Speaking of food (which we weren't), it's time for the annual ACLU of Southern California Auction! It seems like only 13 months ago that a day with Jake Gyllenhaal was bought by a person in Hong Kong...who couldn't swing it so someone else got Jake on the cheap and then we never heard anything more about it. Clearly scarred by the experience, this year Jake is only offering himself up for dinner. Or maybe it's not dinner, since the actual wording is "dine w/Jake Gyllenhaal" and by my count, that leaves open at least two other meal possibilities. I know what you all are thinking and no, I am not too proud to accept anonymous bids on my behalf. Even if it winds up being lunch.And lastly, I am genuinely disappointed to report that Rendition is on track to have an even more dismal opening weekend box office showing than Zodiac. Let's just hope Jake's having too much fun with Xenia in Rome to be reading the overnight numbers...
Thank you heddaparsons for the ACLU tip!
34 comments:
One word: breakfast.
Really, money can buy just about anything in this world, can't it?
I don't think Jake will really be too bothered by the box office numbers, except maybe on Gavin's behalf. He's happy with the job he did and the result, judging by all he's said so far, and we know that's what counts with him. I don't think he expected Americans to sprout intelligent, curious minds overnight.
I don't think he expected Americans to sprout intelligent, curious minds overnight.
So so true. Wouldn't that be nice though? :(
I just got an e-mail from someone who has an e-mail from an ACLU worker saying it's lunch and a set visit. Yeah. That would be awesome. Breakfast might be awesomer, though. ;)
And I agree that Jake has a different mentality regarding "success" than a lot of other actors, but I can't help but feel bad for the guy. He worked his ass off in two countries over the course of a week for the sole purpose of getting people into theaters and they didn't come. I didn't think it would be a blockbuster, but I would NEVER have predicted it would do worse than Zodiac.
I know what you mean, PG, and I can't help wanting financial and critical success to reward all that Jake has been doing. I just keep trying to remind myself that what I want doesn't matter. And there were a lot of new movies out this weekend, so that didn't help. Maybe viewers will disregard reviews and it will build word of mouth to improve returns over the next weekend.
Then again, maybe not. Doesn't change the fact that Jake has made yet another intelligent, serious film and done a smashing job in it.
WTF is it with people? I mean, REALLY?! Do people only want to see romantic comedies and stupid stuff like Wild Hogs?!
I'm sorry, but I'm genuinely upset over this sad fact. CHRIST!!!
:::sigh:::: This box office sadly is not surprising. This film is going make most of its money outside of the US. You think the Bush loving red states are going to rush to see this film? NO.
It'll play well in Canada because of the film parallels the Maher Arar case.
It will play well in Europe because well sorry to say, Europeans are much more in tune with US foreign policy than Americans are.
^^^Everyone is more aware of US foreign policy than the majority of Americans, anon, and it's key to the problem that got us here. Celebrities including Maggie get trashed for stating the plain truth: that as a country, we are ignorant and insensitive to ideologies beyond the fabled democracy we supposedly live in.
I do think this film will do better overseas than here, and while that makes me sad, I don't know what to do about it.
This weekend's Box office #'s, American movie goers have no taste in movies.
http://boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=2007&wknd=42&p=.htm
1 N 30 Days of Night Sony $16,000,000 - 2,855 - $5,604 $16,000,000 $30 1
2 1 Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married LGF $12,100,000 -43.3% 2,034 +23 $5,948 $38,865,000 - 2
3 2 The Game Plan BV $8,122,000 -26.4% 3,301 +173 $2,460 $69,150,000 - 4
4 4 Michael Clayton WB $7,100,000 -31.6% 2,585 +74 $2,746 $21,986,000 - 3
5 N Gone Baby Gone Mira. $6,000,000 - 1,713 - $3,502 $6,000,000 - 1
6 N The Comebacks FoxA $5,850,000 - 2,812 - $2,080 $5,850,000 - 1
7 3 We Own the Night Sony $5,500,000 -49.2% 2,362 - $2,328 $19,784,000 $21 2
8 N Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas in Disney Digital 3-D (2007 re-issue) BV $5,145,000 - 564 - $9,122 $5,145,000 - 1
9 N Rendition NL $4,175,000 - 2,250 - $1,855 $4,175,000 - 1
10 5 The Heartbreak Kid
^^^ Jesus! It's even worse than I thought. :(
I do feel bad for the movie's unsuccessful run so far. I am hoping it will do better next weekend...but probably not. Even though he has said he isn't interested in whether or not it makes a lot of money as long as people remember it, and I do think people will remember this film just for it's (rather obvious) message. The auction would be amazing. I can't even allow myself to think about it lest it ends with someone who is not me and the result being me slamming my head in envy on my desk repeatedly. Ah, good times.
