The Proposal is a 2009 American romantic comedy film which is due to be released on June 19, 2009 under Touchstone Pictures. The film is directed by Anne Fletcher (Hairspray, Step Up 2) and written by Pete Chiarelli.

The film’s plot start revolves around the lives of a boss and her assistant. Working in an American book publishing company named Colden Books, executive editor-in-chief Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock) is about to be deported due of her being a Canadian. She also has a difficult and demanding attitude to her colleagues. When the bad news came to her, she immediately told the company that she will be marrying her assistant Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds). Andrew was then clueless of what is happening, but he went with it since Margaret is his boss. He also agreed but has set some conditions as well since he is giving Margaret a favor. Margaret came to this idea since Andrew is an American and that she can force him to lie so he can also keep his job. If she will marry Andrew, then that makes her also an American, however, she do not think of marrying him, it is just to lengthen the time to can find a way not being deported back to Canada and keep her Visa status in the United States. She loves her job and also she wanted to get the Editor position in the company.

When the government started investigating them as a couple, they are forced to spend the weekend to Andrew’s parents in Alaska to sell the lie. This is for them to prove that they are really going to be married. She then meets Andrew’s quirky and so hospitable family. She also has shared a lot of things with Andrew including his bed since his family does not have any idea of their plan and current situation. There she also has experienced being with a happy family. As the time they spend together, they already have started falling in love for each other. Then an on-the-spot wedding happened with the immigration official checking on them, they have nothing else to do but stick to their plan despite of the consequences.

The musical score was recorded with the Hollywood Studio Symphony at the Sony Scoring Stage. And this was composed by Aaron Zigman. He was also the one who made the musical scoring for Step Up 2 and Sex and the City, the movie.

The film was rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) due to some nudity, sexual content and languages used.

The theatrical trailer for this movie shows the whole point of the movie, so it is more exciting to watch the full plot. The film will be much awaited by movie-goers, especially the month of June is a month of weddings. So the title fits it best.

Movie Statistics:
Directed by Anne Fletcher
Produced by Todd Lieberman, David Hoberman, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Kristin Burr
Written by Pete Chiarelli
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Malin Akerman, Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson, Oscar Nuñez, Aasif Mandvi, Betty White
Music by Aaron Zigman
Cinematography: Oliver Stapleton
Editing by Amanda Mackey Johnson, Cathy Sandrich
Distributed by Touchstone Pictures
Released on June 19, 2009
Country: United States
Language: English

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Star Trek 2009

The film opens with the Federation starship USS Kelvin investigating a "lightning storm" in space. It turns out to be a black hole, and the Narada, a Romulan mining vessel, emerges from it and attacks. The Kelvin's captain, Richard Robau (Faran Tahir) is captured and killed by the Romulan captain Nero (Eric Bana). First officer George Kirk (Chris Hemsworth) takes command and sacrifices himself and the Kelvin by ramming it into the Romulan ship in order to allow the rest of the crew to escape. During the escape, George's wife Winona (Jennifer Morrison) gives birth to a son: James Tiberius Kirk.

About 22 years later, Kirk (Chris Pine) grows into an intelligent but reckless young man. He meets Uhura (Zoe Saldana) and Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood) in a bar in Iowa, where Pike convices Kirk to enlist in Starfleet Academy and follow in his father's footsteps. During his eventful education on Earth, he is suspended for cheating on the Kobayashi Maru designed by the half-Vulcan, half-human Spock (Zachary Quinto). Despite this, Kirk is smuggled onboard the USS Enterprise by his friend, Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (Karl Urban), as it is sent on its first mission to investigate a distress signal originating from the planet Vulcan; Captain Pike commands the ship, with Spock as his first officer, and Uhura is also assigned to the ship. En-route, Kirk realizes that the situation is similar to the one 25 years ago when his father died and, with the help of Uhura and McCoy, manages to convince Pike and Spock that the Enterprise is heading into a trap. When the Enterprise arrives, they find the rest of the Starfleet ships destroyed and Nero's ship, the Narada, using a drilling apparatus to tunnel to the planet's core. After promoting Spock to captain and Kirk to first officer, Pike surrenders to Nero, giving Kirk and Hikaru Sulu (John Cho) a chance to destroy the drill. Nevertheless, Nero destroys Vulcan with a small amount of "red matter", dropped into the planet's core, which creates a black hole that consumes the planet from within. Six billion of the Vulcan people die, including Spock's human mother, Amanda (Winona Ryder).

