Ellevee

Saw the movie twice. The first time I was preoccuppied with the I-was-right-there moment. The playground scenes between Lauren and Vin and Vin and Brad I kept pointing out to my friends where I was right at that moment. The background was a bit hazy but I know I was there. There was a moment. I can now lay claim to a one-second fame of being in the movie with Lauren. Alright, it was hardly, very hardly, noticeable but, hey, I'll take anything. Waffles is happy.

The second time I was more focused on the movie, although my mind still wondered off to dreamland when the scenes I was on set came on. The movie was fine. My friends liked it. Nothing spectacular, really. All I can say is, the screen surely lit up whenever Lauren was on. And I'm a sucker for touchy-feely thingies. The Vin/Brittany bonding got me. Brad was annoying. It was weird for me because I remember him being amiable and pleasant on set before and after doing his scenes.

Nadine

Okay woke up to the news that it was no 1 - crap even I didn't think it would pull in the amount it did

LOS ANGELES - Vin Diesel (news)'s family-friendly comedy "The Pacifier" pulled in $30.2 million on its opening weekend to rank as the nation's top-grossing movie, turning his action-star image — and box-office expectations — upside down.

Proving he's more than biceps and tattoos, Diesel's performance as a Navy SEAL turned baby sitter easily outdistanced the weekend's other major opening, "Be Cool" with John Travolta.

"Be Cool," the sequel to the 1995 comedy "Get Shorty," took in $23.5 million for Travolta's largest weekend opening, according to studio estimates.

"'Pacifier' did better than anyone expected, but you can't underestimate the family audience," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations Co., which tracks box-office figures. "I think people like to see a fish-out-of-water story — an action star in a very unexpected role."

In the Disney comedy, Diesel plays a tough guy who's brought down to size when he's forced into the role of a father figure. The PG-rated makeover recalled another action star's detour into comedy — Arnold Schwarzenegger (news - web sites) in "Kindergarten Cop," in which the actor known for the violent "Terminator" and "Conan" roles played a police officer facing a classroom of kids.

Diesel proved "the old axiom that funny is money," said Chuck Viane, Disney's head of distribution. Moviegoers want "to laugh and escape for a few hours."


The film earned an average $9,653 per theater, well ahead of "Be Cool," which averaged $7,307.


Holding the third spot was Will Smith's romantic comedy "Hitch," which took in $12.5 million to push its four-week total to $138 million.


"Diary of a Mad Black Woman," the top film last weekend, dropped to fourth place. Its $12 million box office was off 45 percent from the previous week. The drama-comedy is based on a script by Tyler Perry from his play of the same name and features him as a cross-dressed, gun-toting grandmother.

Big-studio films often plunge 50 percent or more in the second weekend.

In its 12th week, "Million Dollar Baby" appeared to get a lift from its haul of Academy Awards (news - web sites), including best picture. The film grossed $8.5 million to secure the fifth spot at the box office, up from $7.2 million and No. 6 in last weekend's rankings.

Miramax's "The Aviator" dropped out of the top 10, falling to 11th with $2.3 million.

Among film's with limited release, Warner Independent's "The Jacket," a time-travel story with Adrien Brody (news) and Keira Knightley, was No. 10 with $2.7 million.

Final figures were to be released Monday.

Revenue from the top 12 movies was estimated at $111 million, down 16 percent from the same weekend last year, when Mel Gibson (news)'s "The Passion of the Christ" banked $53 million in its second weekend.

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


1. "The Pacifier," $30.2 million.

2. "Be Cool," $23.5 million.

3. "Hitch," $12.5 million.

4. "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," $12 million.

5. "Million Dollar Baby," $8.5 million.

6. "Constantine," $6 million.

7. "Cursed," $3.9 million.

8. "Man of the House," $3.5 million.

9. "Because of Winn-Dixie," $3.4 million.

10. "The Jacket," $2.7 million.


******

It made almost $10 million more than the analysts had predicted!

laurengraham

I saw the movie twice too. The first time was on opening night w/ my little sister and I really liked it. The whole time i was waiting for lauren lol. Everyone else who was at the movie seemed to enjoy it too, because everyone was laughing at the funny parts.

Then i saw it again last night with my mom and my sister's were there for a bday party. I liked it better the 2nd time.... not sure why tho lol

Its really cute and lauren's stunt was great

onetruething123

That's interesting. I liked it better the second time I saw it too.

kitkat20

So glad it did so well at the box office!

Nadine

Here's Box Office Mojo's report

'Pacifier' Packs Them In
by Brandon Gray
March 6, 2005

The Pacifier allayed subdued industry expectations with a strong No. 1 opening, and Be Cool chilled in second place as comedy ruled the box office roost for the fourth weekend in a row.

Starring Vin Diesel as a Navy S.E.A.L. assigned to protect a family in the suburbs, The Pacifier sucked on an estimated $30.2 million at 3,131 locations—slightly less than the $31.1 million debut of distributor Buena Vista and director Adam Shankman's last collaboration, Bringing Down the House, on this same weekend in 2003. According to Buena Vista's exit polling, 55 percent of the audience was female, while 47 percent was under the age of 18.

Buena Vista aggressively promoted The Pacifier, their first major release of the year, and, though the movie looked like a clichéd sitcom, the trailer garnered laughs from moviegoers by playing up Diesel's tough guy persona—a character who's been to Somalia, Serbia, Bosnia and, now, Suburbia—against young children and a duck that snaps at his ear.