I figured it wouldn't do well. Not with 30 Days of Night out. :)
It is kind of an Art House film with an A list cast. That is the only reason it got such a wide release. Just look on the bright side. The shorter amount of time it is out the sooner it will be on DVD. I hope so any way.
That's a gorgeous picture! and Jake is very sweet (as usual) in the article...although not much new stuff (these journalists always ask the same stuff don't they!) And we missed yet another Jake in '08 opening there - "It's not unheard of for an actor to become a politician in America, I note: is that a career move he has considered?"
Oh well.
And another example of an interviewer falling under the spell of Jake's angelic visage - this time it's all "eyes...big like a cow's" and "From this viewpoint, I can appreciate that his body-to-head ratio is golden indeed." ;)
I loved Rendition. I thought it was very well done and the cast was just perfect. There wasn't a false note anywhere. I agree with ROger Ebert, who's a respected American critic in that.But when I think of the marketing campaign, I have to think that it was not done very well at all. Who was the target audience? What demographic would this film appeal to? How was it packaged? I was surprised Micael Clayton did so well. Or Gone Baby Gone. IMHO, Rendition was at least as good as Michael Clayton, which I also saw. At least as good. There are all kinds of reasons why it did poorly. But I don't think Gavin Hood, Kelli Sane or the cast are the problems. And I think this film will do very well overseas.
I guess I've come to the conclusion that American audiences need and want things to be very simple and clear. No ambiguity. Who are the good guys, who are the bad guys,define the problem, then solve it. Period. Throw in a few explosions and maybe some sex, and there's your hit. Gavin Hood gave quite a bit of weight to the problems and the suffering of the Security chief's family, his daughter and her boyfriend, etc. He gave these people a very human face. Maybe the critics who slammed Rendition have a problem with that. They sure didn't see the same film I saw. They were trying to quash it before it ever opened. With a lot of not too specific criticism. I'm glad Reese and Meryl did this movie with him. I thought he did exactly what his character was supposed to do.I truly hope the crap from the critics and the fools who might have sabotaged the film with out even trying due to inept marketing, don't prove too discouraging for him. I like Gavin. But I think he owes Jake a lot, too.
Hello i am from Rome, and i was to the premiere yesterday :o)
The movie was very welcomed at the conference .
I have seen Jake in a very good mood , smiling to everyone, giving lots lots autographs and photos .
A very cold evening , but it was magic ....i wished it was longer !
I'm really disappointed in the Box office, what a bummer and a shame because he really promoted this movie big time, sigh. I saw the movie over the weekend and thought it was a good, but not great movie. I just don't get the reaction to it by the US critics, hopefully it will do better overseas.
PS: Loved both interviews, thanks for posting. I too wonder what happened to that other auction involving Jake, the one where the fan from Hong Kong had to pull out as well!
....American audiences need and want things to be very simple and clear. No ambiguity. Who are the good guys, who are the bad guys, define the problem, then solve it. Period. Throw in a few explosions and maybe some sex, and there's your hit.
And don't forget the cool CGI special effects!
It makes me sick that American audiences are so undiscerning when it comes to movie fare...yes, Cina, they only want to see romantic comedies, stupid stuff like "Wild Hogs", and don't forget the slasher/splatter/gorefests like "Hostel" and "Saw IV". Nice, huh? Add to that the facts that the subject matter of Rendition is considered leftist propaganda, it's intelligent and thought-provoking, there's no happy ending (I'm saying all this based on what I've read, as I haven't seen it yet)...as far as American audiences go, it was doomed from the start to be a flop.