Nero puts the Narada on a course for Earth with the intention of destroying it. Kirk wants to follow Nero immediately, but Spock insists that the Enterprise should regroup with the fleet as per their orders. Spock has Kirk forcibly removed from the Enterprise and stranded on the nearby ice planet Delta Vega, only for him to be rescued by an aging Vulcan who reveals himself to be Ambassador Spock (Leonard Nimoy). This elderly Spock explains that, 120 years in the future, he tried to save the Romulan planet from being destroyed by a nearby supernova, using the red matter in his ship to create a black hole that would neutralise the threat. Though Spock did not complete his mission in time to save Romulusresulting in Nero's vow to take revenge on Spock and the Federationhe stopped the supernova, and the resulting black hole transported Spock's ship and the Narada into the past. Spock takes Kirk to a nearby Starfleet outpost and introduces him to Montgomery Scott (Simon Pegg), a master engineer and pioneer of transporter technology. Scott and Kirk are transported back to the Enterprise and, taking Ambassador Spock's advice, Kirk goads the younger Spock into attacking him and demonstrating that he is "emotionally compromised". As a result, Spock relieves himself of command; because Kirk is the next-highest ranking officer, he becomes the new captain of the Enterprise.

Captain Kirk takes the Enterprise to Earth, intending to stop the Narada on his own. Spock, Scott and math-whiz Pavel Chekov (Anton Yelchin) figure out a way to lie in wait for the Narada and beam aboard, allowing Kirk and Spock to stage a surprise attack. While Spock steals Ambassador Spock's captured ship and lures the Narada away from Earth, Kirk rescues Pike. With the assistance of the Enterprise, Spock then rams Ambassador Spock's ship into the Narada, detonating the red matter and creating a black hole that, aided by a full barrage of the Enterprise's weaponry, destroys the Narada completely. Kirk, Spock and Pike are rescued by the Enterprise via transporter, which is in turn saved from being pulled into the black hole by Scott. Back on Earth, Kirk is commended, promoted to captain and given permanent command of the Enterprise from Pike, now a Fleet Admiral. Ambassador Spock visits his younger self and explains that he helped Kirk directly because he wanted to ensure that the young Spock and Kirk would come to an understanding of each other and become friends. The younger Spock, convinced to stay with Starfleet, requests to be posted to the Enterprise as first officer and Kirk accepts. As the Enterprise warps away, the elder Spock recites the series' motto: "To Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before."

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'Watchmen' dominates box office

"Watchmen" easily ruled the weekend box office with the biggest opening of 2009 — and at a time when movie attendance continues to rise.

The Warner Bros. superhero flick debuted at No. 1 with $55.2 million. In a distant second place, the Lionsgate comedy "Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail" locked down $8.5 million in its third weekend. "Taken," the 20th Century Fox thriller starring Liam Neeson, took the No. 3 spot with $7.3 million.

For the year, movie attendance continues to soar, with revenue at $1.9 billion, up 16 percent through the same point in 2008. Even factoring in 2009's higher ticket prices, movie attendance is running 14 percent higher than last year.

Not sharing in that success was Disney's "Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience," which dropped from No. 2 to No. 9.

"Not every film can be a hit," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Media By Numbers, "even during this box-office bonanza we're having right now. It dropped about 78 percent the second weekend. It's a young audience. The ones that wanted to see the Jonas Brothers came out last weekend."

The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Media By Numbers LLC:

1. "Watchmen," Warner Bros, $55,214,334, 3,611 locations, $15,291 average, $55,214,334, one week.

2. "Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail," Lionsgate, $8,532,412, 2,151 locations, $3,967 average, $76,237,739, three weeks.

3. "Taken," Fox, $7,334,814, 3,016 locations, $2,432 average, $117,933,922, six weeks.

4. "Slumdog Millionaire," Fox Searchlight, $6,808,383, 2,890 locations, $2,356 average, $125,324,813, 17 weeks.

