MAKING THE GRADE MEL GIBSON GETS BEST MARKS THIS SUMMER.Byline: Greg Hernandez Staff Writer Ever since the release of his first ``Lethal Weapon'' film in 1987, Mel Gibson Noun 1. Mel Gibson - Australian actor (born in the United States in 1956) Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson, Gibson U.S.A., United States, United States of America, US, USA, America, the States, U.S. has been one of the movie industry's most reliable box-office stars, with nine of his films grossing more than $100 million. But Gibson had never before experienced a $60 million opening like the one he had with the sci-fi thriller ``Signs,'' likely to become the actor's 10th $100 million-plus grosser sometime this weekend. If the industry's most consistent box-office stars - Gibson, Tom Hanks Noun 1. Tom Hanks - United States film actor (born in 1956) Hanks, Thomas J. Hanks , Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts and Harrison Ford - were being graded for the performance of their films this summer, Gibson is the only A-lister who would receive an A-plus, analysts said this week. ``Even as Gibson is aging, he's not losing the audience,'' said Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box-office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations. ``We've seen that happen where there's a lot of well-known stars who are losing their luster. Other than Hanks, I haven't seen anyone in this age group in terms of actors who can really pull in big audiences. He's a brand name that audiences trust.'' ``Signs'' joins an eclectic list of major box-office hits for the 46-year-old Gibson, including the three sequels to the original ``Lethal Weapon,'' the kidnap drama ``Ransom,'' the comedy ``Maverick Maverick family name of two brothers, Bret and Bait; self-centered and untrustworthy gentlemen gamblers. [TV: Terrace, II, 80] See : Gambling ,'' the Revolutionary War epic ``The Patriot'' and last summer's ``What Women Want,'' Gibson's highest-grossing film to date ($182.8 million). ``The opening of 'Signs' reinforces the bankability of Mel Gibson and how reliable he is at the box office,'' said Gitesh Pandya, president of BoxOfficeGuru.com. ``Gibson does a wide variety of films. He'll do his war movies, modern-day cop films and a number of different projects.'' In contrast, Harrison Ford, 60, got a failing grade this summer from experts after being soundly rejected by audiences as a Russian submarine commander during the Cold War in ``K-19: The Widowmaker,'' which quickly sank at the box office. Pandya predicts that ``K-19'' will likely end its theatrical run in the middle $30 million range, a disaster considering the film's hefty price tag. ``The Harrison Ford film is one of the biggest disappointments of the summer,'' Pandya said. ``It's a big-budget, $100 million action movie starring a huge star, and, instead of connecting with audiences, it's turning out to be Harrison Ford's lowest-grossing summer movie in over a decade.'' Ford's stellar box office has been built not only in blockbuster franchises like the original ``Star Wars'' movies and the Indiana Jones films, but also with major hits like ``The Fugitive,'' ``Air Force One,'' ``Clear and Present Danger'' and the thriller ``What Lies Beneath.'' ``I don't think American moviegoers were interested in seeing one of their greatest film heroes playing a Russian military commander,'' Pandya said. ``He's Indiana Jones, the president and Jack Ryan Jack Ryan may refer to:
In between Gibson's soaring success and Ford's dismal failure was another commercial success for Cruise (``Minority Report''), solid numbers and major critical buzz for Hanks (``Road to Perdition'') and a free pass for Roberts, whose summer movie effort was being part of an ensemble cast An ensemble cast is a cast in which the principal performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance in a dramatic production. This kind of casting became more popular in television series because it allows for flexibility for writers to focus on different in the artsy art·sy adj. art·si·er, art·si·est Informal Arty. , low-budget ``Full Frontal frontal /fron·tal/ (frun´t'l) 1. pertaining to the forehead. 2. denoting a longitudinal plane of the body. fron·tal adj. 1. .'' If he's in an action movie, the 40-year-old Cruise is always certain box-office gold, as evidenced by the massive grosses for ``Mission: Impossible 2'' ($215.3 million), ``Mission: Impossible'' ($180.9) and ``Top Gun'' ($176.8 million). He has also scored $100 million-plus numbers with comedy (``Jerry Maguire'') and drama (``Rainman,'' ``The Firm'' and ``Vanilla vanilla, a plant of the genus Vanilla of the family Orchidaceae (orchid family). Vines of hot, damp climates, most are indigenous to Central and South America, especially Mexico, but are now cultivated in other tropical regions. Sky''). ``Minority Report'' teamed Cruise up with director Steven Spielberg Noun 1. Steven Spielberg - United States filmmaker (born in 1947) Spielberg for the first time and their collaboration was expected to make the film one of the top-grossing films of the summer. But an animated competitor named ``Lilo 1. (operating system) lilo - Linux Loader. 