Continental Divide (1981)
| Theatrical Performance | ||
| Domestic Box Office | $15,578,000 | Details |
| OpusData ID: 29640100 More info... | ||
| Further financial details... | ||
Synopsis
Ernie Souchak is a celebrated Chicago Sun-Times columnist famous for his blistering political exposés. While his controversial reporting has earned him the respect of his editor, Howard McDermott, and the admiration of a legion of fans, it also earns him a trip to the hospital following a run-in with some disgruntled thugs. Suggesting he leave the city for a while, McDermott sends Ernie to the Rockies to interview renowned ornithologist Nell Porter, who studies the habits of the endangered American bald eagle. It’s a case of loathe at first sight when the chain-smoking, big city Souchak meets the reclusive nature-lover Porter. But despite their differences, Souchak’s trip west soon turns into a fun-filled romantic adventure as these two trek through the mountains at the top of the world along the Continental Divide.
Metrics
| Opening Weekend: | $3,218,347 (20.7% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 4.84 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Theater counts: | 864 opening theaters/864 max. theaters, 3.9 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $63,376,682 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | September 18th, 1981 (Wide) by Universal |
| Video Release: | March 1st, 1992 by Universal Home Entertainment |
| MPA Rating: | PG |
| Running Time: | 103 minutes |
| Plot point: | Romance |
| Source: | Original Screenplay |
| Genre: | Romantic Comedy |
| Production Method: | Live Action |
| Creative Type: | Contemporary Fiction |
| Production/Financing Companies: | Amblin Entertainment, Universal Pictures |
| Production Countries: | United States |
| Languages: | English |
Weekend Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 18, 1981 | 1 | $3,218,347 | 864 | $3,725 | $3,218,347 | 1 | |
| Sep 25, 1981 | 6 | $2,000,000 | -38% | 831 | $2,407 | $6,086,063 | 2 |
| Oct 2, 1981 | 8 | $1,500,000 | -25% | 709 | $2,116 | $8,143,450 | 3 |
| Oct 9, 1981 | 9 | $960,000 | -36% | 513 | $1,871 | $0 | 4 |
| Oct 16, 1981 | 12 | $647,643 | -33% | 459 | $1,411 | $10,430,647 | 5 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 18, 1981 | 2 | $4,086,063 | 864 | $4,729 | $4,086,063 | 1 | |
| Sep 25, 1981 | 6 | $2,557,387 | -37% | 831 | $3,077 | $6,643,450 | 2 |
| Oct 9, 1981 | 1 | $10,743,004 | 513 | $20,942 | $9,783,004 | 4 |
Leading
| John Belushi | Ernie Souchak | |
| Blair Brown | Nell Porter |
Supporting
| Allen Goorwitz | Howard | |
| Carlin Glynn | Sylvia | |
| Tony Ganios | Possum | |
| Val Avery | Yablonowitz | |
| Bill Henderson | Train Conductor | |
| Liam Russell | Deke | |
| Everett Smith | Fiddle | |
| Bruce Jarchow | Hellinger | |
| Eddie Schwartz | Jimmy | |
| Harold Holmes | Mr. Feeney | |
| Elizabeth Young | Mrs. Feeney | |
| Ron Dean | Plesko | |
| Frankie Hill | Agatha | |
| Mike Bacarella | Delaney | |
| Marji Bank | Mrs. Yablonowitz | |
| Christopher Lowell | Poacher | |
| Frank Noel, Jr. | Poacher | |
| Zaid Farid | Mugger | |
| Rai Rogers | Mugger | |
| Jack Decker | Police Thug | |
| Ben Rawnsley | Police Thug | |
| Dave Adams | Alderman | |
| Dallas Alinder | Alderman | |
| Ron McLeish | Station Master | |
| Chuck Bailey | Station Master | |
| Yana Nirvana | Blonde | |
| Joe Wright | Newsboy | |
| Tim Kazurinsky | Reporter | |
| Robert Biggs | Reporter | |
| Frank Heinrich | Cab Driver | |
| Paul Mathews | Moderator | |
| John Larson | Henchman | |
| Norm Tobin | Layout Man |
Production and Technical Credits
| Michael Apted | Director | |
| Lawrence Kasdan | Screenwriter | |
| Steven Spielberg | Executive Producer | |
| Bob Larson | Producer | |
| Bernie Brillstein | Executive Producer | |
| Michael Small | Composer | |
| John Bailey | Director of Photography | |
| Zelda Barron | Associate Producer | |
| Jack Rosenthal | Associate Producer | |
| Kim Kurumada | Assistant Director | |
| Bill Badalato | Unit Production Manager | |
| Mack Harding | Unit Production Manager | |
| Peter Jamison | Production Designer | |
| Linda Spheeris | Set Decorator | |
| Patrick Anderson | Second Unit Camera | |
| Joe Valentine | Second Unit Camera | |
| Steve Yaconelli | Second Unit Camera | |
| Moss Mabry | Costume Designer | |
| Bob Chase | Costume Supervisor | |
| Dennis Virkler | Editor | |
| Bill Kaplan | Sound Mixer | |
| William L. McCaughey | Re-recording Mixer | |
| Robert L. Harman | Re-recording Mixer | |
| Howard Wollman | Re-recording Mixer | |
| John Stacy | Sound Editor | |
| George Brand | Music Editor | |
| Carole Bayer Sager | Song Writer | |
| Michael Chinich | Casting Director | |
| Jo Doster | Casting Director | |
| Jonathan Yarbrough | Stunt Coordinator |
Cast and crew with above-the-line roles are marked in bold. The line marks the division between above-the-line and below-the-line roles.
