Despite little press, few screens and a tiny budget by Hollywood standards, Ayn Rand's magnum opus, "Atlas Shrugged: Part I," placed a respectable 14th in the box office standings on its opening weekend.
The No. 1 movie was the kid-friendly "Rio," which grossed $39 million at 3,826 screens (including 3D) nationally. "Atlas" took in $1.7 million at just 299 screens. Along with a hefty promotional budget, "Rio" cost $90 million to produce. "Atlas," by contrast, carried just a $10 million price tag.
Viewed from another perspective, "Atlas" held its own against Robert Redford's new Civil War drama, "The Conspirator," grossing $5,590 per screen versus $5,540. "Conspirator" opened at 707 screens.
'Atlas' is beginning to catch on in Florida despite the media snub. For example, the Miami Young Republicans on Twitter Tuesday: "miamiyrs Miami YRs: Want to join us to see Atlas Shrugged? We're getting together a group for the 7 pm Friday showing at Sunset Place. DM us if you're in!"
While critics from The New York Times and other mainstream media outlets panned or simply ignored the cinematic portrayal of Rand's dystopic vision of corrupted capitalism, the low-budget "Atlas" generated plenty of Internet buzz among the legions of Rand aficionados. More than a half-century after publication, her hefty tome consistently ranks among the better-selling books.
Though fictional, the timing and the premise of "Atlas" resonate richly in today's world of corporate bailouts and government intervention. Such real-life players as U.S. Rep. Barney Frank and Microsoft boss Bill Gates can be seen in the villains and heroes of Rand's work.
Whether life imitates art, or the other way around, conservative blogger Paul Gregory says media outlets shrug off "Atlas" at their peril. Noting how the New York Times prematurely dismissed the tea party movement, Gregory writes:
"The Times may choose to ignore 'Atlas Shrugged' as beneath their dignity, but it may turn out to be a rallying cry in the 2012 election. If so, the venerable NYT has again missed the boat."
Indeed, the late libertarian Rand may be having the last laugh.
As New York Post reviewer Kyle Smith observed in comparing the impact of "Atlas" to other current movie fare:
"'Hop' and 'Sucker Punch' are not going to create any activists, stir any conversation or make people want to read more about the subject."
Harmon Kaslow, one of the movie's producers, told USA Today that he is working to get "Atlas" on 1,000 movie screens by the end of the month. The film is currently playing at 35 theaters around Florida. (See listings here.)
--
Contact Kenric Ward at kward@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 801-5341.