2. lilo - first-in first-out. & Stitch'' surprisingly took much of the wind out of the opening weekend numbers in June for ``Minority,'' finishing less than $1 million behind the Cruise film's $35.6 million debut. ``Minority'' dropped out of the top 10 last weekend and has grossed $126.6 million to date. ``Given the star power of Cruise and Spielberg, I think it was expected to do a little better,'' Pandya said. ``It was a different kind of movie than a 'Mission Impossible,' which was geared to very broad audience. I think 'Minority Report' was a little more of a specific type of film with not a lot of female appeal. Given that, to still do this kind of business is quite good.'' The box-office reliability of Hanks rivals that of Gibson, as both actors have drawn blockbuster-size grosses in a variety of genres. Hanks, 46, has had three films - ``Forrest Gump,'' ``Cast Away'' and ``Saving Private Ryan'' - earn more than $200 million, while scores of others have crossed the $100 million mark, including ``Apollo 13,'' ``The Green Mile'' and ``Sleepless sleep·less adj. 1. a. Marked by a lack of sleep: a sleepless night. b. Unable to sleep. 2. in Seattle.'' ``Perdition'' is expected to join the $100 million club by the end of its run, but the gangster drama featuring Hanks in a villain VILLAIN., An epithet used to cast contempt and contumely on the person to whom it is applied. 2. To call a man a villain in a letter written to a third person, will entitle him to an action without proof of special damages. 1 Bos. & Pull. 331. role has had trouble retaining an audience amid the clutter of summer blockbusters like ``Austin Powers in Goldmember'' and ``Men in Black II.'' ``Perdition'' had earned just over $77 million as of last Sunday. ``Expectations were all over the place before the movie opened,'' Pandya said. ``It's not your textbook film, not your typical summer blockbuster. It's dark and dramatic and doesn't have the bells and whistles A slang English term for exceptional features in some product. In the computer field, it typically refers to functions in software that may be greatly appreciated by some users, even though they may not be necessary most of the time. . I think it's the star power of Hanks, just like in 'Cast Away.' Anyone else in that movie, and it would have bombed.'' There is some sentiment that if ``Perdition'' earns multiple Academy Award nominations, it could have something of a box-office revival later this year as Oscar campaigns get under way. Roberts received more attention this summer for her marriage to cameraman Danny Moder than for her film career. She had previously passed the $100 million mark with such hits as ``Pretty Woman,'' ``Runaway Bride This article is about meanings of Runaway bride. For other uses of the word Runaway, see Runaway. A runaway bride is a bride who runs away from the wedding chapel, usually shortly before the ceremony, often due to so-called cold feet. ,'' ``My Best Friend's Wedding,'' ``Erin Brockovich'' and ``Notting Hill.'' The 34-year-old actress had a solid hit last summer with ``America's Sweethearts'' ($93.3 million), but her only appearance this summer was in the low-budget, nonmainstream film ``Full Frontal,'' directed by Steven Soderbergh. The movie was met with mixed reviews and is being largely ignored by audiences despite an ensemble cast that includes Roberts, David Duchovny, David Hyde Pierce David Hyde Pierce (born April 3, 1959) is a Screen Actors Guild, Tony and Emmy Award-winning American actor, best known for his co-starring role as psychiatrist Dr. Niles Crane on the NBC sitcom Frasier alongside Kelsey Grammer. , Catherine Keener Catherine Ann Keener (born March 23, 1959)[1] is a two time Academy Award-nominated American actress. Biography Early life Keener, the third of five children, was born in Miami, Florida, to Evelyn and Jim Keener, a manager of an automotive store. , Blair Underwood and a cameo cameo (kăm`ēō), small relief carving, usually on striated precious or semiprecious stones or on shell. The design, often a portrait head, is commonly cut in the light-colored vein, and the dark one is left as the background. by Brad Pitt. In limited release, ``Full Frontal'' grossed a lukewarm luke·warm adj. 1. Mildly warm; tepid. 2. Lacking conviction or enthusiasm; indifferent: gave only lukewarm support to the incumbent candidate. $739,834 in just more than 200 locations. But experts say its performance will do little to diminish Roberts' box-office luster. ``At this point in her career, she can pretty much do whatever she wants,'' Dergarabedian said. ```Full Frontal' is a film that is obviously a labor of love for all involved. They weren't going for the blockbuster.'' CAPTION(S): box Box: Hollywood's finest SUMMER REPORT CARD |
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