Ben Affleck and Hollywoodland Suffers Box Office Woes

Critics loved Ben Affleck in Hollywoodland.  USA Today reported that Affleck, 34, is receiving some of the strongest reviews since his 1997 breakthrough in Chasing Amy and Goodwill Hunting, which earned him a screenplay Oscar with Matt Damon.

Ben Affleck and Hollywoodland Suffers Box office Woes

Anthony Breznican writes that "Affleck's new movie also is drawing comparisons with his life. Both Affleck and Reeves faced career crises amid withering press and a public that projected the actors' screen images onto their real lives. Unlike Reeves, who is believed to have committed suicide, Affleck used the career grief to fuel his performance, says Hollywoodland screenwriter and executive producer Paul Bernbaum."

***

"It's about who you really are, as opposed to who people think you are," Bernbaum says.

"Whatever role (Affleck) played in the press, that wasn't him. When you're followed 24 hours a day, you can't be yourself. And George had the same problem. He wasn't Superman, but that's all anyone wanted to see. Ben could really relate to that."

***

Unfortunately, audiences don't appear to relate at all.

Nikki Finke gives the bad box office news for the film writing that Hollywoodland had a disappointing opening in second place with $1.8 million from 1,548 theaters for what should be only a $6 million weekend.

Critics loved Affleck’s performance, but maybe moviegoers wanted the Ben The Pin-up, since he packed on 28 pounds to play this role of old Superman TV star George Reeves.

***

Ugh -a $6 million weekend?  Next week should tell if it's Affleck or the genre. It will be interesting to see if the lack of interest in “old Hollywood” mystery-themed movies continues for next weekend’s The Black Dahlia.

--Susan Hatch writes from Phoenix