Synopsis
Ernie Souchak is a celebrated Chicago Sun-Times columnist famous for his blistering political exposés. While his controversial reporting has earned him the respect of his editor, Howard McDermott, and the admiration of a legion of fans, it also earns him a trip to the hospital following a run-in with some disgruntled thugs. Suggesting he leave the city for a while, McDermott sends Ernie to the Rockies to interview renowned ornithologist Nell Porter, who studies the habits of the endangered American bald eagle. It’s a case of loathe at first sight when the chain-smoking, big city Souchak meets the reclusive nature-lover Porter. But despite their differences, Souchak’s trip west soon turns into a fun-filled romantic adventure as these two trek through the mountains at the top of the world along the Continental Divide.
Metrics
| Opening Weekend: | $3,218,347 (20.7% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 4.84 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Theater counts: | 864 opening theaters/864 max. theaters, 3.9 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $63,376,682 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | September 18th, 1981 (Wide) by Universal |
| Video Release: | March 1st, 1992 by Universal Home Entertainment |
| MPA Rating: | PG |
| Running Time: | 103 minutes |
| Plot point: | Romance |
| Source: | Original Screenplay |
| Genre: | Romantic Comedy |
| Production Method: | Live Action |
| Creative Type: | Contemporary Fiction |
| Production/Financing Companies: | Amblin Entertainment, Universal Pictures |
| Production Countries: | United States |
| Languages: | English |
Weekend Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 18, 1981 | 1 | $3,218,347 | 864 | $3,725 | $3,218,347 | 1 | |
| Sep 25, 1981 | 6 | $2,000,000 | -38% | 831 | $2,407 | $6,086,063 | 2 |
| Oct 2, 1981 | 8 | $1,500,000 | -25% | 709 | $2,116 | $8,143,450 | 3 |
| Oct 9, 1981 | 9 | $960,000 | -36% | 513 | $1,871 | $0 | 4 |
| Oct 16, 1981 | 12 | $647,643 | -33% | 459 | $1,411 | $10,430,647 | 5 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 18, 1981 | 2 | $4,086,063 | 864 | $4,729 | $4,086,063 | 1 | |
| Sep 25, 1981 | 6 | $2,557,387 | -37% | 831 | $3,077 | $6,643,450 | 2 |
| Oct 9, 1981 | 1 | $10,743,004 | 513 | $20,942 | $9,783,004 | 4 |
Leading
| John Belushi | Ernie Souchak | |
| Blair Brown | Nell Porter |
Supporting
| Allen Goorwitz | Howard | |
| Carlin Glynn | Sylvia | |
| Tony Ganios | Possum | |
| Val Avery | Yablonowitz | |
| Bill Henderson | Train Conductor | |
| Liam Russell | Deke | |
| Everett Smith | Fiddle | |
| Bruce Jarchow | Hellinger | |
| Eddie Schwartz | Jimmy | |
| Harold Holmes | Mr. Feeney | |
| Elizabeth Young | Mrs. Feeney | |
| Ron Dean | Plesko | |
| Frankie Hill | Agatha | |
| Mike Bacarella | Delaney | |
| Marji Bank | Mrs. Yablonowitz | |
| Christopher Lowell | Poacher | |
| Frank Noel, Jr. | Poacher | |
| Zaid Farid | Mugger | |
| Rai Rogers | Mugger | |
| Jack Decker | Police Thug | |
| Ben Rawnsley | Police Thug | |
| Dave Adams | Alderman | |
| Dallas Alinder | Alderman | |
| Ron McLeish | Station Master | |
| Chuck Bailey | Station Master | |
| Yana Nirvana | Blonde | |
| Joe Wright | Newsboy | |
| Tim Kazurinsky | Reporter | |
| Robert Biggs | Reporter | |
| Frank Heinrich | Cab Driver | |
| Paul Mathews | Moderator | |
| John Larson | Henchman | |
| Norm Tobin | Layout Man |
Production and Technical Credits
| Michael Apted | Director | |
| Lawrence Kasdan | Screenwriter | |
| Steven Spielberg | Executive Producer | |
| Bob Larson | Producer | |
| Bernie Brillstein | Executive Producer | |
| Michael Small | Composer | |
| John Bailey | Director of Photography | |
| Zelda Barron | Associate Producer | |
| Jack Rosenthal | Associate Producer | |
| Kim Kurumada | Assistant Director | |
| Bill Badalato | Unit Production Manager | |
| Mack Harding | Unit Production Manager | |
| Peter Jamison | Production Designer | |
| Linda Spheeris | Set Decorator | |
| Patrick Anderson | Second Unit Camera | |
| Joe Valentine | Second Unit Camera | |
| Steve Yaconelli | Second Unit Camera | |
| Moss Mabry | Costume Designer | |
| Bob Chase | Costume Supervisor | |
| Dennis Virkler | Editor | |
| Bill Kaplan | Sound Mixer | |
| William L. McCaughey | Re-recording Mixer | |
| Robert L. Harman | Re-recording Mixer | |
| Howard Wollman | Re-recording Mixer | |
| John Stacy | Sound Editor | |
| George Brand | Music Editor | |
| Carole Bayer Sager | Song Writer | |
| Michael Chinich | Casting Director | |
| Jo Doster | Casting Director | |
| Jonathan Yarbrough | Stunt Coordinator |
Cast and crew with above-the-line roles are marked in bold. The line marks the division between above-the-line and below-the-line roles.