A Serious Man (2009)

A Serious Man poster
Theatrical Performance
Domestic Box Office $9,228,788Details
International Box Office $21,131,782Details
Worldwide Box Office $30,360,570
Home Market Performance
Est. Domestic DVD Sales $5,334,052 Details
Est. Domestic Blu-ray Sales $1,260,581 Details
Total Est. Domestic Video Sales $6,594,633
Further financial details...

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$251,337 (2.7% of total gross)
Legs:8.44 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:30.4% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Production Budget:$7,000,000 (worldwide box office is 4.3 times production budget)
Theater counts:6 opening theaters/262 max. theaters, 7.3 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $13,262,117

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists


Watch Now On

iTunes:iTunes
Google Play:Google Play

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: October 2nd, 2009 (Limited) by Focus Features
International Releases: November 19th, 2009 (Wide) (Australia)
Video Release: February 9th, 2010 by Universal Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R for language, some sexuality/nudity and brief violence.
Running Time: 105 minutes
Comparisons: Best Picture Oscar Nominees, 2010
vs. The Grand Budapest Hotel
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: 2010 Oscars Best Picture Nominee, Comedy Drama, Dysfunctional Family, Jewish, Narcotics, 1960s
Source:Original Screenplay
Genre:Comedy
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Historical Fiction
Production/Financing Companies: Working Title Films
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Ranking on other Records and Milestones

RecordRankAmountChart
Date
Days In
Release
Top 2009 Theater Average 15 $41,890 Oct 2, 2009 3

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Oct 2, 2009 31 $251,337   6 $41,890   $251,337 1
Oct 9, 2009 24 $459,318 +83% 21 $21,872   $811,304 2
Oct 16, 2009 15 $842,511 +83% 82 $10,275   $1,843,307 3
Oct 23, 2009 12 $1,093,217 +30% 176 $6,211   $3,196,496 4
Oct 30, 2009 13 $1,036,396 -5% 238 $4,355   $4,595,629 5
Nov 6, 2009 18 $863,750 -17% 262 $3,297   $5,833,069 6
Nov 13, 2009 18 $657,125 -24% 240 $2,738   $6,834,722 7
Nov 20, 2009 18 $444,008 -32% 198 $2,242   $7,476,004 8
Nov 27, 2009 22 $478,235 +8% 173 $2,764   $8,163,478 9
Dec 4, 2009 23 $221,428 -54% 160 $1,384   $8,488,738 10
Dec 11, 2009 27 $146,347 -34% 152 $963   $8,717,516 11
Dec 18, 2009 27 $98,311 -33% 117 $840   $8,894,894 12
Dec 25, 2009 36 $66,124 -33% 49 $1,349   $9,042,780 13
Jan 1, 2010 36 $92,069 +39% 49 $1,879   $9,190,525 14

