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Freelance writer Dominic Patten is a Deadline contributor
The anti-abortion drama October Baby opens in 390 theaters nationwide today, and according to distributor Samuel Goldwyn Films its domestic box office has the second-highest per-screen matinee average behind The Hunger Games. So how is an independent faith-based film — the feature debut of video directors and brothers Jon and Andrew Erwin and made for a budget of just more than $1 million — seem poised for success? Like its successful predecessors in the genre, it is relying on word-of-mouth from conservative religious groups. It’s an extension of a strategy that began last fall when October Baby was released for three weeks in 13 theaters in Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi, timed to to an ultimately unsuccessful Mississippi “personhood” ballot initiative and backed with funding from the American Family Association. Baby grossed $7,854 per screen for this period.
Related: Box Office: ‘Hunger Games’ Looking Like $135M-$150M Weekend
For the expansion, the coming-of-age film starring Rachel Hendrix, John Schneider, and Jasmine Guy has tapped into block buys of 1,000 tickets by faith-based groups at churches and colleges who pledge to purchase and distribute them among their members. Samuel Goldwyn and faith-based Provident Films are targeting primarily the Bible Belt: it’s playing 32 theaters in Texas; 14 in the Erwins’ native Alabama, whose governor declared March 23 “October Baby Day”; 23 in North Carolina; and 18 in Georgia. The film is only in nine theaters in New York state and six in Pennsylvania. In California, it is playing in 25 theaters but only two in LA and none in San Francisco. It is that dedicated, laser-targeted audience that helped make fellow faith-based fare Fireproof, starring Kirk Cameron, one of the most successful independent films of 2008, grossing $33.5 million. It also propelled last year’s Courageous, also from Provident, to a $34.5 million gross. “We think that a lot of them will go see October Baby again,” a source close to the film told Deadline. “It has that sort of appeal.”
For more estimates listed by title, see box office results here...
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So what do you think the chances are of pro-choice people getting up in arms about this movie, staging protests and boycotts?
Non-existent. Both left and right extremists seem to have realized that protesting a film only gives it more publicity. Notice how Catholics didn’t protest the last Da Vinci movie the way they did the first, even though it had a lunatic priest in the Vatican, etc.
Anyway I’m liberal and pro-choice, but why should I protest a film whose politics I disagree with. I’m proud to live in a country where it can be made, just like a Michael Moore documentary or porn or anything else extreme that could offend someone.
As a liberal am I supposed to be protesting against the film just because it was made? That’s silly. Heck, I’d sooner protest in support of the film’s right to exist, dislike it though I may.
My guess is that the pro choice crowd is going to stay away from it because any publicity is good publicity. I think they are hoping it will fade out in a week or two. Too bad they can’t ignore all the ultrasound bills popping up. Oh and the younger generation that doesn’t blindly support Planned Parenthood anymore. I think October Baby is just a sign of things to come. Call it backlash.
Call it being too young to remember women and girls dying from illegal abortions.
But young enough to have escaped being one of the 48 million Americans aborted since 1972.
SAMMY this isn’t an Evangelical website. Your rigged stats have no power here.
Sammy’s stats are indeed correct and have greater power on main street than Ron realizes. But I digress. The movie was outstanding. The cinematography was excellent and the plot had sufficient twists and turns to hold my 11 year old rapt throughout. We are entering a golden age of Judeo-Christian Filmmaking. I enjoyed this even more than “Come What May” and “The Widow’s Might”. It was better than “Flywheel” and “Facing the Giants” and easily as good as “Courageous” and “Fireproof”. Make sure you stay for the credits as there is delightful surprise after the credits start to roll.
Back when women were dying from illegal abortions, no one was helping them strongly with options because it wasn’t so discussed, and there weren’t films and knowledge to share of what was really happening in an abortion. There was much more general shame and judgment against those with pregnancies out of wedlock. Give people an opporunity to believe that they do have and make choices indeed, and that sex is something to be responsible enough about not to feel the need to end it, except in rape or incest; All must also realize, though, even then the baby is an innocent victim too. Why cause two innocent victims when as many people are seeking to adopt historically as are abortions. Interesting coincidence? I think not.
You mean, too young to remember the fraudulant narrative and outright lies about back alley abortions. October Baby is a great film, bye the way, my kids loved it.
ALI was there some kind of point buried in your post or were you just having a mini meltdown to crazy town and looking to drag innocent readers along with you?
What would we protest or boycott? 390 theatres primarily in second and third tier southern markets each packed with pre-sold Christian tour groups who are getting exactly what they paid for? Last time I checked it was still a free country. We like to save our protesting and boycotting instead of just frittering them away on everything that we don’t agree with, understand or feel irrationally threatened by.
Haven’t seen this movie yet, but I’ve heard its great.
Tim. W. I think the film’s producers would greatly appreciate that kind gesture of increased marketing and raising their on screen average even higher! When do you and your posse mount up?
