HOLLYWOOD - IQ test, anyone?Geniuses all of types--but mainly of the depressed, disillusioned or schizophrenic variety--dominated theaters nationwide this weekend during the otherwise happy holidays.
A Beautiful Mind, featuring Russell Crowe as Nobel Prize-winning John Forbes Nash Jr., tallied up a whopping $19.9 million through Wednesday, Jan. 2, at a maximum of 525 theaters since Dec. 21. That puts to shame seasonal underachievers The Majestic and Joe Somebody, which both debuted in wide release on the same day as A Beautiful Mind.
Father doesn't necessarily know best in The Royal Tenenbaums, a quirky comedy starring Gene Hackman as the patriarch of a gifted but truly dysfunctional family. Directed by Wes Anderson, The Royal Tenenbaums has amassed $11.5 million from Dec. 21 through Wednesday at a maximum of 291 theaters. Anderson's previous offering, the equally eccentric Rushmore, made a lowly $17 million in 1999 despite terrific critical acclaim.
The heartrending but inspirational A Beautiful Mind should brace itself for a bigger bow than The Royal Tenenbaums when it expands Friday to 1,800-plus theaters. The Ron Howard-directed drama quickly emerged as a strong Oscar contender, thanks in part to great reviews and a handful of Golden Globe nominations. Crowe could pull a Tom Hanks and earn himself an Oscar for the second consecutive year, following last year's win for Gladiator. He gives a quiet and sincere performance as the socially inept mathematician whose promising career fizzled in the 1950s as a result of his schizophrenia.
Howard's no stranger to causing a stir at the box office. The former sitcom star now ranks as of one Hollywood's highly sought-after directors following the smashes Splash, Apollo 13, Parenthood and Ransom. His last film, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas, hauled off $260 million during the 2000 holiday season.
After earning $7.7 million last weekend, A Beautiful Mind looks set to corral between $15 million and $20 million in its first weekend in wide release. A possible slew of Oscar nominations will help A Beautiful Mind to become Howard's fourth $100 million hit in five tries, and his fifth in total.
The Royal Tenenbaums has critical momentum on its side, plus the promise of dominating the Oscar nominations in the acting categories. Anderson cast Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller and Luke Wilson as Hackman's messed-up kids.
Anjelica Huston, Owen Wilson, Bill Murray and Danny Glover costar, providing The Royal Tenenbaums with an insurance policy against some (wrongful) accusations that it, like its protagonists, is flawed and often too peculiar for its own good.
The Royal Tenenbaums should enjoy a hefty bump from last weekend's $4.9 million take as its expands to 751 theaters. If all goes well, The Royal Tenenbaums could surpass the totals for two recent Owen Wilson offerings, both costarring his Tenenbaums colleagues. The war yarn Behind Enemy Lines, with Hackman, has $51 million through Tuesday. Zoolander, the Stiller-directed fashion satire, has $45.1 million through Tuesday.