‘Blue Streak’ bats Costner flick out of box office ballpark

Monday, Sept. 20, 1999 | 9:02 a.m.

"Blue Streak" took in $19.2 million for a first-place debut, according to industry estimates Sunday. Costner's latest baseball movie opened in second place with $14 million.

Final figures were to be released today.

The Bruce Willis ghost story "The Sixth Sense" was third with $11.2 million. It climbed past "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" as the year's No. 2 box office draw behind "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace." "Sixth Sense" has grossed $213.2 million since opening Aug. 6.

Last weekend's top movie, the supernatural thriller "Stigmata," slipped to No. 4 with $9 million.

Lawrence's comedy, about a jewel thief posing as a cop to retrieve a diamond stashed in a police station, held more appeal for younger audiences than Costner's film, said Ed Russell, executive vice president for publicity at Sony Pictures, which distributed "Blue Streak."

It was Lawrence's first solo triumph at the box office. He previously had No. 1 openings as a co-star with Eddie Murphy in "Life" and with Will Smith in "Bad Boys."

Costner plays an aging pitcher in "For Love of the Game," his third baseball movie after "Bull Durham" and "Field of Dreams."

"For Love of the Game" may have been hurt by Costner's reluctance to help publicize the film, said Robert Bucksbaum, a film analyst with Reel Source Inc. Costner did some media interviews but devoted much of his time to criticizing Universal for editing scenes to get the movie down from an R rating to PG-13.

"It reminds me of a baseball player making $10 million," Bucksbaum said. "He should take some time to sign some autographs once in a while."

The critically acclaimed "American Beauty," playing in just 16 theaters, debuted at No. 11 with $841,000 for the three days and a total of $1 million since opening Wednesday. The movie averaged a phenomenal $52,563 a theater, compared with a $7,020 average in 2,735 theaters for "Blue Streak."

The numbers for "American Beauty" rivaled those of "The Blair Witch Project," which averaged $63,812 a theater while playing on 31 screens in July, the weekend before it hit wide release. "Blair Witch" has grossed $137.6 million.

"American Beauty" distributor DreamWorks had planned to add about 100 theaters next Friday, then put the movie in 700 to 900 theaters Oct. 1. But because of this weekend's response, DreamWorks is expanding the movie to about 500 theaters next weekend and 1,200 to 1,400 the following Friday, said Jim Tharp, the studio's distribution chief.

The film stars Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening in a dark satire of suburban life.

The movie so far is playing only in bigger cities. Its disturbing examination of marital fidelity, parental violence, homophobia and drug use "could be problematic in other parts of the country," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations Inc., which tracks movie ticket sales. "Then again, you can't underestimate audiences in the Midwest or wherever."

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc.

1. "Blue Streak," $19.2 million.

2. "For Love of the Game," $14 million.

3. "The Sixth Sense," $11.2 million.

4. "Stigmata," $9 million.

5. "Stir of Echoes," $3.9 million.

6. "Runaway Bride," $2.6 million.

7. "The Thomas Crown Affair," $2 million.

8. "Bowfinger," $1.7 million.

9. "The 13th Warrior, $1.5 million.

10. "Mickey Blue Eyes," $1.1 million.