Daily Box Office Performance

DateRankGross%YD%LWTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossDays
Oct 2, 2009 - $72,987     6 $12,165   $72,987 1
Oct 3, 2009 - $105,585 +45%   6 $17,598   $178,572 2
Oct 4, 2009 - $72,765 -31%   6 $12,128   $251,337 3
Oct 5, 2009 - $25,399 -65%   6 $4,233   $276,736 4
Oct 6, 2009 - $26,096 +3%   6 $4,349   $302,832 5
Oct 7, 2009 - $24,412 -6%   6 $4,069   $327,244 6
Oct 8, 2009 - $24,742 +1%   6 $4,124   $351,986 7
Oct 9, 2009 - $122,397 +395% +68% 21 $5,828   $474,383 8
Oct 10, 2009 - $203,231 +66% +92% 21 $9,678   $677,614 9
Oct 11, 2009 - $133,690 -34% +84% 21 $6,366   $811,304 10
Oct 12, 2009 - $68,660 -49% +170% 21 $3,270   $879,964 11
Oct 13, 2009 - $43,176 -37% +65% 21 $2,056   $923,140 12
Oct 14, 2009 - $41,401 -4% +70% 21 $1,971   $964,541 13
Oct 15, 2009 - $36,255 -12% +47% 21 $1,726   $1,000,796 14
Oct 16, 2009 15 $218,530 +503% +79% 82 $2,665   $1,219,326 15
Oct 17, 2009 15 $405,240 +85% +99% 82 $4,942   $1,624,566 16
Oct 18, 2009 13 $218,741 -46% +64% 82 $2,668   $1,843,307 17
Oct 19, 2009 - $58,902 -73% -14% 82 $718   $1,902,209 18
Oct 20, 2009 - $67,610 +15% +57% 82 $825   $1,969,819 19
Oct 21, 2009 - $68,569 +1% +66% 82 $836   $2,038,388 20
Oct 22, 2009 - $64,891 -5% +79% 82 $791   $2,103,279 21
Oct 23, 2009 13 $300,440 +363% +37% 176 $1,707   $2,403,719 22
Oct 24, 2009 12 $534,534 +78% +32% 176 $3,037   $2,938,253 23
Oct 25, 2009 - $258,243 -52% +18% 176 $1,467   $3,196,496 24
Oct 26, 2009 - $85,192 -67% +45% 176 $484   $3,281,688 25
Oct 27, 2009 12 $104,787 +23% +55% 176 $595   $3,386,475 26
Oct 28, 2009 - $89,478 -15% +30% 176 $508   $3,475,953 27
Oct 29, 2009 - $83,280 -7% +28% 176 $473   $3,559,233 28
Oct 30, 2009 13 $305,177 +266% +2% 238 $1,282   $3,864,410 29
Oct 31, 2009 13 $439,614 +44% -18% 238 $1,847   $4,304,024 30
Nov 1, 2009 13 $291,605 -34% +13% 238 $1,225   $4,595,629 31
Nov 2, 2009 - $85,289 -71% n/c 238 $358   $4,680,918 32
Nov 3, 2009 - $109,060 +28% +4% 238 $458   $4,789,978 33
Nov 4, 2009 - $84,458 -23% -6% 238 $355   $4,874,436 34
Nov 5, 2009 - $94,883 +12% +14% 238 $399   $4,969,319 35
Nov 6, 2009 - $230,892 +143% -24% 262 $881   $5,200,211 36
Nov 7, 2009 - $432,306 +87% -2% 262 $1,650   $5,632,517 37
Nov 8, 2009 - $200,552 -54% -31% 262 $765   $5,833,069 38
Nov 9, 2009 - $63,133 -69% -26% 262 $241   $5,896,202 39
Nov 10, 2009 - $87,809 +39% -19% 262 $335   $5,984,011 40
Nov 11, 2009 16 $122,225 +39% +45% 262 $467   $6,106,236 41
Nov 12, 2009 - $71,361 -42% -25% 262 $272   $6,177,597 42
Nov 13, 2009 - $165,089 +131% -28% 240 $688   $6,342,686 43
Nov 14, 2009 - $333,069 +102% -23% 240 $1,388   $6,675,755 44
Nov 15, 2009 - $158,967 -52% -21% 240 $662   $6,834,722 45
Nov 16, 2009 - $44,030 -72% -30% 240 $183   $6,878,752 46
Nov 17, 2009 - $55,387 +26% -37% 240 $231   $6,934,139 47
Nov 18, 2009 - $48,829 -12% -60% 240 $203   $6,982,968 48
Nov 19, 2009 - $49,028 n/c -31% 240 $204   $7,031,996 49
Nov 20, 2009 18 $112,956 +130% -32% 198 $570   $7,144,952 50
Nov 21, 2009 16 $218,573 +94% -34% 198 $1,104   $7,363,525 51
Nov 22, 2009 17 $112,479 -49% -29% 198 $568   $7,476,004 52
Nov 23, 2009 - $37,098 -67% -16% 198 $187   $7,513,102 53
Nov 24, 2009 - $49,673 +34% -10% 198 $251   $7,562,775 54
Nov 25, 2009 - $59,899 +21% +23% 169 $354   $7,622,674 55
Nov 26, 2009 - $62,569 +4% +28% 169 $370   $7,685,243 56
Nov 27, 2009 - $183,705 +194% +63% 173 $1,062   $7,868,948 57
Nov 28, 2009 - $201,135 +9% -8% 173 $1,163   $8,070,083 58
Nov 29, 2009 - $93,395 -54% -17% 173 $540   $8,163,478 59
Nov 30, 2009 - $23,641 -75% -36% 173 $137   $8,187,119 60
Dec 1, 2009 - $27,742 +17% -44% 173 $160   $8,214,861 61
Dec 2, 2009 - $26,120 -6% -56% 173 $151   $8,240,981 62
Dec 3, 2009 - $26,329 +1% -58% 173 $152   $8,267,310 63
Dec 4, 2009 - $59,736 +127% -67% 160 $373   $8,327,046 64
Dec 5, 2009 - $103,288 +73% -49% 160 $646   $8,430,334 65
Dec 6, 2009 - $58,404 -43% -37% 160 $365   $8,488,738 66
Dec 7, 2009 - $19,282 -67% -18% 160 $121   $8,508,020 67
Dec 8, 2009 - $21,775 +13% -22% 160 $136   $8,529,795 68
Dec 9, 2009 - $19,991 -8% -23% 160 $125   $8,549,786 69
Dec 10, 2009 - $21,383 +7% -19% 160 $134   $8,571,169 70
Dec 11, 2009 - $36,245 +70% -39% 152 $238   $8,607,414 71
Dec 12, 2009 - $69,850 +93% -32% 152 $460   $8,677,264 72
Dec 13, 2009 - $40,252 -42% -31% 152 $265   $8,717,516 73
Dec 14, 2009 - $16,154 -60% -16% 152 $106   $8,733,670 74
Dec 15, 2009 - $21,501 +33% -1% 152 $141   $8,755,171 75
Dec 16, 2009 - $20,683 -4% +3% 152 $136   $8,775,854 76
Dec 17, 2009 - $20,729 n/c -3% 152 $136   $8,796,583 77
Dec 18, 2009 - $25,219 +22% -30% 117 $216   $8,821,802 78
Dec 19, 2009 - $41,811 +66% -40% 117 $357   $8,863,613 79
Dec 20, 2009 - $31,281 -25% -22% 117 $267   $8,894,894 80
Dec 21, 2009 - $17,114 -45% +6% 117 $146   $8,912,008 81
Dec 22, 2009 - $21,723 +27% +1% 117 $186   $8,933,731 82
Dec 23, 2009 - $20,000 -8% -3% 117 $171   $8,953,731 83
Dec 24, 2009 - $22,925 +15% +11% 117 $196   $8,976,656 84
Dec 25, 2009 - $21,371 -7% -15% 49 $436   $8,998,027 85
Dec 26, 2009 - $24,517 +15% -41% 49 $500   $9,022,544 86
Dec 27, 2009 - $20,236 -17% -35% 49 $413   $9,042,780 87
Dec 28, 2009 - $14,949 -26% -13% 49 $305   $9,057,729 88
Dec 29, 2009 - $13,999 -6% -36% 49 $286   $9,071,728 89
Dec 30, 2009 - $15,105 +8% -24% 49 $308   $9,086,833 90
Dec 31, 2009 - $11,623 -23% -49% 49 $237   $9,098,456 91
Jan 1, 2010 - $31,474 +171% +47% 49 $642   $9,129,930 92
Jan 2, 2010 - $38,658 +23% +58% 49 $789   $9,168,588 93
Jan 3, 2010 - $21,937 -43% +8% 49 $448   $9,190,525 94
Jan 4, 2010 - $9,791 -55% -35% 49 $200   $9,200,316 95
Jan 5, 2010 - $9,733 -1% -30% 49 $199   $9,210,049 96
Jan 6, 2010 - $9,627 -1% -36% 49 $196   $9,219,676 97
Jan 7, 2010 - $9,112 -5% -22% 49 $186   $9,228,788 98