After box office disappointments The Chronicles of Riddick and A Man Apart, Diesel had been written off as quickly as he had risen—after all, his perceived stardom was based primarily on two pictures, The Fast and the Furious in 2001 and XXX in 2002. With The Pacifier, he propitiated audiences with a can't miss genre.

Fish-out-of-water comedies about unlikely parental figures have been among the most consistent draws—from Michael Keaton in Mr. Mom to the '80s bachelors of Three Men and a Baby to Adam Sandler in Big Daddy to Ice Cube in this year's hit Are We There Yet?. The genre allows for lots of universal humor as well as heart-warming moments.

Be Cool palmed an estimated $23.5 million at 3,216 venues, which, if the estimate holds, would be a new opening weekend high for star John Travolta edging out Face/Off's $23.4 million (in raw grosses only). Distributor MGM's exit polling suggested that 52 percent of Be Cool's audience was female, while 54 percent was over the age of 25.

The $53 million-budgeted follow-up to Get Shorty, in which Mr. Travolta's mobster Chili Palmer moves from the movie industry to music, sold its sizable cast that included leggy Uma Thurman, Vince Vaughn, comic Cedric the Entertainer, rap recording artist Andre 3000, Harvey Keitel and wrestler-actor The Rock. The marketing emphasized Vaughn and The Rock the most, with Vaughn's white-wannabe-black antics and The Rock playing against type. The Pulp Fiction reunion of Travolta and Thurman was slyly referenced with a brief dance scene recalling when they did the twist in their previous picture.

When Get Shorty came out in 1995, it was the affirmation that John Travolta had made a comeback and that the success of Pulp Fiction was no fluke. The adaptation of Elmore Leonard's novel opened to $12.7 million at 1,612 theaters (about half the amount of Be Cool), or over $18 million adjusted for ticket price inflation. It closed with $72.1 million (or over $103 million adjusted). Though Be Cool ultimately won't sell as many tickets as its predecessor, the sequel, playing to his hip persona, keeps Mr. Travolta on the star map after mostly shaky returns this millennium.

The crime comedy genre can be a tough sell, and more so when it comes to sequels as The Whole Ten Yards and Analyze That showed in recent years. Movies set in the entertainment business tend to lack broad appeal as well (Hollywood Homicide, Showtime), limited by self-reflexivity and insider smugness, with pictures like Bowfinger and now Be Cool representing the high end of how they perform at the box office.

Bending few minds, The Jacket strapped in at 1,331 theaters but committed an anemic estimated $2.7 million. Reminiscent of Jacob's Ladder and The Butterfly Effect, the psychological, time-warping thriller featuring Adrien Brody and Keira Knightley opened worse than most similar pictures, in part, because all its marketing pushed was the tormented trip and not the drive behind it.

Last weekend's surprise Diary of a Mad Black Woman tumbled 45 percent to an estimated $12 million for $38.1 million in 10 days. Still, with a $5.5 million production cost, the picture will be quite profitable.

Jazz

I saw it for the second time today. I love Brad Garrett, I think he's the most sweetest man and if you get a chance to meet him in person, his height might be intimidating but his heart is really sweet! However, seeing him stand next to Lauren in that one shot in the movie still gets me. Even though she's quite tall, she looked so tiny next to Brad!

A. B. Normal

I'm sure Brad is a great person in real life. Even so, his "jokes" fell flat every time unless it was physical comedy or a sight gag, aka wrestling match and nun outfit.

I need to see the movie a second time as well. I really was just paying attention to Lauren the first time.

Hollywood.com interview with the cast. I clipped LG's parts.

After Pamie ragging on "Mc(whatever)" jokes because of Shiesty McShiester, that made me laugh. LMAO to the cupcake plan. I guess that production company will have to wait!

Nadine

Lex thanks for bringing that along

Hottie McHotties and the cupcake plan - looks like her PC is going to be producing cupcakes and not projects.

I swear when they do make an announcement for GG it better be just a freaking 2 year renewal deal which will mark the end of the show. It'll mean then they can start looking forward to post-GG even though it'll be sad for the show, it'll be great for the other projects including the cupcake plan

onetruething123

"But a 15 hour day is a 15 hour day and you want to have some balance. I think the max is probably two more years."

That's if she doesn't crack before then.
I do not envy Lauren's work schedule at all. Poor girl.

"I'm working on mastering the greatest cupcake recipe ever. I really am. I made these cupcakes that are coconut, but they're just not moist enough.

At least she has a long term goal. ha.

lovinlauren

"I am working on mastering the best cupcake recipe ever"
Well I am glad she does fun things with her time off,I don't envy working 15hrs holy moly that's a long day.

I also loved when she said she doesn't look forward to Gilmore Girls being over Yeah I am so glad she thinks that.
I am hoping it goes 7seasons crosses fingers

villette

I. Love. Her.

Buttermilk, nah. Flavor, yes; moisture, not really. Slightly more oil, slightly less flour, and less baking time = more moisture. [/speaking directly to someone who will never read this]

Cupcakes are a really fun thing to make, and who doesn't love them? Plus baking is a real stress reliever so I'm glad she has the ability to cook and manages to find time to perfect that recipe. I wonder who her taste testers are.

tinydancer821

everyone keeps saying that the pacifier is even better the second time around... guess that means i'm going to have to see it again this week!!

Nadine

Well the closest I can come to watching for the first time is either via the net *cough* or fly to another city to watch it 2 weeks before it comes out here *g* since some states in Australia get it March 24 while others (like NSW where I live) get it April 7 *sigh*

soulstarshine

I'm so glad it was #1.