Weekend box office

Adam Sandler remains a potent box-office draw. “50 First Dates” has grossed $45.1 million since Friday. The film edged past “Daredevil” ($45 million last year) to claim honors as the biggest opening over a four-day Presidents Day weekend. “Dates” and Sandler’s last film, “Anger Management,” which successfully paired him with Jack Nicholson, were directed by Peter Segal.

In the art house realm, “The Dreamers” expanded from six to 66 theaters, averaging a solid $7,746 per location. The film’s NC-17 rating has not generated resistance to advertising, Fox Searchlight President of Distribution Steve Gilula said, but a few theaters where the company attempted to book the film had lease restrictions that forced it to a different venue.

The sexually explicit film is doing well in big cities -- New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston and Toronto in particular -- while suburban reaction is mixed. Gilula cited Pasadena as an example where the movie is doing very well, but he said business was weaker in Orange County.

In general, however, he said Searchlight was happy with the film’s performance in other cities such as Denver and San Diego, while Manhattan continued to attract the biggest crowds. This weekend the film will expand to about 110 theaters in 37 markets.

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R. Kinsey Lowe

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*--* MOVIE(STUDIO) 4-DAY GROSS TOTAL(MILL.) VENUES AVGVENUE WEEKS

1 50 First Dates $45.1 $45.1 3,591 $12,561 1 (Sony)

2 Miracle $17.0 $40.0 2,755 $6,174 2 (Buena Vista)

3 Barbershop 2: $16.5 $45.0 2,711 $6,087 2 Back in Business (MGM)

4 You Got Served $6.0 $33.0 1,832 $3,288 3 (Sony)

5 The Butterfly $5.96 $49.2 2,288 $2,605 4 Effect (New Line)

6 Catch That Kid $5.9 $12.4 2,848 $2,064 2 (Fox)

7 Along Came $5.5 $82.0 2,543 $2,145 5 Polly (Universal)

8 The Lord of $5.1 $357.4 1,663 $3,061 9 the Rings: The Return of the King (New Line)

9 Mystic River $4.3 $75.3 1,370 $3,145 19 (Warner Bros.)

10 Cold Mountain $3.9 $87.8 1,740 $2,263 8 (Miramax)

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Source: Nielsen