Close to a year ago, on a cold gray snowy evening, I walked out of the world’s very first showing of Precious: Based on the Read the full post.
Dec 16
2009
12:04 AM ET
'Precious' and its box-office crash: Is it failing to cross over?
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Precious, is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time. As soon as it opened it my area I saw it. It was such a powerful and moving film. I have gotten my mother and several friends to watch it as well. With that being said, it is a very hard movie to watch, and not everyone will find the trailer or subject matter easy to watch, especially this time of the year. I think this is what has lead to the decline at the box office. However, I think enough buzz has been created about the movie and the performances that they will continue to be nominated for awards. I only hope that they actually win.
My coworkers who have seen it complained about the TV commercials that have played it up as a feel-good movie when they apparently think it is anything but that. I still want to see it, but I’ve noticed that it has left all the newer theaters around town and is now mostly at the art house or indie theaters which means lower prices and smaller box office.
Most of my friends haven’t gone to see it because they think it looks depressing. It’s been playing nearby for weeks, so no problems with availability.
I agree with Jack Jack. There is the possibility of a film reaching its audience in so many ways today that it is possible to overestimate the importance of theatrical box office.
I saw this movie over Thanksgiving weekend. It was such a powerful, well-crafted film that I can’t stop ravig about it. I think the is that it might not have wide-spread appeal. I don’t understand why movies with African-American leads are automatically pinned to that demographic. It really shouldn’t be the case. It is equally powerful regardless of race or economic background.
It’s not playing in my area and I doubt it will anytime soon because with all the new releases and only one 17 screen theater.
I have no intention of going out to see this movie. Nor will I ever rent it. I’m not interested in watching a movie about inner city family abuse. How is that going to enlighten me? I’m sure it’s a grand acting job, but, it’s a manipulative subject. It’s easy to manipulate an audience when it comes to horrid abuse of another human. No, thanks. If I want to see or hear about that, all I have to do is go down to the inner city in Atlanta and talk to people on the street. They got stories too. Plus, it’s a bad time of the year to bring it out. Give me a silly, sappy Santa movie. That’s what I want to see this time of year. And another thing, Oprah’s hype is a little too much. Just because Oprah says we should, oh, let’s all run to see a movie. No thanks.
Though I may eventually (force myself to) see it, I have to pretty much agree with everything you said.
What a small and narrow mind you have!
I’m unsure how anything tJenny said means she has a narrow mind. I agree with her. You can see real heartbreak right outside your window a lot of people want to be entertained and feel good.In matters of taste, debate is useless.
Plus Oprah is REALLY annoying.
I think without expanding the drop is within the natural cycle of the box office. I would love to see the movie, but right now the closest the movie is playing to me is 3+ hours away. It does look like it might finally play at some theaters an hour away around Christmas, so maybe I’ll be able to catch it then.
I think KY hit on something, it is almost Xmas, the movie is a downer, and many people, if they are going to spend the money to go to a movie in December would rather be uplifted (see “The Blindside”) If given a choice of a sure thing inspirationally and the descriptions of “Precious” I choose inspiration. At least til after the holidays.
If you don’t live in a major city you don’t get to see it. I live in rural mass (the berkshires) and its not in any of the major theatres in our area. It’s also not coming to our one arthouse theatre either.
They should have been risky and really expanded it to about 1000-1500 screens to get it more exposure when it was at the height of its popularity about a month ago.
I want to see it, but I need to find someone to see it with! A lot of my friends are turned off by the nature of the film. Hoping it is still in the movies at the end of this week.
Which editor was stupid enough to approve this diatribe? Eve’s Bayou, considered the african american indie benchmark, sold only 19 million (if memory serves) and it was harolded by pundits for breaking ground. A decade later an african american film grosses double and yet it’s a box office concern? Give me a break! Someone at EW should have some historical perspective. Is this website/mag run by twelve year olds? I have the same issue with all the childish pop essayist declaring Adam Lambart a queer groundbreaker when RuPaul, kd lang, Bowie, Elton John, George Michael have been around for decades. Get a freaken perspective EW. Your cheapening the air you breath.
Why such hostility for raising a legitimate question? The writer didn’t state that Precious was a box office flop and even mentioned that it’s grossed far more than some other indie films like Hurt Locker and 500 Days of Summer. But since it’s initial success it’s per theater averages have declined rapidly and it theater count has remained the same throughout its release. I think its a fair question and based on the number of responses so do many others. I think it’s a far more interesting article than who the next Twighlight cast member will be.
I understand it is probably a great movie but I have heard enough to know I don’t want those images in my head. It’s not just this movie, I can’t deal with violence, especially when it is against children.
Well, you can start with the fact that this isn’t material most people want to see, and add to that the sibject matter in a time people would rather be seeing something lighter and more entertaining. I’ve heard critics rave, but frankly, the reviews leave me completely indifferent if not turned off.
This is a question that perennially irks me: “Why haven’t more people seen this movie?” The only reason I got to see it was because we visited family in “the big city” over Thanksgiving weekend. This awesome movie isn’t/wasn’t playing within 100 miles of my home in Northern Nevada. I had to go to the Bay Area to see it. So it’s not a question of the movie being too much of a downer, or depressing subject matter, or if the movie has just “run its course.” It’s that no one here has seen it because no theater here is showing it. Yet crap movies like New Moon and 2012 are still playing on multiple screens here. If whoever makes these decisions (marketers? distributors? studios?) to only show movies on 664 screens and then bemoans its low turnout would give the flyover states and the smaller markets a little bit of credit, I think they would be surprised by our interest in these films. And hopefully they would get the message that they don’t have to pin all their hopes on crapfests like 2012.
FYI KELLY – Starting 12/18 it will be showing at the Riverside and Summit Serria Theaters. Now you don’t have to drive so far.
Yay, awesome! Hopefully it will do well here to give my argument just a little validity. LOL