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Oct 2, 2009 31 $351,986   6 $58,664   $351,986 1
Oct 9, 2009 24 $648,810 +84% 21 $30,896   $1,000,796 2
Oct 16, 2009 14 $1,102,483 +70% 82 $13,445   $2,103,279 3
Oct 23, 2009 13 $1,455,954 +32% 176 $8,272   $3,559,233 4
Oct 30, 2009 13 $1,410,086 -3% 238 $5,925   $4,969,319 5
Nov 6, 2009 18 $1,208,278 -14% 262 $4,612   $6,177,597 6
Nov 13, 2009 19 $854,399 -29% 240 $3,560   $7,031,996 7
Nov 20, 2009 20 $653,247 -24% 198 $3,299   $7,685,243 8
Nov 27, 2009 22 $582,067 -11% 173 $3,365   $8,267,310 9
Dec 4, 2009 23 $303,859 -48% 160 $1,899   $8,571,169 10
Dec 11, 2009 26 $225,414 -26% 152 $1,483   $8,796,583 11
Dec 18, 2009 29 $180,073 -20% 117 $1,539   $8,976,656 12
Dec 25, 2009 38 $121,800 -32% 49 $2,486   $9,098,456 13
Jan 1, 2010 36 $130,332 +7% 49 $2,660   $9,228,788 14

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date
Opening
Weekend
Opening
Weekend
Screens
Maximum
Screens
Theatrical
Engagements
Total
Box Office
Report
Date
Australia 11/19/2009 $0 0 3 3 $0
 
International Total$21,131,782

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 14, 20101364,157 64,157$1,218,341$1,218,3411
Mar 14, 20102828,830 142,514$547,482$2,706,3415

Weekly US Blu-ray Sales

DateRankUnits
this
Week
% ChangeTotal
Units
Spending
this
Week
Total
Spending
Weeks
in
Release
Feb 14, 20101217,629 17,629$343,586$343,5861

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

Michael Stuhlbarg    Larry Gopnik

Supporting Cast

Sari Lennick    Judith Gopnik
Richard Kind    Arthur Gopnik
Fred Melamed    Sy Ableman
Aaron Wolf    Danny Gopnik
Jessica McManus    Sarah Gopnik
Adam Arkin    Don Milgram

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

Production and Technical Credits

Joel Coen    Director
Ethan Coen    Director
Joel Coen    Producer
Ethan Coen    Producer
Joel Coen    Screenwriter
Ethan Coen    Screenwriter
Carter Burwell    Composer

Oscar Contest: Category Highlight: Best Picture

March 6th, 2010

With our annual Oscar Prediction contest underway, now is the best time to look at the nominees and try and figure out who the favorites are and which films should just feel honored to be nominated. Today we look at Best Picture and we actually have a real race in this category. More...

Awards Season: Independents are Precious

March 5th, 2010

While the Independent Spirit Awards are one of the first to announce their nominations, they are one of the last to hand out the awards. This year the clear winner was Precious, which swept all five categories it was nominated for. However, it wasn't the only winner. More...

Oscar Contest: Category Highlight: Best Original Screenplay

March 4th, 2010

With our annual Oscar Prediction contest underway, now is the best time to look at the nominees and try and figure out who the favorites are and which films should feel honored to just be nominated. Today we look at Best Original Screenplay, which is one of the more competitive categories this year. More...

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for February 9th, 2010

February 9th, 2010

Not a particularly great week for DVD or Blu-ray releases. The biggest movie to hit the home market is Couples Retreat, but it was a terrible movie and should be avoided at all costs. The best film coming out this week is A Serious Man and while the DVD is worth picking up, the Blu-ray is the better deal. However, the Pick of the Week goes to The Guild: Season Three, which is one of the funniest things on the Web. More...

Awards Season: Avatar Not Hurting for Oscar Nominations

February 2nd, 2010

Oscar nominations were announced at 5:38 this morning, continuing a tradition that have never been adequately explained to me. (Why so early in the morning? Does earning an Oscar nomination become sweeter if people have to wake you up to congratulate you?) Leading the way in nominations were Avatar and The Hurt Locker, both of which pick up nine nods each, many of them in the same categories. More...

International Details: Complicated in Sixth Place

January 31st, 2010

It's Complicated saw its weekend haul climb 16%, but it still fell out of the top five. It added $10.37 million over the weekend on 2,665 screens in 32 markets for a total of $50.92 million after a month of release. The film opened in third place in Germany with $2.40 million on 552 screens over the weekend and $2.74 million in total. Meanwhile in the U.K. it added $1.84 million on 431 screens over the weekend for a total of $8.72 million after three weeks of release. With debuts in Japan, South Korea, and Italy still ahead of it, it could reach $100 million internationally to go with its $100 million domestic total. More...

Awards Season: WGA Nominations are Written in Stone

January 12th, 2010

The WGA announced their nominations this week, which include eleven awards, three of which are for theatrical releases. More...

Awards Season - Golden Globe Nominations are Up in the Air

December 16th, 2009

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced their nominations this week, but looking over the list of films chosen, it is hard to declare any one film as the big winner. Up in the Air did pick up six Golden Globe nominations, including several of the most prestigious nominations, but it is far from the only major player. More...

