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Chapter 167: Opening Week Box Office
🕑 Added 2025-01-01 09:53:47 +0000 UTCAlthough the film faced protests, the first-day box office numbers were decent. The most significant impact on the film actually came from the rating system.
On Friday, the opening day, the film grossed $10.256 million. For an R-rated movie, this was quite an impressive figure.
Far away in Europe, Gilbert, who learned about the midnight screening and the opening day box office figures, also heard about the protests from the Black community. He shared the situation with the film's cast.
Upon hearing the numbers, the actors, including Tom Hanks, were so excited that they clenched their fists and celebrated.
However, after hearing about the protests, everyone couldn't help but frown.
The temperamental Vin Diesel cursed outright, "Are their brains made of pig slop? Or are they just born with less brain capacity than normal people?"
Tom Hanks, rarely cracking a joke, added dryly, "You're wrong, Vin. Even pigs are smarter than these people."
Everyone shared a laugh, clearly agreeing with his assessment.
Still, Gilbert reminded the cast, "Don't say anything rash in front of the media. Don't bring trouble to yourselves."
"Got it, Director…"
"Relax, Gilbert. We're just venting internally among ourselves. We won't say anything outside," the actors promised.
They understood the gravity of the situation. Although the Black protests annoyed them, responding could backfire. It might lead to accusations of racism, which would be a huge headache.
The best approach was to ignore them and let the protest groups entertain themselves.
Of course, they could follow the previous strategy used to placate parents and children—engaging in public welfare campaigns, like focusing on issues within the Black community or donating to related causes.
But Gilbert had no interest in appeasing anyone. As a proud man, he wouldn't grovel to anyone.
If accused of ignoring Black contributions during World War II, Gilbert would counter by emphasizing the massive sacrifices made by his own community. "Did Black soldiers contribute more than us? If we're truly discussing contributions, I wouldn't even give you a chance to speak."
However, that kind of extreme reaction was a last resort. Generally, it was best to remain silent.
Compared to Black protests, parental complaints posed a slightly bigger issue.
Perhaps the controversy over The Rock's rating had left parents dissatisfied. This time, Saving Private Ryan faced similar backlash from parents.
Many parents who saw the movie agreed that the protest had merit. They believed the film's rating should've been stricter; an R-rating was too lenient.
Their concern wasn't for themselves but for their children.
Seventeen-year-old Evans, against his father's wishes, snuck into the theater to watch Saving Private Ryan.
After returning home, facing his father's stern gaze, Evans vowed, "Dad, I swear, Saving Private Ryan is an incredible movie.
It's not the kind of film parents are protesting against. It doesn't glorify or promote war and violence.
We shouldn't approach it with prejudice. This film's message is something we can all learn from."
Persuaded by Evans' conviction, his father reluctantly went to see the film. Afterward, he apologized to his son. "I'm sorry, Evans. I almost missed out on a masterpiece.
This film deserves all the praise it's getting."
The father and son reconciled, and during the weekend, they shared their experience with other families.
"When you go to the movies this weekend, make sure to see Saving Private Ryan."
"Absolutely. Missing this film would be a lifelong regret."
Despite the negative coverage from newspapers regarding parental protests, many families trusted their neighbors more.
As more families saw the film, the word-of-mouth effect grew stronger. By the weekend, Saving Private Ryan continued to achieve strong box office results in North America.
On Saturday, May 5th, the film grossed $15.098 million in a single day. Over the weekend, it earned another $11.632 million, bringing its opening-week box office in North America to $42.226 million.
This achievement ranked second among R-rated films' opening-week box office records in North America—a remarkable feat.
The record-holder, Terminator 2, grossed $52 million in its opening week and eventually earned $208 million domestically.
But Terminator 2 was a highly anticipated sci-fi sequel. Although Saving Private Ryan had a World War II backdrop and was inspired by real-life events, it wasn't a sequel.
Given these factors, its performance was excellent.
The film also performed well in Europe, where it didn't face the same protests as in North America. In its opening week, it grossed $21.35 million across several markets.
Adding the North American earnings, the global total reached $63.546 million, making it the opening-week box office champion in both North America and multiple international markets.
Moreover, the film sparked widespread discussions and reflections. Critics, media, and audiences alike heaped praise on it.
The few negative reviews were drowned out by fans who loved the movie.