God it's embarrassing.
bobbyana, michael clayton and gone baby gone all got overwhelmingly positive critical reviews, whereas rendition was kind of slammed. reviews don't often affect box office when we're talking about your typical horror films or mass-appeal comedies, but when it comes to the key demographic rendition is aimed at (the intelligent, informed folks who would want to see a film about rendition) reviews do matter. my friends are interested in rendition, but i've had a hard time convincing them to see it before michael clayton or gone baby gone because of the low score on rotten tomatoes.
on the other hand, i saw this article on boxofficemojo that 10/19 was the most crowded opening weekend ever. http://boxofficemojo.com/siteinfo/?id=2278&p=.htm and this article that this past weekend was a slump for the box office in general http://boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=2406&p=.htm. $4.2 mill is quite dismal, but we can at least chalk it up partly to a bad weekend for all movies...
^^^ I agree that in this case, reviews probably did matter more than in other instances. But even at that, Michael Clayton and Gone Baby Gone are really only successful in comparison to Rendition. In the grand scheme of things, they're tanking, too.
At the risk of making a generalization about the American public, I'm not sure how movies like this can really withstand the increasing levels of celebrity worship going on in this country. In fact, movies in general aren't in the best position right now; this weeks' low box office is part of a larger trend. I'd be willing to bet more people bought magazines with Jake and Reese on the cover than bought Rendition tickets this weekend. When the celebrities themselves become the entertainment, their actual work becomes secondary. And just because Jake doesn't subscribe to that doesn't make him immune to it. Just think of the number of fansites now devoted EXCLUSIVELY to Jake + one of his rumored significant others. I read a comment on one of those sites this morning from someone who said that even though they're a really big "fan," they decided to see 30 Days instead of Rendition. Huh. Is obsessing over a man's personal life really more helpful to him than going out to support his work? Perhaps we need to reassess our priorities here...and this is within his own fanbase! But it's just hard for Hollywood to jump in with provocative subject matter when we are so distracted by Hollywood itself.
And the box office numbers might even have something to do with people currently being inundated with injustices by the American government. This country is more than a little fucked up right now. A lot of us have said that if Jake wasn't in this movie, we wouldn't see it (including me!). I read about this stuff, hear it on the news, am upset by it...why in the world would I want to see a movie about it? I think when given the option between being entertained without having to think, and having to think while being entertained, most people want to spend their money to get away from the real world, not closer to it.
I don't think we can blame any one thing, but I'm disappointed on behalf of everyone who worked hard on and for this movie that it wasn't more successful. :-/
^^^Well said, PG!
I agree 100% PG.
anon 2:59 here-- PG, i agree with you everything you said. it's sad to me that quality adult movies like michael clayton and gone baby gone aren't even nearing the level of box office success of tyler perry's films (sorry if you like that kind of thing) or another gorey horror flick. these are the movies that i want to see more of, and the ones that will stand the test of time. i think you're right that america is so messed up right now that ppl would rather find escapism in movies than be faced with more current events. i understand that jake wants to choose roles that stretch him as an actor, but i like my escapism too, and watching jake in his interview rounds, snl, etc makes me wish fervently for a quality jake movie that might just be a little more... fun, i guess?
also, jake mentioned in some press interviews about the perspective we gain with time when making movies about current events, and i wonder if a movie about rendition wouldn't resonate better (even have more to say) in 5 years when (hopefully) we as a nation are finally able to reflect on the fiasco that was the war on terror...
i guess that in the grand scheme of things i don't worry that hollywood will ever stop making adult, intelligent movies since they do get critical love and awards season notice, but at the moment, i just worry a tad about jake's choices. i don't want him to "sell out", but i think at this point in his career, it's important for him to do some good work that can translate to some commercial and critical success. sorry, so many scattered thoughts. hope that makes sense.
When the celebrities themselves become the entertainment, their actual work becomes secondary.
PG, thanks for that entire post, but you also added another dimension for us to think about.
RL conversations I have with people tell me Jake isn't that well known. People actually remember October Sky, and TDAT, but that's it for the so called mainstream. They don't connect that actor with "that guy that's dating Reese Witherspoon..." If people know of him,it's bcz he is dating Reese,not for his film work.
I am glad Jake isn't an attention whore. Actors are forced to sell themselves as they promote their films. I admire his determination,to keep his personal life mostly private.
But I have to say, I'm an unapologetic fan. I love the photos and I love the articles...and I even love the speculation...up to a point.