5. "Paul Blart: Mall Cop," Sony/Columbia, $4,146,316, 2,558 locations, $1,621 average, $133,588,995, eight weeks.

6. "He's Just Not That Into You," Warner Bros., $4,017,326, 2,445 locations, $1,643 average, $84,644,583, five weeks.

7. "Coraline," Focus Features, $3,255,852, 1,959 locations, $1,662 average, $65,627,777, five weeks.

8. "Confessions of a Shopaholic," Disney, $3,100,298, 2,290 locations, $1,354 average, $38,335,114, four weeks.

9. "Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert Experience," Disney, $2,832,454, 1,276 locations, $2,220 average, $16,838,775, two weeks.

10. "Fired Up," Sony/Screen Gems, $2,478,381, 1,798 locations, $1,378 average, $13,238,432, three weeks.

11. "Gran Torino," Warner Bros., $2,036,359, 1,520 locations, $1,340 average, $141,612,344, 13 weeks.

12. "The Reader," Weinstein Co., $1,925,918, 1,175 locations, $1,639 average, $29,860,949, 13 weeks.

13. "Street Fighter: Legend of Chun-Li," Fox, $1,485,028, 1,164 locations, $1,276 average, $7,252,297, two weeks.

14. "Friday the 13th," Warner Bros., $1,444,126, 1,705 locations, $847 average, $63,285,318, four weeks.

15. "The International," Sony/Columbia, $1,330,046, 1,184 locations, $1,123 average, $23,740,662, four weeks.

16. "Pink Panther 2," Sony/MGM, $1,291,517, 1,219 locations, $1,059 average, $34,590,360, five weeks.

17. "Push," Summit Entertainmnet, $1,139,887, 1,142 locations, $998 average, $29,649,680, five weeks.

18. "Hotel For Dogs," Paramount, $1,076,641, 1,120 locations, $961 average, $69,216,612, eight weeks.

19. "The Wrestler," Fox Searchlight, $744,172, 677 locations, $1,099 average, $24,711,985, 12 weeks.

20. "Milk," Focus Features, $582,593, 447 locations, $1,303 average, $31,111,155, 15 weeks.

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The Watchmen

When an ex-superhero is murdered, a vigilante named Rorshach begins an investigation into the murder, which begins to lead to a much more terrifying conclusion. See article about Watchmen conquers box office.

Starring: Billy Crudup, Carla Gugino, Carrie Genzel, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Patrick Wilson

Comments:
Oh wow, this is epic. Having not had the good fortune to read the original source, a lot of what I saw left me in awe, shock and wonder. I stayed away from spoilers for the graphic novel and was rewarded with an excellent storyline with so much to ponder about.

Starting with the murder of The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan, of Supernatural fame and so splendid in this role), we're introduced to our colourful cast of outcasts: Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley, in my second favourite performance of the film), a vigilante going over lines Batman would never cross in his darkest days; Nite-Owl 2 (Patrick Wilson, ever so good to see him again after the excellent Hard Candy), a idealistic young man trying to work out what he wants out of life; Silk Spectre 2 (Malin Akerman, who impressed me early on) another legacy character torn between two men and with a strong desire to get back into the game; Ozymandias (Matthew Goode, ever so good in this), a business man who's traded capes for suits and fights the fight another way; and last, but by no means least, Dr. Manhattan (Bily Crudup, the standout performance here); the only superpowered being with the world on his shoulders.

Staying with Dr. Manhattan, the concept of the character is brilliant. Whether or not he was intended to be a parallel of Superman, I can't help but see similarities between them. Both are considered gods, both can do things beyond comprehension, both can travel to other planets, both have people looking up to them to solve every problem of the human race. And that right there is the biggest one of all: they both cannot help everyone. There is too much for one man, super or otherwise, to take on. The pain, the suffering, they know it all too well. They hear so many cries in the night and they know they all can't be answered. The defining moment for me in this film, where I knew this film couldn't slip from a 4.5, was the television interview with Dr. Manhattan and he is confronted by his ex-girlfriend, who reveals she has cancer. His calm demeanor at this point is shaken (and he's been calm throughout the entire movie) and when surrounded by reporters, he screams "JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" and abandons the planet. Powerful moment, excellent direction there. And let it not be said, the effects are astounding. Some of the best I've seen.

