - $10,479 -22% +20% 91 $115   $26,636,206 66
Dec 22, 2014 - $7,365 -30% +81% 91 $81   $26,643,571 67
Dec 23, 2014 - $7,542 +2% +39% 91 $83   $26,651,113 68
Dec 24, 2014 - $2,972 -61% -14% 91 $33   $26,654,085 69
Dec 25, 2014 - $5,485 +85% +49% 91 $60   $26,659,570 70
Dec 26, 2014 - $8,464 +54% -24% 55 $154   $26,668,034 71
Dec 27, 2014 - $10,631 +26% -21% 55 $193   $26,678,665 72
Dec 28, 2014 - $8,019 -25% -23% 55 $146   $26,686,684 73
Dec 29, 2014 - $6,122 -24% -17% 55 $111   $26,692,806 74
Dec 30, 2014 - $6,404 +5% -15% 55 $116   $26,699,210 75
Dec 31, 2014 - $4,372 -32% +47% 55 $79   $26,703,582 76
Jan 1, 2015 - $9,995 +129% +82% 55 $182   $26,713,577 77
Jan 2, 2015 - $9,852 -1% +16% 42 $235   $26,723,429 78
Jan 3, 2015 - $10,529 +7% -1% 42 $251   $26,733,958 79
Jan 4, 2015 - $5,801 -45% -28% 42 $138   $26,739,759 80
Jan 5, 2015 - $2,136 -63% -65% 42 $51   $26,741,895 81
Jan 6, 2015 - $2,507 +17% -61% 42 $60   $26,744,402 82
Jan 7, 2015 - $1,853 -26% -58% 42 $44   $26,746,255 83
Jan 8, 2015 - $2,185 +18% -78% 42 $52   $26,748,440 84
Jan 9, 2015 - $4,017 +84% -59% 31 $130   $26,752,457 85
Jan 10, 2015 - $6,034 +50% -43% 31 $195   $26,758,491 86
Jan 11, 2015 - $2,792 -54% -52% 31 $90   $26,761,283 87
Jan 12, 2015 - $1,019 -64% -52% 31 $33   $26,762,302 88
Jan 13, 2015 - $1,302 +28% -48% 31 $42   $26,763,604 89
Jan 14, 2015 - $1,085 -17% -41% 31 $35   $26,764,689 90
Jan 15, 2015 - $1,524 +40% -30% 31 $49   $26,766,213 91

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Oct 17, 2014 6 $12,926,674   2,936 $4,403   $12,926,674 1
Oct 24, 2014 8 $6,231,730 -52% 2,936 $2,123   $19,158,404 2
Oct 31, 2014 11 $3,929,937 -37% 2,327 $1,689   $23,088,341 3
Nov 7, 2014 13 $1,959,403 -50% 1,110 $1,765   $25,047,744 4
Nov 14, 2014 19 $893,971 -54% 722 $1,238   $25,941,715 5
Nov 21, 2014 26 $390,088 -56% 432 $903   $26,331,803 6
Nov 28, 2014 32 $132,820 -66% 165 $805   $26,464,623 7
Dec 5, 2014 36 $81,104 -39% 123 $659   $26,545,727 8
Dec 12, 2014 39 $55,453 -32% 90 $616   $26,601,180 9
Dec 19, 2014 45 $58,390 +5% 91 $642   $26,659,570 10
Dec 26, 2014 48 $54,007 -8% 55 $982   $26,713,577 11
Jan 2, 2015 54 $34,863 -35% 42 $830   $26,748,440 12
Jan 9, 2015 58 $17,773 -49% 31 $573   $26,766,213 13

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date
Opening
Weekend
Opening
Weekend
Screens
Maximum
Screens
Theatrical
Engagements
Total
Box Office
Report
Date
Australia 10/31/2014 $666,587 222 222 452 $1,663,862 4/1/2020
Germany 1/9/2015 $453,562 0 0 0 $859,167 8/22/2018
South Korea 6/18/2015 $38,314 0 0 0 $55,615 8/29/2018
Spain 5/1/2015 $302,241 179 179 542 $737,555 11/28/2018
 
Rest of World $10,977,006
 
International Total$14,293,205 4/1/2020

International Cumulative Box Office Records


Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records


Weekly US DVD Sales

DateRankUnits
this
Week
% ChangeTotal
Units
Spending
this
Week
Total
Spending
Weeks
in
Release
Feb 8, 20152227,405 227,405$3,401,979$3,401,9791
Feb 15, 20153141,964-38% 369,369$2,123,781$5,525,7602
Feb 22, 20151343,093-70% 412,462$644,671$6,170,4313
Feb 11, 20181226,818 879,169$256,380$11,279,342158
Apr 8, 20181417,741 912,125$160,379$11,582,266166

Weekly US Blu-ray Sales

DateRankUnits
this
Week
% ChangeTotal
Units
Spending
this
Week
Total
Spending
Weeks
in
Release
Feb 8, 2015550,995 50,995$1,015,305$1,015,3051
Feb 15, 2015842,457-17% 93,452$784,598$1,799,9032

Our DVD and Blu-ray sales estimates are based on weekly retail surveys, which we use to build a weekly market share estimate for each title we are tracking. The market share is converted into a weekly sales estimate based on industry reports on the overall size of the market, including reports published in Media Play News.

For example, if our weekly retail survey estimates that a particular title sold 1% of all units that week, and the industry reports sales of 1,500,000 units in total, we will estimate 15,000 units were sold of that title. The consumer spending estimate is based on the average sales price for the title in the retailers we survey.

We refine our estimates from week to week as more data becomes available. In particular, we adjust weekly sales figures for the quarter once the total market estimates are published by the Digital Entertainment Group. Figures will therefore fluctuate each week, and totals for individual titles can go up or down as we update our estimates.

Because sales figures are estimated based on sampling, they will be more accurate for higher-selling titles.

Full financial estimates for this film, including domestic and international box office, video sales, video rentals, TV and ancillary revenue are available through our research services. For more information, please contact us at research@the-numbers.com.