International Details - Foreign Films are not Chicken

December 13th, 2009

A number of international releases reached the top 30 this week, including Zweiohrkuken, a.k.a. The Chicken With Two Ears, from Germany, which placed sixth with $10.72 million on 839 screens in 3 markets. It made $9.39 million on 714 screens in its native market, which was easily enough for first place and more than twice what the original,Keinohrhasen, a.k.a., No Ear Hare, opened with in 2007. Keinohrhasen went on to earn $74 million worldwide, of which more than $60 million was earned in Germany. However, I don't think this film will have the same legs. That said, since it was written, directed, and stars Til Schweiger who was recently in Inglourious Basterds, it could earn see releases in more markets. More...

Awards Season - Precious and Station Lead Independent Spirit Awards

December 2nd, 2009

As always, the Independent Spirit Awards represent the unofficial start of Awards Season with the announcement of their nominations. This year The Last Station and Precious topped the list of nominees with five each. For the former, it should help build buzz for its 2010 release. For the latter, it is the first step towards possible Awards Season glory and further enhances its already lofty box office potential. More...

Truly Precious on the Per Theater Chart

November 10th, 2009

Precious had a record-breaking opening on the per theater chart with close to $1.9 million in just 18 theaters for an average of $104,025. This is just shy of the record for best per theater average for a live action movie; however, the current record holder, Dreamgirls, opened in fewer theaters and with prestige pricing, so this is arguably the better result. Precious did set the record for highest per theater average for a film playing in more than 10 theaters.

It wasn't the only film in the $10,000 club with La Danse earning $14,000 in its lone theater while Splinterheads opened with $10,515, also in one theater. More...

Education High on the Per Theater Chart

November 3rd, 2009

The per theater chart took a hit over the weekend and no movie topped $10,000; however, An Education was close with an average of $9,737 in 48 theaters. More...

Deal with the Devil on the Per Theater Chart

October 27th, 2009

Antichrist was the only new release to reach the $10,000 club over the weekend earning a strong average of $11,900 in six theaters. An Education was just $49 behind at $11,851, which is about 5 or 6 tickets per theater. Finally, Paranormal Activity was able to reach first place on the overall chart while maintaining an average $10,850 in nearly 2000 theaters. More...

Things are Not Normal on the Per Theater Chart

October 20th, 2009

Paranormal Activity remained on top of the per theater chart with an average of $25,711. The film finally saw its per theater average drop this past weekend, but it should still have no trouble expanding. Second place went to The Maid, which earned $17,036 in one theater. An Education remained in the $10,000 club with an average of $12,882, while A Serious Man took in more than $800,000 in 82 theaters for an average of $10,275. More...

Weekend Estimates: Wild Things Roar to $32.5 Million

October 18th, 2009

Where The Wild Things Are got off to a strong start over the weekend, according to studio estimates released on Sunday. The Spike Jonze adaptation of the Maurice Sendak book earned a very healthy $30.47 million, according to Warner Bros. estimates, making it one of October's biggest openers (see full list). More...

Massive Activity on the Per Theater Chart

October 13th, 2009

No less than six films broke the $10,000 per theater average barrier over the weekend. Paranormal Activity topped the per theater chart with its record-breaking weekend, earning an average of $49,379 in 160 theaters. An Education was relatively close behind with an average of $39,754 in 4 theaters, which is a spectacular result at any time. A Serious Man remained strong with an average of $21,872, which is enough to suggest further significant expansion over the coming weeks. The number one film at the box office, Couples Retreat, was next with an average of $11,429. Yes Men Fix the World and Bronson had nearly identical averages at $10,956 vs. $10,940. More...

Weekend Estimates: Couples Retreat, Paranormal Activity Star

October 11th, 2009

The Columbus Day holiday weekend produced two big winners, according to studio estimates released on Sunday. At the top of the chart, Couples Retreat exceeded expectations with $35.3 million. A per theater average of nearly $12,000 for the poorly-reviewed comedy is a testament to Universal's marketing campaign and the box office power of its ensemble cast. A great marketing campaign from Paramount can also be attributed to the success of the weekend's other big success: Paranormal Activity, which jumped into the top 5 with an estimated $7.066 million in just 159 theaters. That's the smallest number of theaters for a movie to hit the top five ever, beating the performance of Platoon, which hit 4th place the weekend of January 16, 1987 playing in 174 theaters. More...

Serious Money on the Per Theater Chart

October 6th, 2009

A Serious Man showed the competition who was serious by earning first place on the per theater chart earning an average of $41,890 in six theaters. Paranormal Activity climbed into the $10,000 club with a sophomore average of $16,129 and now there's a push to get it into 1000 theaters nationwide. More Than a Game earned an average of more than $10,000, $13,067 to be precise, placing third in the process. Coco Before Chanel repeated in the $10,000 club with an average of $12,878, but it will need some strong word-of-mouth if it wants to stay they one more week. More...

Some Serious Limited Releases

October 2nd, 2009

While there are five limited releases on this week's list, there is really only one that has a short at significant expansion. That film is A Serious Man, which should not only have the best per theater average over the weekend, but has a chance at picking up several Oscar nominations. More...

2009 Preview: October

October 1st, 2009

September ended with a thud, but at least there's good news. September has finally ended. Last month more movies missed expectations that topped them, which has put a cooling effect on the overall box office and that could hurt the business going into this month. October should still be stronger than last month, and since October of last year wasn't particularly great, 2009 should at least maintain its lead over 2008 going into the holiday season, even if it isn't as strong every single week. More...

Cast Updates - October 2, 2008

October 2nd, 2008

This week's round of new casting information contains updates for Paper Man, Sherlock Holmes, Kung Fu Panda 2, and more! More...