Speaking of praising the visual, let's focus on the fighting. WOW. The fighting is so well done, you'd swear it was like a dance recital. Brutal, uncompromising, and doesn't leave women out of it. Silk Spectre gets to lay the smackdown to a lot of people and you'd think "Wow, she can take on most other heroines and take them down".

One of the best displays of action comes from a flashback to a time just before the outlawing of costumed crimefighters and our heroes are confronting protestors. Nite-Owl 2 is trying to keep the peace and The Comedian leaps out of the transport and just starts beating up all in his path. Lovers of action should watch this one intently.

Another thing I want to talk about is the music selection. Not since Juno have I heard a better marriage of movie and soundtrack. The opening credits are accompanied by Bob Dylan's The Times They Are A-Changin' and it is so powerful to watch the imagery to go with it. So many shocks, my jaw was practically open the entire time the credits were shown.

Standout moment: Nite-Owl 2 and Silk Spectre 2 are up in the transport, in the night and have just saved people from a building that caught fire. The two proceed to make love, and the tune playing is Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah. Truly a magical choice, I praise whoever suggested it (even if the whole song is not played, cutting out the marvelous second verse containing the "you saw her bathing on the roof, her beauty in the moonlight overthrew ya" lines, which fit to a point).

I don't wish to spoil the ending but I will say this: it contains one of the greatest subversions of the cliche of "the villain explaining their plans to the heroes". It's also contains a meta-reference AND lampshade hanging, a three for one deal!

One of the biggest themes in this movie is the idea of the hero/superhero and do we need them. A lot of people are negative about them, believing them to be dangerous, above the law or just plain arrogant. But I think heroes are necessary, to show us what we could be if we applied ourselves. Champions of justice, defenders of the downtrodden. In a crapsack world, we need someone to remind us the fight it not entirely lost.

A common line from the graphic novel is "Who's watching the Watchmen?" I ask something similar for the film. Who's watching Watchmen? The answer is: you should be.

Passanger19

An attack on one is an attack on all of us.

Twenty-three years in the making, director Zack Snyder's ambitious and audacious cinematic rendering of the acclaimed Watchmen graphic novel (by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons) is a dense and visceral exercise in the liberation of the conventional superhero movie. Moore's original 1986 effort was a nihilistic satire which deconstructed and intensely studied super heroes in a real world setting, begetting an adult sensibility and a mature approach to what had (up until then) been commonly dismissed as a medium aimed at kids. Loyal almost to a fault, director Zack Snyder's Watchmen grasps Moore's subversive magnum opus of comicdom and brings it to the big screen in a visually astounding, multi-layered filmic experiment guaranteed to divide audiences. Never straying too far from the material, Snyder's compelling motion picture is infused with sound and images combined to generate a unique visual experience that commendably evokes the atmosphere of a graphic novel. Watchmen is a bold, bizarre and breathtaking slice of cinema arguably for both newcomers and fans alike.

In a masterfully implemented opening credits sequence (set to Bob Dylan's The Times They Are A-Changing), the complete history of masked vigilantism is displayed - from its quaint beginnings in the forties to its eventual outlawing in the seventies. This credits sequence also brings a viewer up to speed with the type of world we're dealing with, inserting mind-blowing tableaus and short scenes. It's simply one of the greatest opening credits sequences this reviewer has ever beheld.
Watchmen takes place in an alternate reality in which superheroes have become part of the fabric of everyday society. However, these costumed vigilantes have been outlawed, and those still in operation are working for the government. It's 1985, and Richard Nixon is serving his fifth term as President of the United States. The Vietnam War was won by America, and now they're on the brink of nuclear war with Russia.

In his high-rise apartment building, an amoral former superhero known as The Comedian (Morgan) is brutally murdered. This triggers an investigation by washed-up, mentally unstable vigilante Rorschach (Haley) who becomes convinced the crime was not random, and that someone may be bumping off the last of the costumed crime fighters. As Rorschach's investigation intensifies, it grows clear that a far more diabolical plot is poised for execution...a plot which could mean cataclysmic consequences for the entire world. With this at stake, Rorschach reunites with his former colleagues - Nite Owl (Wilson) and Silk Spectre II (Akerman) - who don their costumes once again and leap into action.

