The 'Cat' Cleans Up at Box Office

By Rachel F. Elson

Monday November 24, 2003 10:39 AM EST

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Comic Mike Myers's unruly update of Dr. Seuss's "The Cat in the Hat" clawed past mediocre reviews to land in the top spot at the weekend box office, pulling in $40.1 million, according to studio estimates.

The film fell far short of the last Seussian adaptation -- 2000's "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," which opened with $55.1 million, Reuters notes.

The creepy psychological thriller "Gothika," starring Halle Berry as a psychologist incarcerated in her own ward, landed in second place with a respectable $19.6 million -- but it kept Berry only half a million ahead of last week's top film, "Elf." The Christmas comedy starring Will Ferrell landed in No.3 with $19.1 million, and its three-week total is now at $95.1 million.

"Love Actually," the British romantic comedy that some have likened to a greatest-hits collection from director Richard Curtis -- who also wrote British crowd-pleasers "Notting Hill," "Bridget Jones' Diary" and "Four Weddings and a Funeral" -- boosted its box office to $9.1 million after expanding its theater count, the wire service noted. That was enough to slide it up one spot to No. 5, just below the nautical Russell Crowe vehicle "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World," which took in $15.2 million.

Meanwhile, the final installment in the Matrix trilogy, "The Matrix Revolutions," lost 59 percent of its audience from last week, plunging from third place to No. 6 and perhaps proving that even fans of this slick series need a bit more breathing room between installments. "Revolutions is expected to end up with $150 million overall -- almost half the $281 million that the original "The Matrix" garnered in 1999; the middle film, "The Matrix Reloaded," took in $171 million earlier this year.

This weekend's Top 10, according to studio estimates, were as follows:

1. "The Cat in the Hat," $40.1 million
2. "Gothika," $19.6 million
3. "Elf," $19.1 million
4. "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World," $15.2 million
5. "Love Actually," $9.1 million
6. "The Matrix Revolutions," $6.7 million
7. "Brother Bear," $6.1 million
8. "Looney Tunes: Back in Action," $5.5 million
9. "Scary Movie 3," $4.1 million
10. "Radio," $3.3 million