New Movie Announcements, Stars and Directors - September 30, 2008

September 30th, 2008

This week another number of upcoming movies, new stars and directors have been added to our archive! More...


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

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$251,337 (2.7% of total gross)
Legs:8.44 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:30.4% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Production Budget:$7,000,000 (worldwide box office is 4.3 times production budget)
Theater counts:6 opening theaters/262 max. theaters, 7.3 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $13,262,117

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists


Watch Now On

iTunes:iTunes
Google Play:Google Play

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: October 2nd, 2009 (Limited) by Focus Features
International Releases: November 19th, 2009 (Wide) (Australia)
Video Release: February 9th, 2010 by Universal Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R for language, some sexuality/nudity and brief violence.
Running Time: 105 minutes
Comparisons: Best Picture Oscar Nominees, 2010
vs. The Grand Budapest Hotel
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: 2010 Oscars Best Picture Nominee, Comedy Drama, Dysfunctional Family, Jewish, Narcotics, 1960s
Source:Original Screenplay
Genre:Comedy
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Historical Fiction
Production/Financing Companies: Working Title Films
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Ranking on other Records and Milestones

RecordRankAmountChart
Date
Days In
Release
Top 2009 Theater Average 15 $41,890 Oct 2, 2009 3

Leading Cast

Michael Stuhlbarg    Larry Gopnik

Supporting Cast

Sari Lennick    Judith Gopnik
Richard Kind    Arthur Gopnik
Fred Melamed    Sy Ableman
Aaron Wolf    Danny Gopnik
Jessica McManus    Sarah Gopnik
Adam Arkin    Don Milgram

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

Production and Technical Credits

Joel Coen    Director
Ethan Coen    Director
Joel Coen    Producer
Ethan Coen    Producer
Joel Coen    Screenwriter
Ethan Coen    Screenwriter
Carter Burwell    Composer

Oscar Contest: Category Highlight: Best Picture

March 6th, 2010

With our annual Oscar Prediction contest underway, now is the best time to look at the nominees and try and figure out who the favorites are and which films should just feel honored to be nominated. Today we look at Best Picture and we actually have a real race in this category. More...

Awards Season: Independents are Precious

March 5th, 2010

While the Independent Spirit Awards are one of the first to announce their nominations, they are one of the last to hand out the awards. This year the clear winner was Precious, which swept all five categories it was nominated for. However, it wasn't the only winner. More...

Oscar Contest: Category Highlight: Best Original Screenplay

March 4th, 2010

With our annual Oscar Prediction contest underway, now is the best time to look at the nominees and try and figure out who the favorites are and which films should feel honored to just be nominated. Today we look at Best Original Screenplay, which is one of the more competitive categories this year. More...

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for February 9th, 2010

February 9th, 2010

Not a particularly great week for DVD or Blu-ray releases. The biggest movie to hit the home market is Couples Retreat, but it was a terrible movie and should be avoided at all costs. The best film coming out this week is A Serious Man and while the DVD is worth picking up, the Blu-ray is the better deal. However, the Pick of the Week goes to The Guild: Season Three, which is one of the funniest things on the Web. More...

Awards Season: Avatar Not Hurting for Oscar Nominations

February 2nd, 2010

Oscar nominations were announced at 5:38 this morning, continuing a tradition that have never been adequately explained to me. (Why so early in the morning? Does earning an Oscar nomination become sweeter if people have to wake you up to congratulate you?) Leading the way in nominations were Avatar and The Hurt Locker, both of which pick up nine nods each, many of them in the same categories. More...

International Details: Complicated in Sixth Place

January 31st, 2010

It's Complicated saw its weekend haul climb 16%, but it still fell out of the top five. It added $10.37 million over the weekend on 2,665 screens in 32 markets for a total of $50.92 million after a month of release. The film opened in third place in Germany with $2.40 million on 552 screens over the weekend and $2.74 million in total. Meanwhile in the U.K. it added $1.84 million on 431 screens over the weekend for a total of $8.72 million after three weeks of release. With debuts in Japan, South Korea, and Italy still ahead of it, it could reach $100 million internationally to go with its $100 million domestic total. More...

Awards Season: WGA Nominations are Written in Stone

January 12th, 2010

The WGA announced their nominations this week, which include eleven awards, three of which are for theatrical releases. More...

Awards Season - Golden Globe Nominations are Up in the Air

December 16th, 2009

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced their nominations this week, but looking over the list of films chosen, it is hard to declare any one film as the big winner. Up in the Air did pick up six Golden Globe nominations, including several of the most prestigious nominations, but it is far from the only major player. More...

International Details - Foreign Films are not Chicken

December 13th, 2009

A number of international releases reached the top 30 this week, including Zweiohrkuken, a.k.a. The Chicken With Two Ears, from Germany, which placed sixth with $10.72 million on 839 screens in 3 markets. It made $9.39 million on 714 screens in its native market, which was easily enough for first place and more than twice what the original,Keinohrhasen, a.k.a., No Ear Hare, opened with in 2007. Keinohrhasen went on to earn $74 million worldwide, of which more than $60 million was earned in Germany. However, I don't think this film will have the same legs. That said, since it was written, directed, and stars Til Schweiger who was recently in Inglourious Basterds, it could earn see releases in more markets. More...

Awards Season - Precious and Station Lead Independent Spirit Awards

December 2nd, 2009

As always, the Independent Spirit Awards represent the unofficial start of Awards Season with the announcement of their nominations. This year The Last Station and Precious topped the list of nominees with five each. For the former, it should help build buzz for its 2010 release. For the latter, it is the first step towards possible Awards Season glory and further enhances its already lofty box office potential. More...

