SubscribeA 'Mighty' b.o. disappointment: Bad Oscar omen for Angie?
Memo to Angelina Jolie: Oooops, don't book that babysitter yet for Oscar night! There may be — uh-oh — a slight complication. Despite getting Oscar-worthy reviews for her latest role, "A Mighty Heart" proved to be the opposite of mighty in ticket sales this past weekend, reaping only $4 million ka-ching for 1,355 venues.
Oscar voters, of course, like their movies to be successful. However, "the docudrama marks another box office disappointment for lead Angelina Jolie, who has never carried a popular picture on her own," writes Brandon Gray at BoxOfficeMojo.com. "Her only hits have been action fare like 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' and 'Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.'"
Highbrow filmgoers haven't been supporting Angie since 1999 when she won that supporting Oscar for "Girl, Interrupted." She's acquired too much baggage — that creepy, blood-vials thang with Billy Bob Thornton, then swiping Prince Charming from America's Sweetheart Jen Aniston next. As a result, Angie's got one of the highest negative Q scores among all Hollywood stars. Sure, she seems so different nowadays, all classy and regal even while saving the Third World one adopted child at a time, but, face it, her life up in those tabloid headlines inevitably impacts how her work up on that silver screen is received.
But, wait, there's hope. Obviously, late June is usually an unwise time to release a heavy drama like this. Maybe Paramount Vantage execs aren't crazy? Could they be secretly Oscar sandbagging?
Kudos campaigning is different nowadays, as "Crash" and "Little Miss Sunshine" proved. If contenders get out to theaters early, they can campaign closer to Oscar time using just regular DVDs. Average cost of each disc to manufacture and send directly to one voter: $5. However, watermarked DVDs cost $10 each to make — plus there's the cost of shipping, which can be expensive because each disc must be coded according to addressee.
Paramount Vantage just proved with "Babel" that it knows how to campaign for Oscars. Maybe it decided to roll out early with "Mighty" because it's got another contender to be released late this year: "There Will Be Blood," Paul Thomas Anderson's drama starring Daniel Day-Lewis as a turn-of-the-century Texas oil prospector.
yes cause jennifer stands around all day and write up these posts... she never has even said angelina's name out loud in a negitive way... i really dont think she cares... i dont know about the oscars, i heard she got good reviews... thats good for her... but i think the bottom line is that you dont make up excuses for your mistakes, you just learn from them and dont make them again...
Posted by: dsad | October 28, 2007 at 08:26 PM
I believe a mighty heart will be nominated, but it will be ONLY BECAUSE the acting community
has some sort of kiss- butt policy. i believe only a few courageous souls will not vot for it
(Aniston hopefully) , but it will get some sort of recognition because it's pitt and jolie-
which doesn't say a whole lot for the acting community. It will never be because it was such a
great movie, or that the public fell in love with it. If the majority of the public had their way,
a mighty heart, jesse james et al, would NEVER see the light of day!
Posted by: anonymousv | October 22, 2007 at 03:40 PM
Angelina Jolie thinks that it was the lack of sex and nudity scenes in "A MIghty Heart" as to why the movie did so badly in theartes. But is that a serious excuse? Let examined all the problems surrounding the movie's upbringing. Taking a visably white woman and making her up to mixed-raced woman wasn't the problem? Or trying to call all the shots with the press leading up to the promotion of the film wasn't the problem? After all, her only solution could of been more sex in the movie? Please, can I get a witness? More sex in the film wouldn't do it much justice. Today if people want to look at sex they can just simply view it on the internet. That isn't special.It was Angelina Jolie her self who has turn off audiences. She was simply the wrong woman to portray Mariane Pearl, and eveyone should of known that from the beginng. Even her "playhouse mate" Brad Pitt should have absorbed that factor, who wouldn't. And I'm saying this as a mixed-raced woman myself. See Angelina Jolie is going through what we call an identity crisis. I'm not saying this to put her down, but alot of people go through it. She thinks that because she adopted kids who aren't white, she doesn't consider herself as white. Why did she let it go to her head thinking she can get away with portraying and Afro-Cuban and Dutch individual? It's all done nothing but backfire on her. It'a sad thing because it is based on a true story. This is nothing more than an inner-demon for Jolie- she needs to accept who she is in the real world and stop trying to be something she is not.
Posted by: maureen | July 03, 2007 at 10:46 AM
She has the good reviews and that should be enough to carry her to an Oscar nom and maybe a win...Look through Oscar's history and you'll find several critically praised performances from poorly reviewed or box office disappointing films which received nominations...Looks like someone is just out to ruin Brangelina's chances...
Posted by: Frankie R. | June 26, 2007 at 12:24 PM
A. Jolie is simply not a good actress. She played herself in Girl, interrupted and that is the only type of role she can earn acclaim for.
It is funny to think that she has an Oscar and Julianne Moore hasn't. Says a lot about the award..
Posted by: Maja | June 26, 2007 at 01:50 AM
Great filmmaking and great acting are still great even if the masses don't run out to see it. Great filmaking and great acting are still great even if bitter women ruled by tabloids make it their life mission to tear down another woman. The ones who hate are the ones most in need in seeing A Mighty Heart. They just might learn something about compassion and how hate can destroy.
Posted by: Elaine Miller | June 25, 2007 at 09:20 PM
Jennifer Aniston is that really you? Now you're going by the name of Martine. You sly fox.
A Mighty Heart is a beautiful film and Angelina gives a powerful performance which unfortunately was destined to be lost in a sea of summer blockbusters. A film such as this is better suited for September. Tom, I hope you and other critics keep backing this film and make sure it and Jolie are remembered during awards season. Also Tom, if you get a chance read Sean Smith of Newsweek's take on bitter women such as Martine who make it their part time job to hate Angelina Jolie. It is definitely an eye opener. It's his Q&A for A Mighty Heart. He is obviously embarrassed for these women and so am I. Someone once told me that it's easy to recognize a leader. He (and in this case she) is the one with arrows in her back.
Posted by: Joanne | June 25, 2007 at 08:56 PM
What did you expect on the joli movie.....all I hear is
that this woman is nutty & slutty....most say they will
not see the movie....not interested in seeing Joli....
I will post when I hear more from public on this
weeks films.
Posted by: martine dubreaux | June 25, 2007 at 01:47 PM