TRUTH\’S CONSEQUENCES (CONT.)

Barring some kind of surprising news about the movie “Truth” (maybe that it is doing any kind of appreciable business anywhere in the USA or the world), this probably will be the last blog I write on the subject.

What is there to say?  The numbers – courtesy of boxofficemojo.com – tell the tale:

Hooboy.

In its first week,Truth was placed in 6 theaters – located, no doubt, in cities where it wouldhave been most likely to draw an audience.

The fact that it didnothing more than so-so business in those theaters was a canary in the coalmine.  A 400 pounder.

Next week, in just 18theaters – again probably in cities where it would do the most business, thegross dropped in half.

Then, despite thelousy numbers, it found its way into 1,122 theaters – about one-third thenumber a hit movie would be put in, but enough so that pretty much anyone inany market could see it.  The gross dropped under $1,000 per theater.

And in its fourth week- after half the theaters said bye-bye, the remaining 554 managed an averagegross of $669.

The total gross forits first four weeks (don\’t expect another four either)?  Under$2,000,000.  And that is with Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford – bothstars that have had no problem demanding far more than $2,000,000 fees just forthemselves.  The production company is not telling us how much thismega-flop actually cost to produce, and to market.  But – trust me on thisone – if someone had come to you suggesting you invest in it, and you said no,you did yourself the favor of your financial life.

Put another way, if Dan Rather and Mary Mapes figured this would be their ticket to exoneration, they must have gotten their expectations from the same guy who fed them the fake documents.  Instead of a killing, they got another Killian.