Truly Precious on the Per Theater Chart

November 10th, 2009

Precious had a record-breaking opening on the per theater chart with close to $1.9 million in just 18 theaters for an average of $104,025. This is just shy of the record for best per theater average for a live action movie; however, the current record holder, Dreamgirls, opened in fewer theaters and with prestige pricing, so this is arguably the better result. Precious did set the record for highest per theater average for a film playing in more than 10 theaters.

It wasn't the only film in the $10,000 club with La Danse earning $14,000 in its lone theater while Splinterheads opened with $10,515, also in one theater. More...

Education High on the Per Theater Chart

November 3rd, 2009

The per theater chart took a hit over the weekend and no movie topped $10,000; however, An Education was close with an average of $9,737 in 48 theaters. More...

Deal with the Devil on the Per Theater Chart

October 27th, 2009

Antichrist was the only new release to reach the $10,000 club over the weekend earning a strong average of $11,900 in six theaters. An Education was just $49 behind at $11,851, which is about 5 or 6 tickets per theater. Finally, Paranormal Activity was able to reach first place on the overall chart while maintaining an average $10,850 in nearly 2000 theaters. More...

Things are Not Normal on the Per Theater Chart

October 20th, 2009

Paranormal Activity remained on top of the per theater chart with an average of $25,711. The film finally saw its per theater average drop this past weekend, but it should still have no trouble expanding. Second place went to The Maid, which earned $17,036 in one theater. An Education remained in the $10,000 club with an average of $12,882, while A Serious Man took in more than $800,000 in 82 theaters for an average of $10,275. More...

Weekend Estimates: Wild Things Roar to $32.5 Million

October 18th, 2009

Where The Wild Things Are got off to a strong start over the weekend, according to studio estimates released on Sunday. The Spike Jonze adaptation of the Maurice Sendak book earned a very healthy $30.47 million, according to Warner Bros. estimates, making it one of October's biggest openers (see full list). More...

Massive Activity on the Per Theater Chart

October 13th, 2009

No less than six films broke the $10,000 per theater average barrier over the weekend. Paranormal Activity topped the per theater chart with its record-breaking weekend, earning an average of $49,379 in 160 theaters. An Education was relatively close behind with an average of $39,754 in 4 theaters, which is a spectacular result at any time. A Serious Man remained strong with an average of $21,872, which is enough to suggest further significant expansion over the coming weeks. The number one film at the box office, Couples Retreat, was next with an average of $11,429. Yes Men Fix the World and Bronson had nearly identical averages at $10,956 vs. $10,940. More...

Weekend Estimates: Couples Retreat, Paranormal Activity Star

October 11th, 2009

The Columbus Day holiday weekend produced two big winners, according to studio estimates released on Sunday. At the top of the chart, Couples Retreat exceeded expectations with $35.3 million. A per theater average of nearly $12,000 for the poorly-reviewed comedy is a testament to Universal's marketing campaign and the box office power of its ensemble cast. A great marketing campaign from Paramount can also be attributed to the success of the weekend's other big success: Paranormal Activity, which jumped into the top 5 with an estimated $7.066 million in just 159 theaters. That's the smallest number of theaters for a movie to hit the top five ever, beating the performance of Platoon, which hit 4th place the weekend of January 16, 1987 playing in 174 theaters. More...

Serious Money on the Per Theater Chart

October 6th, 2009

A Serious Man showed the competition who was serious by earning first place on the per theater chart earning an average of $41,890 in six theaters. Paranormal Activity climbed into the $10,000 club with a sophomore average of $16,129 and now there's a push to get it into 1000 theaters nationwide. More Than a Game earned an average of more than $10,000, $13,067 to be precise, placing third in the process. Coco Before Chanel repeated in the $10,000 club with an average of $12,878, but it will need some strong word-of-mouth if it wants to stay they one more week. More...

Some Serious Limited Releases

October 2nd, 2009

While there are five limited releases on this week's list, there is really only one that has a short at significant expansion. That film is A Serious Man, which should not only have the best per theater average over the weekend, but has a chance at picking up several Oscar nominations. More...

2009 Preview: October

October 1st, 2009

September ended with a thud, but at least there's good news. September has finally ended. Last month more movies missed expectations that topped them, which has put a cooling effect on the overall box office and that could hurt the business going into this month. October should still be stronger than last month, and since October of last year wasn't particularly great, 2009 should at least maintain its lead over 2008 going into the holiday season, even if it isn't as strong every single week. More...

Cast Updates - October 2, 2008

October 2nd, 2008

This week's round of new casting information contains updates for Paper Man, Sherlock Holmes, Kung Fu Panda 2, and more! More...

New Movie Announcements, Stars and Directors - September 30, 2008

September 30th, 2008

This week another number of upcoming movies, new stars and directors have been added to our archive! More...

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Oct 2, 2009 31 $251,337   6 $41,890   $251,337 1
Oct 9, 2009 24 $459,318 +83% 21 $21,872   $811,304 2
Oct 16, 2009 15 $842,511 +83% 82 $10,275   $1,843,307 3
Oct 23, 2009 12 $1,093,217 +30% 176 $6,211   $3,196,496 4
Oct 30, 2009 13 $1,036,396 -5% 238 $4,355   $4,595,629 5
Nov 6, 2009 18 $863,750 -17% 262 $3,297   $5,833,069 6
Nov 13, 2009 18 $657,125 -24% 240 $2,738   $6,834,722 7
Nov 20, 2009 18 $444,008 -32% 198 $2,242   $7,476,004 8
Nov 27, 2009 22 $478,235 +8% 173 $2,764   $8,163,478 9
Dec 4, 2009 23 $221,428 -54% 160 $1,384   $8,488,738 10
Dec 11, 2009 27 $146,347 -34% 152 $963   $8,717,516 11
Dec 18, 2009 27 $98,311 -33% 117 $840   $8,894,894 12
Dec 25, 2009 36 $66,124 -33% 49 $1,349   $9,042,780 13
Jan 1, 2010 36 $92,069 +39% 49 $1,879   $9,190,525 14

