OTHER OPENINGS

This weekend also saw the arrival of Miramax and Intermedia Films' R rated drama The Quiet American to a promising ESTIMATED $0.11 million at 6 theaters in a two week Oscar qualifying run in New York, Los Angeles, Palm Springs and Santa Barbara ($18,500 per theater).

Directed by Phillip Noyce, it stars Michael Caine and Brendan Fraser.

United Artists' R rated drama Personal Velocity, released via MGM, opened to a very encouraging ESTIMATED $30,712 at 2 theaters in New York ($15,356 per theater).

Directed by Rebecca Miller, it stars Kyra Sedgwick, Parker Posey and Fairuza Balk.

Velocity, which won the Grand Jury Prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival, opens in Toronto and L.A. this coming weekend.

SNEAK PREVIEWS

There were no national sneak previews this weekend.

EXPANSIONS

On the expansion front this weekend Focus Features' PG-13 rated drama Far From Heaven went wider in its third week with a still promising ESTIMATED $1.6 million at 259 theaters (+205 theaters; $6,195 per theater). Its cume is approximately $3.2 million.

Directed by Todd Haynes, it stars Julianne Moore, Dennis Quaid and Dennis Haysbert.

Samuel Goldwyn Films' R rated drama El Crimen del Padre Amaro expanded in is second week to an encouraging ESTIMATED $0.72 million at 89 theaters (+46 theaters; $8,070 per theater). Its cume is approximately $1.5 million.

Directed by Carlos Carrera, it stars Gael Garcia Bernal and is the official Mexican entry in this year's best foreign language film Oscar race.

HBO Films and Newmarket Films' PG-13 rated comedy drama Real Women Have Curves added theaters in its sixth week with a slow ESTIMATED $0.44 million (-15%) at 165 theaters (+18 theaters; $2,682 per theater). Its cume is approximately $3.2 million.

Directed by Patricia Cardoso, it stars America Ferrera, Lupe Ontiveros and George Lopez.

Artisan Entertainment's PG rated documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown expanded in its second week with a still hopeful ESTIMATED $0.15 million at 36 theaters (+13 theaters; $4,195 per theater). Its cume is approximately $0.3 million.

Directed by Paul Justman, it tells the story of the Funk Brothers, the legendary musicians who were Motown's back-up band on the tons of hit records the label produced in Detroit in the early '60s.

Miramax's R rated drama Ararat widened in its second week with a solid ESTIMATED $0.11 million at 29 theaters (+23 theaters; $16,000 per theater). Its cume is approximately $0.4 million.

Written and directed by Atom Egoyan, it stars David Alpay, Charles Aznavour, Eric Bogosian, Brent Carver and Marie-Josee Croze.

Artisan Entertainment's R rated comedy Roger Dodger widened in its fifth week with a slow ESTIMATED $0.1 million at 54 theaters (+6 theaters; $1,920 per theater). Its cume is approximately $0.8 million.

Written and directed by Dylan Kidd, it stars Jennifer Beals, Elizabeth Berkley, Jesse Eisenberg, Isabella Rossellini and Campbell Scott.

WEEKEND COMPARISONS

Key films -- those grossing more than $500,000 -- took in approximately $149.93 million for the weekend, down about 10.23 percent from the previous weekend this year when they totaled $167.01 million. Comparisons to last year are not valid because this weekend in 2001 was the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.