"Watchmen. One of us died tonight. Somebody knows why. Somebody knows."

The plotting probably sounds complex...and it is! Moore's Watchmen ran for twelve issues, and sufficient material was conceived for practically double that amount. Concerns regarding the translation from book to film were more than justified. There is simply too much content in the original series, ergo it'd virtually impossible for it to be faithfully crammed into a single movie. Thus, as directors came and left the project and as the production was mired in development hell, questions were raised in regards to how much of the comic book would reach the big screen and what sort of liberties a filmmaker might take. Within a running time bordering on three hours, Snyder has been successful in keeping large segments of the graphic novel intact. Considering the time constraints (not to mention the studio pressure for a concise runtime) and how much one single film can contain, Snyder has done a laudable job of generating a tremendous sense of fidelity to the source material. Granted, various elements have reportedly been removed altogether, others have been condensed and the end has been slightly changed, but a lot of the film is lifted directly from the comic (Snyder has promised a Director's Cut, featuring more of the excised subplots). In fact, Watchmen is probably far too reliant on its source material, never convincingly developing into its own entity. David Hayter and Alex Tse's screenplay also struggles to compact the graphic novel into coherent storytelling - some of it is garbled. But the non-converted (this reviewer included) are offered enough character development and explication to bring one up to speed.

For those unfamiliar with the source material, don't be deceived by the intense trailers. A few violent, hard-hitting action sequences here and there notwithstanding, Watchmen is no action film. Snyder's previous cinematic creation, 300 (also a graphic novel adaptation), was an action film plagued with historical inaccuracies and irritating, excessive slow motion. Snyder's Watchmen (taking heed of Moore's graphic novel) eschews frequent action, instead presenting a 160-minute examination of the human (and not-so-human) psyche. It provokes a stimulating question: who would be crazy enough to don a costume and battle crime? The heroes inhabiting Watchmen are murderers, sadists, rapists, sexual deviants and emotionally-detached maniacs. This troubled congregation of heroes have their back-stories revealed over the film's lengthy duration. Graphic violence (we're talking buckets of blood!) is contrasted by sensual sex scenes and the emotional pathos of unexpected relationships. The film commences with a murder - walls are smashed, furniture is broken, knives are flung, glass is shattered, blood is spilt and a body is tossed. This gritty, brutal tone (as well as the energy in the visuals) is sustained throughout the entire flick - this is perhaps its largest asset.

Snyder knocks this one out of the park. His direction exudes a certain maturity; his shots framed to resemble illustrations present in graphic novels. Over the decades, a variety of directors (including Terry Gilliam, Paul Greengrass and Darren Aronofsky) have become involved but backed off when confronted with the sheer enormity of the task at hand. But Snyder eventually stepped up to the task, helming an extraordinary motion picture worthy of several viewings. However, the director's trademark slo-mo action nonsense is on display here, along with occasionally jarring editing. The slow motion hardly works, ultimately coming off as gimmicky. Yet, it seems wrong to resent Snyder's work as a whole as it generates a glorious dark atmosphere. The film's R-rating (from the MPAA) is also very much merited. The gore quotient is frankly astounding! Bones are crushed, blood sprays everywhere, people explode...there's visual excitement of every cinematic kind! Rapes occur, as do sex scenes. Heavy thematic material is also in play, which is hard to stomach (misogyny is certainly present). This is a dense work filled with so many layers. Its deeper meanings are almost impossible to entirely absorb on a single viewing (reviewing the film is therefore a daunting prospect).

With Larry Fong's magnificent cinematography and Alex McDowell's amazing production design, the noir-ish, rain-soaked mid-80s depiction of New York City is effectively realised. Garish, colourful costumes are also present, which are similar to those within its literature counterpart. Special effects and CGI here is incredible! The characters literally descent off the pages, and the appearance of the world takes its cues from the original illustrations by Gibbons. It's easy to immerse yourself into the eloquently-executed world of Watchmen with technical proficiency of this standard. On top of this, the music is exceptional, as is the use of opera throughout the dramatic lead-up to the shocking finale. Not only is Tyler Bates' original score utilised here...an unforgettable selection of covers also pervade the soundtrack, most notably The Sound of Silence.

