Hot 'Pursuit' at box office
Holiday auds were in the mood for father-and-son bonding as Sony's "The Pursuit of Happyness," with Will Smith starring opposite his son, warmed hearts and landed atop the domestic B.O. over the weekend with a $27 million bow. Pic's per-engagement average was a robust $9,467 from 2,852 over a pre-holiday frame in which it can be tough for non-tentpole pics to woo auds away from holiday preparations. No. 1 bow was Smith's 10th, and pic also marked a solid English-lingo debut for Italo helmer Gabriele Muccino. Last weekend's surprise No. 1, Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto," dropped nearly 50% in its second frame into sixth place.