I think the mass market, escapist movies, and the "smart" films can co-exist. They might have to measure their success differently. A lot of successful movies are niche marketed and find their audience. I think Rendition would have been helped by a different, better marketing campaign. I think the studio dropped the ball. But in the scheme of things,most of these films that make people think, like The Valley of Elah, Redacted, Rendition, Mighty Heart,etc. dealing with RL "issues" are destined for poor box office. They'll do better on DVD and in foreign markets. Scheduling it for release at this time sure didn't help.
If people know of him,it's bcz he is dating Reese...
Since when? LOL!
Working part time in the local chain bookstore, I've done my own (non)scientific study!! LOL!!! I had no idea how many women buy up those ragazines! Huge! Honestly. They come in and buy up OK, US Weekly, People, Star, In Touch, EW,Life&Style, etc. etc. etc. Religiously. Every week when they come out, women are there to buy the entire "collection." Lots of women. And that's how they identified Jake:"That guy who's dating Reese Witherspoon..." These women have honestly never heard of Interview Magazine. They like Elle and Cosmo. They are the women who Avon had in mind when they signed Reese up recently. These women have never seen BBM and don't want to. They've said so. They haven't seen Jarhead. Not interested. Haven't seen Good Girl or Donnie Darko either. "Too mixed up. I didn't get it!" This demographic is your movie-going "mainstream." They've seen Spiderman. They love Hannah Montana and High School Musical, too. And they LOVE Legally Blonde Reese & Sweet Home Alabama Reese. October Sky and TDAT are movies they enjoyed of Jake's. I admit readily, that my survey is based on anecdotal 'evidence.' But after several weeks of exploring this, I have jumped to my own conclusions, and I'm sticking with them!LOL! Not all women who read these magazines are clueless about Jake. Just the ones I talked to! (smile.)
I think Jake's management are constantly looking at the market he "needs" versus the market he has. Ultimately, his film choices are his decision to make. And he is clearly in this for the long haul. I think if he looks back on the body of his work from the perspective of, maybe 20 years from now, he will feel comfortable and proud of what he's done.
That guy who's dating Reese Witherspoon..."
That's really sad.
I think that Jake is more then happy that Rendition promotion is over.
Wow that really is sad when you think about it.
PG hope you don't mind but I posted about the ACLU thing in the 'haal too ... I credited JW with the info (yay hedda!)
Hope everyone had a good Moanday :)
When I think about it, I don't think it's "really sad" that Jake isn't a household word. Rationally, he never had a TV series like Aniston and George Clooney. And he doesn't work nearly as often as Leo. He has never had a franchise like Toby or the Ocean's 11 gang, or Matt Damon. (Think about it.Not many ppl knew Christian Bale before Batman!) He's appeared in mostly non-commercial films. He's worked with some of the very best of the "next generation" directors out here. (Next after Scorcese, Spielberg, Coppola, Woody Allen, Clint Eastwood, etc.) And he has been nominated for an Oscar, won a BAFTA and is totally the most beautiful, hottest man alive. Dogs and small children love him and he can sing. He has impeccable comic timing and has appeared in London's revered West End in live theater for which he also won recognition. So I don't feel sad for Jake at all. I feel sad for those women who grab a stack of tabloids to find out about Britney's latest exploits, bcz they are missing some of the best things in life...like Jake. (smile.)
Leo started out on TV as a child, too didn't he?
So agree with You Bobbyanna , YOu told THAT!
Dee, I love free publicity!! You have my full permission to spread the JW love at any and all opportunities. ;D
And bobbyanna, I agree with you. I know from my personal experiences telling people about Toronto that aside from people who have a clue what I do in my free time, there is a pretty large gap in Jake's recognizability factor. In fact, at work, the ONE person who did know who he was only said, "Oh, he's cute. Who is he dating again?" That that question was asked before any mention of what movies he's been in says a lot about the mentality of the average celebrity consumer, if you ask me. :-/
I guess its a small consolation that the UK box office performance for 19th -21st Oct was a little better (in terms of Ranking at least)
Rendition came in 3rd with a total gross of £583,345. Which isn't brilliant but it was only released in 325 cinemas, giving a gross per site of £1,795.
Full figures can be found here
actually, that's brilliant. Thank you. I'm going to pass that on to a couple of people.
NtDabD Nice Article.
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