"We can do so much more. We can save this world... with the right leadership."

The cast do an exemplary job of inhabiting their characters, with special recognition going to Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach. Haley's face is mostly obscured by a balaclava, therefore he can only convey emotions through his voice, and he does so very well. Rorschach is more or less a violent version of Phillip Marlowe with a gruff voice that's surprisingly comprehensible (take notes for your next Batman outing, Christian Bale). With his hat, overcoat and an ever-changing balaclava, he's the ultimate noir anti-hero; an unbalanced detective with his own brand of demented justice. The film is told through Rorschach's journal entries, with Haley presenting utterly perfect narration throughout. Haley's performance is the best in the entire film. Beside him, Patrick Wilson wholly encapsulates Nite Owl. The actor looks perfect in both civilian clothing and his superhero costume, while also giving the character a sense of humanity. Billy Crudup is unexpectedly engaging and a constant source of fascination - an awesome visual effect of a naked, blue-tinged superman.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan places forth an excellent performance as The Comedian. There's also Matthew Goode and Malin Akerman as Ozymandias and Silk Spectre II, respectively. They've been perceived as the weakest links of the cast, but I disagree. Akerman is appealing and truly beautiful, whereas Goode is sapped of emotion yet engaging.

Outside these actors there's an enormous supporting cast, all of which turn in great performances.
Watchmen has been frequently branded as the 'unfilmable' graphic novel. It was created with the specific intention in mind of underlining the restrictions of cinema - its boundless artistry seemed impossible to bring to life. Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' graphic novel was a sprawling twelve-issue series that satirised the superhero genre, held a confronting mirror up to society, mutated events of the past and set the bar for "mature" comics of the future. Watchmen possibly is unfilmable, but Zack Snyder's attempt is monumental and commendable nonetheless. Strokes of brilliance (in the dialogue, special effects, acting) are united with occasionally garbled storytelling, producing an altogether worthy cinematic appropriation of the graphic novel. Never mind the sometimes laboured screenplay as this is riveting viewing. Snyder's remarkable picture is a ballsy, brainy, entertaining and thoroughly bloody examination of human nature, pop culture, and the "good old days" that never were.

The world will look up and shout "Save us!"... And I'll whisper "No."

PvtCaboose91

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Clint Eastwood's `Gran Torino' tops box office, Spanks Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson

Make my weekend. Clint Eastwood has had the best movie opening of his long and esteemed career. His "Gran Torino" revved up the winter box office with $29 million in ticket sales in its first weekend of wide release, according to studio estimates Sunday.

It's Eastwood's best opening ever, topping the $18 million his "Space Cowboys" made in 2000.

In what Eastwood, 78, has said may be his last starring performance, he plays a disgruntled war veteran who reluctantly comes to the aid of his neighbors.

The National Board of Review dubbed Eastwood's performance the best for an actor in 2008, and his song "Gran Torino" was nominated for a Golden Globe at Sunday's awards ceremony.

"Gran Torino," which Eastwood also directed, was previously in limited release for four weeks. It jumped from 84 theaters to 2,808 this weekend after boasting very high theater averages.

"At this stage of his career, I think it's remarkable," said Dan Fellman, head of distribution at Warner Bros., which released "Gran Torino." "There are a lot of younger people that can identify with him in a role like this that maybe haven't seen him a role like this since `Dirty Harry.'"

Eastwood stole the box-office bouquet from Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson. Their wedding comedy "Bride Wars," released by 20th Century Fox, came in second with $21.5 million. The horror film "The Unborn" from Universal Pictures followed with $21.1 million in its debut.

"Marley & Me," the Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson's family dog tale that topped the box office the last two weekends, fell to fourth with $11.4 million and a cumulative total of $124 million for the 20th Century Fox film.

While awards season was heating up, most of the major contenders had solid numbers, though mostly in limited release.

Paramount Vantage's "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" took in $9.4 million in its third week of release, bringing its total closer to the century mark with $94 million.

Focus Features' "Milk," Paramount Vantage's "Revolutionary Road" and Fox Searchlight's "The Wrestler" — all with awards hopes at the Globes and beyond — were among the best performers in screen average. Each hopes to continue to build momentum as the Oscars near.

