Witherspoon’s Feeling at ‘Home’ at No. 1

Reese Witherspoon continued her rise to the ranks of the nation’s biggest female stars with weekend estimates showing Disney’s “Sweet Home Alabama” coming in at No. 1 with a record September opening of $37.5 million.

The second-highest-grossing film this weekend, DreamWorks’ Jackie Chan action film, “The Tuxedo,” took in less than half as much, an estimated $15.1 million.

Although “Sweet Home” received mixed reviews, its romance and easy comedy connected with audiences nationwide. On Friday, the movie’s demographics were skewed 60% women and 40% men; by Saturday, the percentages had leveled out to 50-50 and included many families, according to Disney executives. It was apparently the perfect choice as a “date movie.”

The movie, which opened on 3,293 screens, grossing $11,378 per screen, represents the industry’s biggest September opening. “Rush Hour” set the old record in 1998 with $33 million, according to Exhibitor Relations Co., a box-office tracking firm.

The film’s performance is all the more impressive because romantic comedies usually have a tough time seducing a mass audience.

The only actress who has had a movie to perform better in its opening weekend is Angelina Jolie, whose video-game-based action movie “Tomb Raider” debuted with $47.7 million in June 2001, according to Exhibitor Relations. Julia Roberts’ biggest opening was in July 1999 with “Runaway Bride,” which grossed $35 million in its first weekend.

Witherspoon, who has gone from starring in the critically acclaimed film “Election” to last year’s surprise hit “Legally Blonde,” saw her fee rise to $15 million for MGM’s “Legally Blonde 2,” scheduled to open next July. “Legally Blonde” opened with $20 million and went on to gross $96.5 million domestically--making it one of the few hits for the studio that year.

“This young lady is a huge movie star,” said Chuck Viane, president of Disney’s Buena Vista Pictures Distribution. “She is such a crowd-pleaser. This is the exact right kind of vehicle for her.”

Witherspoon’s payday for “Sweet Home Alabama” was estimated at $12 million.

With the top 10 films grossing $91 million, box-office business has rebounded from its August slump. This weekend was 41% ahead of last weekend and 49% ahead of the comparable weekend last year, when the top two movies were “Don’t Say a Word” and “Zoolander,” according to Nielsen EDI, another box-office tracking firm.

In other box-office news, Jackie Chan and Jennifer Love Hewitt’s martial arts comedy averaged $4,997 per screen in 3,022 theaters.

MGM’s comedy “Barbershop” came in at No. 3, holding up solidly on its third weekend out despite threats of boycotts by some of the nation’s African American leaders. The film, which stars Ice Cube, has grossed $51 million and took in an estimated $10.1 in its third weekend--a respectable drop of only 21% from last weekend. It has become one of the most successful movies ever produced, written and directed by and starring African Americans.

The phenomenal indie hit “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” came in at No. 4 with $9.8 million, holding steady in its 24th weekend of release. The movie has now grossed $136.9 million. By next weekend it should pass “The Blair Witch Project,” which in 1999 made $140.5 million, stunning Hollywood with its unorthodox marketing approach and making it the most successful independent movie ever made.

Fox Searchlight’s “The Banger Sisters” dropped 45% this weekend, coming in at No. 5 with an estimated $5.4-million weekend for a two-week total of $18.8 million.

Paramount’s costly epic “The Four Feathers” dropped to No. 6, grossing an estimated $3.6 million for a total of $12.4 million. Fox Searchlight’s “One Hour Photo” continues to hang in there, coming in at No. 7, with a $3-million weekend for a total of $26.1 million.

Warner Bros.’ “Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever” came in eighth with an estimated $2.6 million for a total of $11.5 million. Buena Vista’s “Signs” came in at No. 9 with $2.3 million for a total of $221 million since its August release.

“Swimfan” dropped to No. 10, grossing $1.5 million for a total of $26.6 million.

Although it did not make it into the top 10 this weekend, Hayao Miyazaki’s acclaimed animated feature “Spirited Away” grossed an estimated $520,000 on 53 screens, averaging $9,827 per location.