Posted by M. Wright | Filed in: Uncategorized
The AP is gushing with gaity this morning:
Who’s afraid of a couple of gay cowboys?
Not moviegoers, who helped “Brokeback Mountain” post the highest per-screen average over the film-flush holiday weekend.
The Ang Lee film, which follows the 20-year forbidden romance between two roughneck ranch hands, earned $13,599 per theater, compared with $9,305 for weekend winner “King Kong” and $8,225 for “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.”
Unfortunately for the movie’s supporters, the AP is basically comparing apples and oranges: Brokeback’s theatre average is inflated by its marketing rollout scheme, with the film playing only in a highly selective set of 217 locations. What happens when we limit the theatre averages from ‘Kong’ and ‘Narnia’ to those same locations? It’s a good bet we’d still find those two films on top, back to back.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
UPDATE: Hugh Hewitt notices the same article and rewrites the lead.
UPDATE II: Box Office Mojo: “It’s natural for a picture’s average to drop significantly as it adds smaller markets.”
December 29th, 2005 at 4:51 pm
Broke Back Mountain A Success Of Biblical Proportions
Editorial- A mediocre movie captures your attention for perhaps a few brief moments. A good one lures you to the edge of your seat in anticipation of the next action scene or plot twist. However, a true cinematic masterpiece
December 29th, 2005 at 7:37 pm
The thing is, it’s just not a movie likely to appeal to the mainstream, so it can’t manage the same figures except by twisting them as shown. How many straight couples are interested in seeing that as a date flick? And even if it’s true that 10% of the population is homosexual (the figure is dubious at best), and even if all gay couples went to see it, it will still fail overall because it doesn’t have a large market to appeal to. Of course, as with Alexander (which stank totally apart from the homosexual subplot), when it does fail, our overweening homophobia will undoubtedly be blamed for the failure of such an “important” movie.
January 11th, 2006 at 4:42 pm
I haven’t been blessed to see this movie. I haven’t decided if I will watch it yet or not. The reason I am writing is I live in Ten Sleep, Wyoming. I just read an article saying this is the closest town to were the movie is based on. I know that everyone thinks Wyoming is set back in the 1800’s, but there is a few of us that don’t have a problem with gays. On the other hand it is not something I want to watch on big screen, with some of our favorite actors.
I think my main concern is that we are going to get to get a bad rep if we don’t watch it. Wyoming has been in the spotlight before because of gay issues. I don’t want to see that happen again.
I wish if it were true that this movie is based out of the mountains that we live by, why are we not shown for how we really are. Why isn’t our town shown, or the mountains out our back door.
February 16th, 2006 at 12:02 pm
I find it laughable that so many are trying to compare Brokeback to Narnia and Kong, just because these movies were released around the same time. These are TOTALLY different movies that appeal to different audiences, not to mention having different ratings. With a restrictive “R” rating, no movie can be expected to bring in the same numbers as a rating that allows for audiences of all ages.
Of course, I suspect that much of the comparison between Brokeback and Narnia comes from the religious right, who sees Narnia as some evangelical tool, while comdemning Brokeback as it’s nemesis. Yet, the grandson of C.S. Lewis himself states that his grandfather, while a Christian, did not intend for Narnia to be anything more than a good story. Still, gays and lesbians remain the political bullseye these days, so I guess we should expect nothing less.
Responding to Kate’s comment about 10% of the population being gay, going to see the movie, etc… Interestingly, if we apply those figures in comparison to Narnia (as so many seem to like doing) Narnia’s sales are currently at $284 million, 10% of which would be $28 million — the maximum figure that Brokeback nay-sayers could possibly hope for. Yet, Brokeback’s sales are currently at $66 million — over twice the 10% figure (even though Brokeback isn’t playing in nearly as many theaters!). Additionally, Brokeback’s budget was only $14 million, while Narnia’s was $180 million. Comparing these two, Brokeback has recovered it’s cost more than three times, while Narnia has yet to bring back twice its budget. Similarly, Brokeback holds EIGHT nominations for Academy awards, while Narnia has only three. Still ready to put these movies up side by side?
Clearly, Brokeback has NOT been the abysmal failure that the religious right hoped (and I’m sure prayed) it would be. They can be as digusted by it as they like, but they must admit that there is an audience out there for movies like Brokeback, and therefore, Hollywood will continue to seek to entertain this audience.. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
February 16th, 2006 at 12:28 pm
The Associated Press brought up this comparison, not the “religious right.”
March 6th, 2006 at 1:03 am
pITIFUL ATTEMPT AT DISPLAYING TROUBLED WORLD OF TWO CONFUSED PEOPLE IN THE 1800′S fURTHERMORE jOHN WAYNE WOULD TURN OVER IN HIS GRAVE TO KNOW SUCH TRITE EXISTED ABOUT COWBOYS, WAYNE KNEW HOW A COWBOY /MAN SHOULD LIVEROUGH AND TALL IN THE SADDLE, l”IFE KNOCKS YOU DOWN OCCASIONALLY IT’S A GIVEN YOU GET BACK UP AND KEEP ON FIGHTING IT UNTIL YOU WIN OR BURIED. nO TWO GAYS GONNA TEACH YOU THAT!
April 17th, 2006 at 3:47 pm
Mick,
The Associated Press may have made a comparison, but a simple Google search will yield a great deal of public comparisons between ‘Brokeback’ and ‘Narnia’ with a religious, anti-gay slant — and this is likely where the AP’s publicity of the comparison originated.
James,
I’m not sure exactly what point you are trying to make. But may I suggest that you first of all make sure that your “caps lock” button is not engaged — an “all caps” message is translated as yelling, and it is not good “netiquette.” Additionally, it’s sad to me that those who are unwilling to even watch ‘Brokeback Mountain’ are so quick to harshly (and inaccurately) criticize it. The movie does not take place in the 1800s; rather it spans 20 years, beginning in 1963. And the lead characters endured a relationship throughout this era, despite the prejudice and intolerance of the society in which they lived. I’d say they taught a GREAT deal about “fighting until you win or [are] buried.”
Gay, straight or otherwise, this movie is truly an epic, with an inspiring script, stunning cimetography, original music and superb acting. And after winning three times as many oscars as Narnia, the comparison is more than complete. Congratulations, ‘Brokeback!’