"It's great. The picture's really showing a lot of strength," a Fox Searchlight spokesman said Sunday morning. "Obviously, it's got excellent word of mouth because in the markets where we're already open it's holding very well."

Revolution Studios and Columbia's PG-13 teen comedy Stealing Harvard opened uneventfully in fourth place to an ESTIMATED $6.3 million at 2,366 theaters ($2,663 per theater).

Directed by Bruce McCulloch, it stars Tom Green and Jason Lee.

"It's a modestly priced picture in the low $20 millions and we'll probably gross in that range and probably come out about even," Sony Pictures Entertainment worldwide marketing & distribution president Jeff Blake said Sunday morning.

20th Century Fox's PG-13 thriller Swimfan plunged four slots to fifth place in its second week with an ESTIMATED $6.07 million (-46%) at 2,859 theaters (+3 theaters; $2,123 per theater). Its cume is approximately $19.7 million.

Directed by John Polson, it stars Jesse Bradford, Erika Christensen and Shiri Appleby.

Buena Vista/Touchstone's PG-13 rated supernatural thriller blockbuster Signs fell two rungs to sixth place in its seventh week, still holding well with an ESTIMATED $5.3 million (-33%) at 3,051 theaters (-181 theaters; $1,725 per theater). Its cume is approximately $212.9 million, heading for $225 million.

Directed by M Night Shyamalan, it stars Mel Gibson.

Franchise Pictures R rated cop drama City by the Sea, released through Warner Bros., slid four slots to seventh place in its second week with a soggy ESTIMATED $4.78 million (-47%) at 2,575 theaters (theater count unchanged; $1,856 per theater). Its cume is approximately $16.6 million.

Directed by Michael Caton-Jones, it stars Robert De Niro, Frances McDormand and James Franco.

Revolution Studios and Columbia's PG-13 rated action adventure thriller xXx slipped three notches to eighth place in its sixth week with a quiet ESTIMATED $3.3 million (-37%) at 2,771 theaters (-317 theaters; $1,191 per theater). Its cume is approximately $135.4 million, heading for the low-to-mid $140 millions.

Directed by Rob Cohen and produced by Neal H Moritz, it stars Vin Diesel, Asia Argento and Marton Csokas.

Miramax/Dimension Films' PG rated family comedy sequel Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams fell three pegs to ninth place in its sixth week with a soft ESTIMATED $2.4 million (-21%) at 2,493 theaters (-328 theaters; $962 per theater). Its cume is approximately $77.1 million.

Directed by Robert Rodriguez, it stars Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino.

Rounding out the Top Ten was New Line's PG-13 rated comedy sequel Austin Powers in Goldmember, down two pegs in its eighth week with a dull ESTIMATED $1.8 million (-34%) at 1,811 theaters (-291 theaters; $994 per theater). Its cume is approximately $209.5 million.

Directed by Jay Roach, it stars Mike Myers, Beyonce Knowles and Michael Caine.

OTHER OPENINGS

This weekend also saw the arrival of United Artists' R rated dark comedy Igby Goes Down to a sizzling ESTIMATED $0.32 million at 10 theaters ($31,918 per theater).

Written and directed by Burr Steers, it stars Kieran Culkin, Claire Danes, Jeff Goldblum, Jared Harris, Amanda Peet, Ryan Phillippe, Bill Pullman and Susan Sarandon.