Angelina Jolie and 'Changeling' survive a scary Halloween
On the eve of Halloween weekend, things looked eerie for Angelina Jolie's "Changeling" and her hope to get back in the Oscar derby for the first time since she won best supporting actress of 1999 for "Girl, Interrupted."
Last year Angelina Jolie got great reviews for "A Mighty Heart," but it bombed at the box office and she ended up getting snubbed by the academy despite receiving nominations from the Golden Globes, SAG, Critics Choice and Indie Spirit Awards.
Traditionally, Halloween weekend is a lousy time to open a movie wide, especially if the holiday falls on a Saturday. "Changeling" had another problem. It's widely perceived as a chick flick that dating couples might skip in favor of more cross-gender crowd pleasers like "High School Musical 3," "Zach and Miri Make a Porno" and "Saw V."
But "Changeling" beat the odds and had the highest per-screen average of all pix in theaters this past weekend — $5,085 — and exceeded box-office projections, bringing in $9.4 million. One third of its audience was male (that's pretty good) and exit polls showed a high number of viewers ranking it "excellent" and saying that they'd definitely recommend it to others.
But now here's the really scary part of this Halloween Hollywood story. Some media are straining to portray "Changeling" box-office performance as a big disappointment.
Strangely, Hollywood Reporter Risky Biz blogger Steven Zeitchik writes, "Outside of the flop 'A Mighty Heart,' 'Changeling' is Jolie's lowest weekend total for a wide opening since the 'Original Sin'/'Life or Something Like It' days of the early '00s. True, it is a more much prestige-y film than, say, 'Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.' And Halloween did take a toll. But not blowout numbers. Eastwood followed a similar trajectory — 'Changeling' trumped the late '90s/early '00s openings of tepidness like 'Blood Work' and 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.' But the tally came in lower than the first wide weekends of his last three English-language directorial efforts — 'Flags of Our Fathers,' 'Million Dollar Baby' and 'Mystic River.' "
That's true, but those films all opened on weekends that were more box-office friendly, calendar wise, and they had strong appeal to both male and female moviegoers.
Zeitchik insists that film critics don't like "Changeling," which also isn't quite truth. It's received great reviews from the L.A. Times, Variety, Hollywood Reporter, Time, Newsweek, Rolling Stone and Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times. Sure, some critics weren't enthusiastic, but it hasn't suffered many slams like Manola Dargis' nuclear strike in the New York Times. Most reviews are certainly respectful.
So . . . hmmm . . . what's behind this urge to portray this flick as a flop? Zeitchik isn't alone. Others are doing it too.
(ABC)
I agree with Roxeanne. I think Angelina Jolie will be much more respected in the future. She truly is one of the most talented actresses of our time--hell, even Clint Eastwood compared her to the "old-hollywood" icons like Ingrid Bergman--and he's worked with some of the greatest actresses today (Meryl Streep, Laura Linney, Hilary Swank, Marcia Gay Harden, etc.)
I agree, Tom, that there appears to be some kind of weird conspiracy concocted by journalists and tabloid writers to villainize this beautiful and talented woman. I though the box office numbers for "Changeling" were incredibly impressive---it was more than double "A Mighty Heart".
What people don't realize is that she's never been a huge box-office star...she's had box-office success with "Tomb Raider", "Mr. and Mrs. Smith", and "Wanted", but she is usually a pretty eclectic actress who picks varied projects (films that truthfully are not MEANT to be be big box-office draws---aka Beyond Borders, Pushing Tin, Playing By Heart, even Girl, Interrupted, etc.)
I loved Changeling--it was incredibly powerful---and the audience was deeply moved by it too. There was a round of applause throughout the auditorium when it finished, and you could hear many tears and sobs throughout the whole thing. I'm hoping that when the Academy starts voting, they will watch this movie unbiased, and see her as Christine Collins, rather than mega-star Angelina Jolie--for it's an extremely powerful and commanding performance. Very oscar-worthy.
Posted by: Aaron | November 04, 2008 at 02:01 PM
She can not act
Posted by: zagge | November 04, 2008 at 07:15 AM
I'm convinced that Jolie will be more appreciated in fifty yearrs, as a true screen icon, than she is now (kinda like Katherine Hephburn). For now she's the talented beauty many secretly love to hate--the same critics never stop claiming that her "offscreen persona" gets in the way of her roles, and never fail to make condescending remarks about her appearance. Snubbing her is all a part of some weird power trip for journalists and the Academy alike, and I would't be surprised if Changeling continues to get short-changed (because Jolie's performance in it IS brilliant).
Posted by: Roxanne | November 03, 2008 at 09:35 PM
Wanted was promoted as her film and 66 % of the people went to see it because of Angie. Don't forget the Kunfupanda success and the promotion she did.. Changeling is doing fine. It opend more than expected.
Why don't people talk about Jennifer 2 movies yet doesn't havbe a distributer? if this was angie we all know what kind of toast this would have been.
Posted by: anne | November 03, 2008 at 06:35 PM
When has Angelina ever been a big box office draw? She has had one huge hit and that was Mr. & Mrs. Smith. People went to that so they could watch how she fell in love with a married man ( the movie was horrible).
You do not need a blockbuster to be nominated for an award you just have to be liked in hollywood.
Posted by: Justme | November 03, 2008 at 03:23 PM
It is because she is Angelina Jolie. People still can't get over that fact that she has done so much and has so many blessings.
She is one of the most versatile talented actresses of our time, but because she does not and has not lived her life according to what critics "think" she should do, she takes the heat. A butt kisser Angie is not!
Posted by: ebmo | November 03, 2008 at 02:35 PM