Daily Box Office Performance

DateRankGross%YD%LWTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossDays
Oct 2, 2009 - $72,987     6 $12,165   $72,987 1
Oct 3, 2009 - $105,585 +45%   6 $17,598   $178,572 2
Oct 4, 2009 - $72,765 -31%   6 $12,128   $251,337 3
Oct 5, 2009 - $25,399 -65%   6 $4,233   $276,736 4
Oct 6, 2009 - $26,096 +3%   6 $4,349   $302,832 5
Oct 7, 2009 - $24,412 -6%   6 $4,069   $327,244 6
Oct 8, 2009 - $24,742 +1%   6 $4,124   $351,986 7
Oct 9, 2009 - $122,397 +395% +68% 21 $5,828   $474,383 8
Oct 10, 2009 - $203,231 +66% +92% 21 $9,678   $677,614 9
Oct 11, 2009 - $133,690 -34% +84% 21 $6,366   $811,304 10
Oct 12, 2009 - $68,660 -49% +170% 21 $3,270   $879,964 11
Oct 13, 2009 - $43,176 -37% +65% 21 $2,056   $923,140 12
Oct 14, 2009 - $41,401 -4% +70% 21 $1,971   $964,541 13
Oct 15, 2009 - $36,255 -12% +47% 21 $1,726   $1,000,796 14
Oct 16, 2009 15 $218,530 +503% +79% 82 $2,665   $1,219,326 15
Oct 17, 2009 15 $405,240 +85% +99% 82 $4,942   $1,624,566 16
Oct 18, 2009 13 $218,741 -46% +64% 82 $2,668   $1,843,307 17
Oct 19, 2009 - $58,902 -73% -14% 82 $718   $1,902,209 18
Oct 20, 2009 - $67,610 +15% +57% 82 $825   $1,969,819 19
Oct 21, 2009 - $68,569 +1% +66% 82 $836   $2,038,388 20
Oct 22, 2009 - $64,891 -5% +79% 82 $791   $2,103,279 21
Oct 23, 2009 13 $300,440 +363% +37% 176 $1,707   $2,403,719 22
Oct 24, 2009 12 $534,534 +78% +32% 176 $3,037   $2,938,253 23
Oct 25, 2009 - $258,243 -52% +18% 176 $1,467   $3,196,496 24
Oct 26, 2009 - $85,192 -67% +45% 176 $484   $3,281,688 25
Oct 27, 2009 12 $104,787 +23% +55% 176 $595   $3,386,475 26
Oct 28, 2009 - $89,478 -15% +30% 176 $508   $3,475,953 27
Oct 29, 2009 - $83,280 -7% +28% 176 $473   $3,559,233 28
Oct 30, 2009 13 $305,177 +266% +2% 238 $1,282   $3,864,410 29
Oct 31, 2009 13 $439,614 +44% -18% 238 $1,847   $4,304,024 30
Nov 1, 2009 13 $291,605 -34% +13% 238 $1,225   $4,595,629 31
Nov 2, 2009 - $85,289 -71% n/c 238 $358   $4,680,918 32
Nov 3, 2009 - $109,060 +28% +4% 238 $458   $4,789,978 33
Nov 4, 2009 - $84,458 -23% -6% 238 $355   $4,874,436 34
Nov 5, 2009 - $94,883 +12% +14% 238 $399   $4,969,319 35
Nov 6, 2009 - $230,892 +143% -24% 262 $881   $5,200,211 36
Nov 7, 2009 - $432,306 +87% -2% 262 $1,650   $5,632,517 37
Nov 8, 2009 - $200,552 -54% -31% 262 $765   $5,833,069 38
Nov 9, 2009 - $63,133 -69% -26% 262 $241   $5,896,202 39
Nov 10, 2009 - $87,809 +39% -19% 262 $335   $5,984,011 40
Nov 11, 2009 16 $122,225 +39% +45% 262 $467   $6,106,236 41
Nov 12, 2009 - $71,361 -42% -25% 262 $272   $6,177,597 42
Nov 13, 2009 - $165,089 +131% -28% 240 $688   $6,342,686 43
Nov 14, 2009 - $333,069 +102% -23% 240 $1,388   $6,675,755 44
Nov 15, 2009 - $158,967 -52% -21% 240 $662   $6,834,722 45
Nov 16, 2009 - $44,030 -72% -30% 240 $183   $6,878,752 46
Nov 17, 2009 - $55,387 +26% -37% 240 $231   $6,934,139 47
Nov 18, 2009 - $48,829 -12% -60% 240 $203   $6,982,968 48
Nov 19, 2009 - $49,028 n/c -31% 240 $204   $7,031,996 49
Nov 20, 2009 18 $112,956 +130% -32% 198 $570   $7,144,952 50
Nov 21, 2009 16 $218,573 +94% -34% 198 $1,104   $7,363,525 51
Nov 22, 2009 17 $112,479 -49% -29% 198 $568   $7,476,004 52
Nov 23, 2009 - $37,098 -67% -16% 198 $187   $7,513,102 53
Nov 24, 2009 - $49,673 +34% -10% 198 $251   $7,562,775 54
Nov 25, 2009 - $59,899 +21% +23% 169 $354   $7,622,674 55
Nov 26, 2009 - $62,569 +4% +28% 169 $370   $7,685,243 56
Nov 27, 2009 - $183,705 +194% +63% 173 $1,062   $7,868,948 57
Nov 28, 2009 - $201,135 +9% -8% 173 $1,163   $8,070,083 58
Nov 29, 2009 - $93,395 -54% -17% 173 $540   $8,163,478 59
Nov 30, 2009 - $23,641 -75% -36% 173 $137   $8,187,119 60
Dec 1, 2009 - $27,742 +17% -44% 173 $160   $8,214,861 61
Dec 2, 2009 - $26,120 -6% -56% 173 $151   $8,240,981 62
Dec 3, 2009 - $26,329 +1% -58% 173 $152   $8,267,310 63
Dec 4, 2009 - $59,736 +127% -67% 160 $373   $8,327,046 64
Dec 5, 2009 - $103,288 +73% -49% 160 $646   $8,430,334 65
Dec 6, 2009 - $58,404 -43% -37% 160 $365   $8,488,738 66
Dec 7, 2009 - $19,282 -67% -18% 160 $121   $8,508,020 67
Dec 8, 2009 - $21,775 +13% -22% 160 $136   $8,529,795 68
Dec 9, 2009 - $19,991 -8% -23% 160 $125   $8,549,786 69
Dec 10, 2009 - $21,383 +7% -19% 160 $134   $8,571,169 70
Dec 11, 2009 - $36,245 +70% -39% 152 $238   $8,607,414 71
Dec 12, 2009 - $69,850 +93% -32% 152 $460   $8,677,264 72
Dec 13, 2009 - $40,252 -42% -31% 152 $265   $8,717,516 73
Dec 14, 2009 - $16,154 -60% -16% 152 $106   $8,733,670 74
Dec 15, 2009 - $21,501 +33% -1% 152 $141   $8,755,171 75
Dec 16, 2009 - $20,683 -4% +3% 152 $136   $8,775,854 76
Dec 17, 2009 - $20,729 n/c -3% 152 $136   $8,796,583 77
Dec 18, 2009 - $25,219 +22% -30% 117 $216   $8,821,802 78
Dec 19, 2009 - $41,811 +66% -40% 117 $357   $8,863,613 79
Dec 20, 2009 - $31,281 -25% -22% 117 $267   $8,894,894 80
Dec 21, 2009 - $17,114 -45% +6% 117 $146   $8,912,008 81
Dec 22, 2009 - $21,723 +27% +1% 117 $186   $8,933,731 82
Dec 23, 2009 - $20,000 -8% -3% 117 $171   $8,953,731 83
Dec 24, 2009 - $22,925 +15% +11% 117 $196   $8,976,656 84
Dec 25, 2009 - $21,371 -7% -15% 49 $436   $8,998,027 85
Dec 26, 2009 - $24,517 +15% -41% 49 $500   $9,022,544 86
Dec 27, 2009 - $20,236 -17% -35% 49 $413   $9,042,780 87
Dec 28, 2009 - $14,949 -26% -13% 49 $305   $9,057,729 88
Dec 29, 2009 - $13,999 -6% -36% 49 $286   $9,071,728 89
Dec 30, 2009 - $15,105 +8% -24% 49 $308   $9,086,833 90
Dec 31, 2009 - $11,623 -23% -49% 49 $237   $9,098,456 91
Jan 1, 2010 - $31,474 +171% +47% 49 $642   $9,129,930 92
Jan 2, 2010 - $38,658 +23% +58% 49 $789   $9,168,588 93
Jan 3, 2010 - $21,937 -43% +8% 49 $448   $9,190,525 94
Jan 4, 2010 - $9,791 -55% -35% 49 $200   $9,200,316 95
Jan 5, 2010 - $9,733 -1% -30% 49 $199   $9,210,049 96
Jan 6, 2010 - $9,627 -1% -36% 49 $196   $9,219,676 97
Jan 7, 2010 - $9,112 -5% -22% 49 $186   $9,228,788 98

