The Great Debaters

A drama based on the true story of Melvin B. Tolson, a professor at Wiley College Texas. In 1935, he inspired students to form the school's first debate team, which went on to challenge Harvard in the national championship.

Grosses

Domestic (100%)
$30,236,407
Summary Details
DistributorMGM
Opening$6,005,180
1,171 theaters
MPAAPG-13
Running Time2 hr 6 min
GenresBiography Drama Romance
In Release373 days/53 weeks
Widest Release1,290 theaters

Key:Estimated

DateDOW RankDaily %± YD %± LW TheatersAvgTo DateDay
Dec 25
Christmas Day
Tuesday6$3,639,116--1,164$3,126$3,639,1161
Dec 26Wednesday10$2,036,560-44%-1,164$1,749$5,675,6762
Dec 27Thursday11$1,575,332-22.6%-1,164$1,353$7,251,0083
Dec 28Friday11$1,989,184+26.3%-1,171$1,698$9,240,1924
Dec 29Saturday10$2,314,431+16.4%-1,171$1,976$11,554,6235
Dec 30Sunday11$1,701,565-26.5%-1,171$1,453$13,256,1886
Dec 31
New Year's Eve
Monday9$1,436,103-15.6%-1,171$1,226$14,692,2917
Jan 1
New Year's Day
Tuesday11$1,742,739+21.4%-52.1%1,171$1,488$16,435,0308
Jan 2Wednesday12$703,832-59.6%-65.4%1,171$601$17,138,8629
Jan 3Thursday12$623,955-11.3%-60.4%1,171$532$17,762,81710
Jan 4Friday12$1,323,934+112.2%-33.4%1,290$1,026$19,086,75111
Jan 5Saturday11$1,883,274+42.2%-18.6%1,290$1,459$20,970,02512
Jan 6Sunday12$1,043,740-44.6%-38.7%1,290$809$22,013,76513
Jan 7Monday12$291,293-72.1%-79.7%1,290$225$22,305,05814
Jan 8Tuesday11$323,777+11.2%-81.4%1,290$250$22,628,83515
Jan 9Wednesday11$324,012<0.1%-54%1,290$251$22,952,84716
Jan 10Thursday11$335,408+3.5%-46.2%1,290$260$23,288,25517
Jan 11Friday14$738,085+120.1%-44.3%1,290$572$24,026,34018
Jan 12Saturday15$1,072,508+45.3%-43.1%1,290$831$25,098,84819
Jan 13Sunday18$534,782-50.1%-48.8%1,290$414$25,633,63020
Jan 14Monday14$175,271-67.2%-39.8%1,290$135$25,808,90121
Jan 15Tuesday12$198,020+13%-38.8%1,290$153$26,006,92122
Jan 16Wednesday12$194,644-1.7%-39.9%1,290$150$26,201,56523
Jan 17Thursday12$237,900+22.2%-29.1%1,290$184$26,439,46524
Jan 18Friday17$394,789+65.9%-46.5%1,021$386$26,834,25425
Jan 19Saturday18$595,743+50.9%-44.5%1,021$583$27,429,99726
Jan 20Sunday19$357,659-40%-33.1%1,021$350$27,787,65627
Jan 21
MLK Day
Monday17$421,099+17.7%+140.3%1,021$412$28,208,75528
Jan 22Tuesday18$114,310-72.9%-42.3%1,021$111$28,323,06529
Jan 23Wednesday19$104,998-8.1%-46.1%1,021$102$28,428,06330
Jan 24Thursday18$119,133+13.5%-49.9%1,021$116$28,547,19631
Jan 25Friday25$145,789+22.4%-63.1%390$373$28,692,98532
Jan 26Saturday26$247,231+69.6%-58.5%390$633$28,940,21633
Jan 27Sunday26$145,954-41%-59.2%390$374$29,086,17034
Jan 28Monday24$44,255-69.7%-89.5%390$113$29,130,42535
Jan 29Tuesday24$48,735+10.1%-57.4%390$124$29,179,16036
Jan 30Wednesday24$53,101+9%-49.4%390$136$29,232,26137
Jan 31Thursday24$47,047-11.4%-60.5%390$120$29,279,30838
Feb 1Friday32$74,463+58.3%-48.9%264$282$29,353,77139
Feb 2Saturday30$140,150+88.2%-43.3%264$530$29,493,92140
Feb 3Sunday32$43,022-69.3%-70.5%264$162$29,536,94341
Feb 4Monday31$23,615-45.1%-46.6%264$89$29,560,55842
Feb 5Tuesday30$26,985+14.3%-44.6%264$102$29,587,54343
Feb 6Wednesday26$24,857-7.9%-53.2%264$94$29,612,40044
Feb 7Thursday26$31,358+26.2%-33.3%264$118$29,643,75845
Feb 8Friday36$39,778+26.9%-46.6%156$254$29,683,53646
Feb 9Saturday37$65,261+64.1%-53.4%156$418$29,748,79747
Feb 10Sunday37$33,458-48.7%-22.2%156$214$29,782,25548
Feb 11Monday35$11,444-65.8%-51.5%156$73$29,793,69949
Feb 12Tuesday34$14,378+25.6%-46.7%156$92$29,808,07750
