The Weekend Report: June 21, 2009

The Proposal was an offer the audience couldn’t refuse as the romantic comedy romped to an estimated $34.4 million debut to gain weekend bragging rights. The frame’s other national freshman -- the caveman comedy Year One -- grunted $20.1 million to finish fourth overall.

New titles in limited or regional release had a few bright spots. The latest from Woody Allen, Whatever Works, got a fast start of $272,000 from nine venues and the boisterous A vos marquee … Party! 2 looked hearty with a $520,000 gross in Quebec. In English Canada Victoria Day was not nearly as impressive with an $11,500 tally from a trio of screens and everything from the rom-com Irene in Time to the Scandinavian chiller Dead Snow were uninspired.

Overall business was marginally up from both last weekend and last year with hope that the past few tentative sessions will open up with upcoming sequels to Transformers and Harry Potter and the gangster opus Public Enemies.

Expectations for the Sandra Bullock vehicle The Proposal were modestly pegged in the low 20s with some prognosticators ranking it second to The Hangover. But a clever marketing campaign and a recent drought of femme-centric pictures conspired in its favor. The actress’s pictures tend to open modestly but have enjoyed high multiples and her current outing has limited direct competition in the coming weeks.

Year One pretty much performed to predictions of a $20 million opening. It’s also expected to do a fast fade with little upside seen in international release.

The frame’s other stunner was the steadfast hold of The Hangover. The film was viewed as a tidy money maker with perhaps an $80 million domestic gross. Now one can foresee an ultimate tally of more than $200 million and considerably greater traction in its foreign exploitation.

Weekend revenues should push close to $145 million for a 6% boost from seven days earlier. It was however a sliver of slightly more than 1% improved from 2008 when the bow of Get Smart led with $38.7 million and another deb, Love Guru, had a less than serendipitous $13.9 million box office.

The Woody Allen-Larry David combo in Whatever Works attracted a better than core crowd and its $30,330 screen average provides some optimism that the tart comedy might expand from his limited fan base. Also on the bubble is Francis Coppola’s Tetro, which added five cities to its two screen bow last weekend and maintained a sturdy screen average.

- Leonard Klady