Many people, after watching the film, would instinctively seek reviews to see how others lauded the movie. Finding reviews they agreed with brought smiles to their faces as they read.
This search for agreement was a psychological process. In the past, people turned to newspapers to find this sense of affirmation.
But with the advent of IMDb and the rise of the internet, fans could now leave their own reviews online.
IMDb's comment sections, complete with like and reply features, allowed fans to find like-minded individuals and a sense of belonging.
Of course, some viewers who disliked the film left negative reviews, sparking debates as fans defended the movie. Arguments over reviews became commonplace.
Even in this primitive era of the internet, with its simple web pages and rudimentary design, the potential for shaping public opinion was already apparent.
Naturally, Gilbert paid attention to his film's IMDb reviews. The movie had an initial IMDb rating of 9.0, trailing only The Godfather, The Shawshank Redemption, and The Godfather Part II.
Although this was an early rating that would later drop slightly, Gilbert was confident it would stabilize above 8.5.
At this stage, few people cared about IMDb ratings and reviews. It would take a few more years for the internet's influence to grow enough for studios to recognize IMDb's impact.
Gilbert had already laid the groundwork. After all, he'd invested in the site and planned to create his own online army.
Whether it was to praise his own movies or discredit his competitors, this tactic would prove incredibly effective. While this practice would become commonplace in the future, it was a groundbreaking move at the time.
With the first week concluded, the film moved into its weekday phase. Finally, on May 8th—Victory in Europe Day—and the opening day of that year's Cannes Film Festival arrived.
To counter the Venice Film Festival, controlled by the fascist regime during its early years, the French government had planned to establish its own festival in 1939.
However, World War II delayed preparations.
It wasn't until after the war, in September 1946, that the first festival was held in Cannes, a small French town. Since 1951, the festival was moved to May to better compete with Venice. Its highest honor became the Palme d'Or.
Saving Private Ryan wasn't an entry in the competition but was one of the opening films for the Cannes Film Festival. The main cast received invitations to attend the festival's red carpet.
While the European "Big Three" film festivals didn't have as much influence in North America compared to the Golden Globes or the Oscars, they held significant clout worldwide.
Having such a platform for promotion was undoubtedly beneficial for Saving Private Ryan.
This year's Cannes Film Festival featured two films from Chinese-speaking regions: Temptress Moon by Chen Kaige, starring Leslie Cheung and Gong Li, and Goodbye South, Goodbye by Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien, a quintessential New Wave film from the region.
Gilbert naturally noticed the Chinese delegation. While Gong Li was on the beach having her photo taken, Gilbert happened to walk by with Sophie Marceau and Emmanuelle Béart. Gong Li recognized him immediately.
Gilbert had a certain level of fame in the Chinese film industry. His lecture at the Beijing Film Academy had become a bragging point for its students.
Even Zhang Yimou had mentioned Gilbert several times, praising their pleasant exchanges. Gong Li had been present during one of those occasions and later looked into Gilbert's work.
Seeing him now, flanked by two stunning actresses, she froze momentarily before shrinking back.
The Cannes Film Festival attracted many celebrities, so it wasn't surprising to see Gilbert or the two French stars.
However, if the French public knew Gilbert was walking arm-in-arm with two of their national treasures, there would likely be outrage. But it would end with just a bit of grumbling.
After all, gossip like this was something people loved to hear.
Gilbert charming two French beauties? That would be a tantalizing story.
The beach was full of people enjoying the sun and the water—men and women alike. Gong Li wasn't the only one having photos taken.
But Gilbert, Sophie Marceau, and Emmanuelle Béart weren't there for a photo shoot.
Sophie Marceau had taken time off work to accompany Gilbert on his promotional tour across major European cities.
She was immensely popular in Europe and wanted to use her influence to help Gilbert promote his film.
Of course, at night, she stayed in Gilbert's hotel room. Gilbert loved learning French, and she was happy to be his teacher.
But after a few days, Sophie confessed she couldn't keep up. Gilbert was as strong as a bull, and she couldn't handle him alone.
At Sophie's urging, Emmanuelle Béart, whom she'd met at the premiere, joined in. The three of them spent the previous night studying French enthusiastically in the hotel before coming to the beach to relax.
Sophie even joked with Gilbert, "If the two of us still can't keep up, I might have to call in reinforcements.
If you don't mind an age difference, I've already contacted Isabelle Adjani to join us at Cannes