Feb 13Wednesday34$17,038+18.5%-31.5%156$109$29,825,11551
Feb 14Thursday35$23,297+36.7%-25.7%156$149$29,848,41252
Feb 15Friday36$25,062+7.6%-37%105$238$29,873,47453
Feb 16Saturday36$40,352+61%-38.2%105$384$29,913,82654
Feb 17Sunday37$26,913-33.3%-19.6%105$256$29,940,73955
Feb 18
Presidents' Day
Monday37$21,079-21.7%+84.2%105$200$29,961,81856
Feb 19Tuesday36$9,006-57.3%-37.4%105$85$29,970,82457
Feb 20Wednesday39$7,166-20.4%-57.9%105$68$29,977,99058
Feb 21Thursday35$9,935+38.6%-57.4%105$94$29,987,92559
Feb 22Friday43$12,019+21%-52%75$160$29,999,94460
Feb 23Saturday43$20,170+67.8%-50%75$268$30,020,11461
Feb 24Sunday46$8,577-57.5%-68.1%75$114$30,028,69162
Feb 25Monday38$5,173-39.7%-75.5%75$68$30,033,86463
Feb 26Tuesday39$4,718-8.8%-47.6%75$62$30,038,58264
Feb 27Wednesday39$4,675-0.9%-34.8%75$62$30,043,25765
Feb 28Thursday40$5,263+12.6%-47%75$70$30,048,52066
Feb 29Friday47$7,562+43.7%-37.1%47$160$30,056,08267
Mar 1Saturday47$10,948+44.8%-45.7%47$232$30,067,03068
Mar 2Sunday48$6,502-40.6%-24.2%47$138$30,073,53269
Mar 3Monday42$3,294-49.3%-36.3%47$70$30,076,82670
Mar 4Tuesday47$2,083-36.8%-55.8%47$44$30,078,90971
Mar 5Wednesday46$2,795+34.2%-40.2%47$59$30,081,70472
Mar 6Thursday47$2,146-23.2%-59.2%47$45$30,083,85073
Mar 7Friday43$4,862+126.6%-35.7%34$143$30,088,71274
Mar 8Saturday45$5,483+12.8%-49.9%34$161$30,094,19575
Mar 9Sunday45$4,074-25.7%-37.3%34$119$30,098,26976
Mar 10Monday46$1,289-68.4%-60.9%34$37$30,099,55877
Mar 11Tuesday45$1,598+24%-23.3%34$47$30,101,15678
Mar 12Wednesday44$2,394+49.8%-14.3%34$70$30,103,55079
Mar 13Thursday44$1,950-18.5%-9.1%34$57$30,105,50080
Mar 14Friday49$2,224+14.1%-54.3%20$111$30,107,72481
Mar 15Saturday49$3,732+67.8%-31.9%20$186$30,111,45682
Mar 16Sunday50$2,178-41.6%-46.5%20$108$30,113,63483
Mar 17Monday49$891-59.1%-30.9%20$44$30,114,52584
Mar 18Tuesday53$832-6.6%-47.9%20$41$30,115,35785
Mar 19Wednesday51$1,157+39.1%-51.7%20$57$30,116,51486
Mar 20Thursday52$1,120-3.2%-42.6%20$56$30,117,63487
Mar 21Friday43$12,556+1,021.1%+464.6%113$111$30,130,19088
Mar 22Saturday39$17,091+36.1%+358%113$151$30,147,28189
Mar 23
Easter Sunday
Sunday39$10,590-38%+386.2%113$93$30,157,87190
Mar 24Monday38$6,202-41.4%+596.1%113$54$30,164,07391
Mar 25Tuesday36$6,182-0.3%+643%113$54$30,170,25592
Mar 26Wednesday35$7,517+21.6%+549.7%113$66$30,177,77293
Mar 27Thursday34$7,988+6.3%+613.2%113$70$30,185,76094
Mar 28Friday43$6,029-24.5%-52%40$150$30,191,78995
Mar 29Saturday43$8,023+33.1%-53.1%40$200$30,199,81296
Mar 30Sunday44$3,621-54.9%-65.8%40$90$30,203,43397
Mar 31Monday40$2,414-33.3%-61.1%40$60$30,205,84798
Apr 1Tuesday40$2,275-5.8%-63.2%40$56$30,208,12299
Apr 2Wednesday40$1,876-17.5%-75%40$46$30,209,998100
Apr 3Thursday40$2,115+12.7%-73.5%40$52$30,212,113101
Apr 4Friday46$2,600+22.9%-56.9%24$108$30,214,713102
Apr 5Saturday46$3,059+17.7%-61.9%24$127$30,217,772103
Apr 6Sunday48$1,554-49.2%-57.1%24$64$30,219,326104
Apr 7Monday47$664-57.3%-72.5%24$27$30,219,990105
Apr 8Tuesday44$1,002+50.9%-56%24$41$30,220,992106
Apr 9Wednesday46$781-22.1%-58.4%24$32$30,221,773107
Apr 10Thursday45$887+13.6%-58.1%24$36$30,222,660108
Apr 11Friday48$1,387+56.4%-46.7%8$173$30,224,047109
Apr 12Saturday50$1,463+5.5%-52.2%8$182$30,225,510110
Apr 13Sunday52$634-56.7%-59.2%8$79$30,226,144111
Apr 14Monday43$1,056+66.6%+59%8$132$30,227,200112
Apr 15Tuesday48$324-69.3%-67.7%8$40$30,227,524113
Apr 16Wednesday51$160-50.6%-79.5%8$20$30,227,684114
Apr 17Thursday52$198+23.8%-77.7%8$24$30,227,882115