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Oct 2, 2009 31 $351,986   6 $58,664   $351,986 1
Oct 9, 2009 24 $648,810 +84% 21 $30,896   $1,000,796 2
Oct 16, 2009 14 $1,102,483 +70% 82 $13,445   $2,103,279 3
Oct 23, 2009 13 $1,455,954 +32% 176 $8,272   $3,559,233 4
Oct 30, 2009 13 $1,410,086 -3% 238 $5,925   $4,969,319 5
Nov 6, 2009 18 $1,208,278 -14% 262 $4,612   $6,177,597 6
Nov 13, 2009 19 $854,399 -29% 240 $3,560   $7,031,996 7
Nov 20, 2009 20 $653,247 -24% 198 $3,299   $7,685,243 8
Nov 27, 2009 22 $582,067 -11% 173 $3,365   $8,267,310 9
Dec 4, 2009 23 $303,859 -48% 160 $1,899   $8,571,169 10
Dec 11, 2009 26 $225,414 -26% 152 $1,483   $8,796,583 11
Dec 18, 2009 29 $180,073 -20% 117 $1,539   $8,976,656 12
Dec 25, 2009 38 $121,800 -32% 49 $2,486   $9,098,456 13
Jan 1, 2010 36 $130,332 +7% 49 $2,660   $9,228,788 14

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date
Opening
Weekend
Opening
Weekend
Screens
Maximum
Screens
Theatrical
Engagements
Total
Box Office
Report
Date
Australia 11/19/2009 $0 0 3 3 $0
 
International Total$21,131,782

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 14, 20101364,157 64,157$1,218,341$1,218,3411
Mar 14, 20102828,830 142,514$547,482$2,706,3415

Weekly US Blu-ray Sales

DateRankUnits
this
Week
% ChangeTotal
Units
Spending
this
Week
Total
Spending
Weeks
in
Release
Feb 14, 20101217,629 17,629$343,586$343,5861

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.