Box Office: 'Four Christmases' reigns supreme

By Franck Tabouring
Weekend of December 5 – 7, 2008

“Four Christmases” topped the North American box office for the second consecutive weekend with $18.1 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Seth Gordon’s holiday comedy starring Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon easily dominated its competition, lifting its domestic total to $70.8 million. In the film, a San Francisco couple pays a visit to all four of their divorced parents.

This week’s new releases weren’t that lucky, with Lexi Alexander’s “Punisher: War Zone” delivering the best result at No. 8 with $4 million. New entry “Cadillac Records” closely followed in ninth place with only $3.5 million.

As for “Nobel Son,” the third wide release this weekend, it only finished at No. 15 with a disappointing $371,000. Directed by Randall Miller, the film focuses on a student (Bryan Greenberg) who’s kidnapped on the eve of his father (Alan Rickman) receiving the Nobel Prize.

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Review: "Nobel Son"

Seen on: December 6, 2008

The players: Director: Randall Miller, Writers: Jody Savin, Randall Miller, Cast: Shawn Hatosy, Bryan Greenberg, Alan Rickman, Mary Steenburgen, Eliza Dushku

Facts of interest: Miller also directed "Bottle Shock."

The plot: Shortly after Eli Michaelson (Rickman) wins the Nobel Prize for chemistry, his son Barkley (Bryan Greenberg) is kidnapped and held hostage for a ransom of $2 million.

Our thoughts: It’s impossible to talk about this movie in great length without revealing too much, so I’ll make this a short one. In a nutshell, Randall Miller’s “Nobel Son” is convoluted and utterly ludicrous. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The film undoubtedly has its flaws, but the crazed plot with its countless twists eventually delivers solid entertainment.

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