Limited Releases Looking for Last Chance for Oscars

December 31, 2010

If you are interested in winning Oscars, this is the last chance for a theatrical release to qualify for the awards this year. So it comes as no surprise that there are a handful of Oscar hopefuls coming out this weekend. One of them, Blue Valentine, has already earned some success during Awards Season and it looks like that will translate into at least some success theatrically.

Another Year - Reviews
The latest from director Mike Leigh, whose films tend to earn at least some measure of mainstream success. The film is about a married couple living in their autumn years and dealing with friends that are not as happy as they are. The critical reception has been great so far, while it has picked up a few major nominations back in England. I expect it will earn at least $1 million here, hopefully a lot more. Another Year opened on Wednesday in seven theaters, mostly in the Los Angeles area, but also in New York City.

Blue Valentine - Reviews
The director, Derek Cianfrance, is mostly known for filming TV documentaries, but he seems to have himself a hit with this film. Not only is it earning stunning reviews and a few nominations, but thanks to the initial NC-17 ratings (it was changed to R on appeal) it has had a boost of publicity. Perhaps that's why they switched it to a Wednesday release at the last minute. Regardless of the reason, it seems to be paying off with an opening day box office of close to $50,000 in four theaters, half in New York City and the other half in Los Angeles. Look for the film to rule the per theater chart this weekend.

The Way Back - Reviews
This film has been earning a lot of good review, but not a lot of enthusiasm. It's a good movie, but not a great movie and given the competition in limited releases, it might need to be a great movie to thrive. Furthermore, it was likely a very expensive movie to make, so it will need to make a bundle to break even. Without any major award nominations to help sell the film, that is unlikely. The Way Back opened on Wednesday at the AMC Covina, which is a suburb of Los Angeles.


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Filed under: Limited Releases, Another Year, Blue Valentine, The Way Back