Great story! Great counter programmming for Hunger Games
I’m gonna say chances of a boycott by pro-choicers is pretty slim, considering they support your CHOICE to not have an abortion. Pro-Choice does not = Pro-Abortion.
Just curious if Cider House Rules was immediately labeled a “pro-abortion” drama? October Baby is more pro-adoption than anti-abortion, but the 72% of critics dashing the pic, won’t call it the “pro-adoption” movie.
It’s labelled as an “anti-abortion” movie more than a “pro-adoption” movie because of the main characters background story. Unlike Juno, the adoption story is as the result of a botched abortion, with the main character then being adopted and having severe medical problems her entire life (supposedly all because of the botched abortion). The message is, this is what can happen, so no one should do it.
Wow, good for that woman and her October baby. I’m glad she was able to make a CHOICE to have it…or not have it…i’m guessing she has it, though.
Don’t you think it would be better if you actually watched the movie before posting a comment or a review? Your post about choice and adoption has absolutely nothing to do with the film. You will just have to watch it to find out why since I don’t want to be a spoiler of one of the biggest of the twists and turns in the movie.
That is a brilliant point actually. Talk about misrepresenting a movie. It’s not anti-abortion, but anything that has a hint of “Pro-life” on it has to be labeled with the focus group approved label of “Anti-Choice”.
It’s not a movie about Choice. The main character’s mother had an abortion that failed. The character is then adopted and the story is about the woman finding out about her life (explaining why she was always so ill – it was the failed abortion; seeking out her birth mother, etc).
SPOILER!
I’d rather call you other names instead.
I’m young. I’m pro life and for legal abortions. I have no right to tell women to keep rape babies and neither do you.
Neither do you, or anyone else have a right to kill babies. See how there are two sides to every story?
No one does, that’s why if someone kills a baby in the US, or nearly every civilized country, they go to jail.
Abortion is not the same as killing.
What kind of tortuous logic supports that conclusion?
Of course, but that doesn’t play into the Hollywood narrative. Is it any wonder Hollywood is becoming more irrelevant every year?
Yeah, that’s why Juno was so reviled by Hollywood
TSA your comment is hoot. Yeah, Hollywood is, like, so totally irrelevant. I mean forget the fact that you posted your brilliant observation on the same weekend that a little film called “The Hunger Games” is poised to break a half dozen box office records. It’s truly awe-inspiring that you don’t allow pesky things like facts or reality get in the way of you sharing such wordly and astute observations with those of us outside the hallowed halls of your mega church. In fact, Hollywood is so irrelevant that “October Baby” didn’t even need a Hollywood-based distributor (we’ll just ignore the fact that it did). Hollywood is so passe that audiences shunned all other films and flocked to thousands of theatres across the country to get cozy with Jasmine Guy and John Schneider (390 theatres is close to thousands). Heck, who needsyou Hollywood when the bulk of your ticket sales come fom bulk buys paid for by the tax free dollars that flow through Evangelical churches?
Bob Weaver,
You may want to know a little something about a movie before you comment.
Yes, she has it, but that wasn’t the CHOICE she made.
Don’t worry libs, the film will not gross $100,000 million or be nominated for any awards….no matter how good it is.
I’m sure Bill Maher’s many writters are working on awful jokes about it now, it’s what they do.
I’m rubber and you’re glue…
So it’s Juno minus the decent acting and indie music.
With all due respect, I think some of you folks have no idea what this movie’s about. The protagonist isn’t pregnant and debating whether to have her child. Rather, she discovers she was adopted after being abandoned by her birth mother — and was born prematurely after barely surviving a botched abortion. Much of the film is devoted to her attempts to track down her birth mother. Unless I missed something, she not only is not pregnant herself — she is a virgin.
JOE I wouldn’t see this movie in a million years but you get big props for weighing in to support and explain the film without resorting to anti-choice taunts and evangelical rhetoric. Thanks for adding a much needed dose of dignity to the procedings. My previous comments aside, I say this without a shred of sarcasm and with a great deal of respect for your post. Nice job!
Is it really a “surprise” hit when the churches always bus their sheep to the theaters for these type of movies or talk about them during a sermon?
How many times does it have to happen before it is no longer a surprise?
Thank you!
This was basically my comment (which was deleted for some reason). You can’t count ticket sales for xtian movies the way you count others. Churches and faith groups block buy tickets, the same way political-affiliated groups block buy books to put them on the best-seller list. Might want to include a little asterisk the way NYT does with its best-seller book list (*denotes block/bulk sales).
I would never see the movie because I’m sure the writing, acting and directing are laughably bad. But I do respect their right to make the movie and as Charlie R has posted there is an obvious built-in audience here, so the financial gamble is nil.
their other movies where great im sure this ones just as good.
Great Movie..definitely anti abortion..Golden age of Christian movies? I am a Christian and I don’t think so…they need more work. Pro choice? pro life? Don’t forget sex outside of marriage is a sin Make love/ not lust.