'Philly' edges by 'Doubtfire'
The battle for weekend supremacy was a knock-'em-down battle with Golden Globe winner TriStar's "Philadelphia" a nose ahead with $ 9.1 million. Obviously , the film has touched a nerve among audiences, judging from itsstrong hold with a modest 26% drop. That works out to a $ 7,030 average in 1,295 playdates. The sober-sided courtroom drama has a cume of $ 26.8 million.
Fox's "Mrs. Doubtfire"-- nabbing Globes for best comedy and best performance in a musical or comedy (Robin Williams) -- was marginally behind with close to $ 9 million. Just 2% below last weekend, it emerged from 2,269 changing rooms with a $ 3,960 average. With a cume of $ 162.7 million, studio folk believe it might hit $ 200 million domestically.
"Intersection" was the lone freshman in the marketplace and fared well though not outstanding with $ 8.1 million and third slot. On Friday, the Richard Gere/Sharon Stone pairing led the field, but its just OK 32% boost Saturday pushed it behind the leaders. Nonetheless, its $ 6,220 average is cause for initial cheer.
The overall marketplace was looking pretty vital despite a few key complexes in California still shuttered after the Jan. 17 earthquake. The B.O. rose by 15% from the comparable weekend of 1993 and was off 8% from the Martin Luther King holiday weekend.
Warner Bros.' "Grumpy Old Men" continued its winning ways in fourth with a $ 6.1 million estimate. The surprise holiday hit nudged up 1% and brought in a $ 3 ,640 average from 1,676 theaters. Its cume is $ 41.9 million.
Disney's "Iron Will" lived up to its name in fifth with a projected $ 4.2 million, holding very strong with a slim drop of 7%. The wintry adventure was bringing families in from the cold to de-ice a $ 2,060 average from 2,036 igloos. After 10 days its cume is $ 10.5 million.
Warner Bros.' "The Pelican Brief" skidded 23% and dropped to sixth with $ 4 million. The thriller, in 1,809 tight situations, had a weekend average of $ 2, 210, for a cume of $ 86.8 million.
Hollywood Picture's "Tombstone" was lucky seven with a bang-up $ 3.5 million. That provided a straight-shootin' $ 1,930 average from 1,817 showdowns. Down 15% -- but unbowed -- it has a $ 44 million cume.
Universal's triple Globe-winning "Schindler's List" added an additional 90 playdates and finished eighth with $ 3.4 million. That provided a laudatory $ 9, 920 average from just 343 engagements. It also provided a 9% B.O. boost to bring the pic's cume to $ 19 million.
Universal also branched out effectively with "In the Name of the Father," adding about 110 dates and grossing $ 1.5 million to rank 13th. The political tale shot up 82% to average $ 8,570 average from 175 cells. Its cume is $ 3.3 million.
MGM's "Six Degrees of Separation" got its first major widening and saw weekend returns of roughly $ 630,000 from 109 playdates. With a $ 5,830 average, the film's cume rises to $ 2 million.
Savoy's "Shadowlands" was in ninth with $ 3.3 million. Off about 1%, the drama averaged $ 3,300 from 1,001 parlors, bringing its cume to $ 13.5 million.
New Line's hip-hop "House Party 3" dropped 48% to rank 10th with about $ 3.2 million. Still, Kid N' Play's antics translated into a $ 3,770 average from 848 dancing locales. Second-weekend results bring cume to $ 12.6 million.