"Defiance," in its second week of limited release, led with a robust $33,000 screen average. "Defiance" stars Daniel Craig in the story of Jewish brothers who form a band of freedom fighters against the Nazis in Eastern Europe.

Fox Searchlight's underdog hit "Slumdog Millionaire" added $3.7 million to its total of $34 million.

The success of "Gran Torino" could boost Eastwood's awards chances. The film was largely overlooked by the Globes, but the Oscars have long supported Eastwood's directorial efforts and awarded his "Million Dollar Baby" best picture in 2005.

"This will raise its profile in a very profound way," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media by Numbers. "Certainly `Gran Torino' is in an excellent position. It's a textbook case of releasing a film in limited, nurturing it for about a month and unleashing it upon the world in a wide release and really capitalizing on that."

That audiences remain so eager to see Eastwood on the screen suggests to Fellman that he should rethink any acting retirement.

"Clint has said this is the last time he's going to be in front of the lens. I hope he reconsiders after this," Fellman said.

Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson together don't add up to one Clint Eastwood.

The 78-year-old Mount Rushmore of movie stars schooled the twentysomethings at the box office, with Eastwood's Gran Torino taking the weekend with a studly $29 million, per studio estimates compiled today by Exhibitor Relations.

Hathaway and Hudson's much-hyped Bride Wars took second ($21.5 million), but struggled to match its magazine-cover output with bottoms in seats.

The comedy was outgrossed, theater for theater, by three Top 10 films: Gran Torino; the new horror film, The Unborn ($21.1 million); and, the new Fireproof-y drama, Not Easily Broken, which made a Fireproof-y $5.6 million off only 724 screens.

Drilling down into the numbers, including just maybe the saddest stat yet for The Spirit:

• Bride Wars played at about 500 more theaters than Gran Torino, nearly 1,000 more than The Unborn and about 2,500 more than Not Easily Broken. • Bride Wars compares favorably to Katherine Heigl's 27 Dresses, which debuted last January with $23 million—albeit on the strength of far better reviews, and without the benefit of about 200 additional theaters. • This was not Gran Torino's opening weekend. This was its fifth weekend. (It was its first in wide release.) • In addition to Hathaway and Hudson, Eastwood beat Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Adam Sandler (Bedtime Stories), Tom Cruise (Valkyrie), Will Smith (Seven Pounds) and the guy with the scythe from The Seventh Seal. • Eastwood's first Eastwood film since Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino has grossed $40.1 million overall. Its typically efficient director reportedly only spent $25 million to produce the Oscar hopeful. • Not Easily Broken's opening weekend surpassed its reported budget of $5 million. • After four weekends, The Tale of Despereaux ($2.6 million) isn't within $10 million of its reported $60 million budget. • After five weekends, The Day the Earth Stood Still is still about $3 million shy of matching its modest (for a high-profile sci-fi film) $80 million budget. • After a two-weekend run at No. 1, Marley & Me ($11.4 million) slipped to fourth, but hit $123.7 million overall. • Pitt's Benjamin Button is doing what Oscar contenders rarely do these days: close in on $100 million before nominations are announced. As of today, Button's cumulative take stands at $94.3 million. • Mickey Rourke's The Wrestler ($873,898 at 60 theaters) continued to star in limited release. Defiance ($66,000 at two theaters) did even better. • Twilight ($2.8 million) surpassed the $180 million mark overall. • From Friday-Sunday, the broken-down Spirit sold about 24 tickets a day at each of its theaters. • The above stat brought to you by highly speculative movie math: take the weekend per-screen average ($515) divide by three, and then divide by the average ticket price ($7.20).

Here's a recap of the top-grossing weekend films based on estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations:
1. "Gran Torino," $29 million.
2. "Bride Wars," $21.5 million.
3. "The Unborn," $21.1 million.
4. "Marley & Me," $11.4 million.
5. "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," $9.4 million.
6. "Bedtime Stories," $8.6 million.
7. "Valkyrie," $6.7 million.
8. "Yes Man," $6.2 million.
9. "Not Easily Broken," $5.6 million.
10. "Seven Pounds," $3.9 million.

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