Domestic Box Office For December 1981
| Rank | Release | Gross | Theaters | Total Gross | Release Date | Distributor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Neighbors | $9,259,122 | 1,387 | $29,916,207 | Dec 18 | Columbia Pictures |
| 2 | Modern Problems | $6,797,672 | 1,119 | $26,154,211 | Dec 25 | Twentieth Century Fox |
| 3 | Sharky's Machine | $4,317,201 | 1,388 | $35,610,100 | Dec 18 | Warner Bros. |
| 4 | Reds | $3,875,048 | 644 | $40,382,659 | Dec 4 | Paramount Pictures |
| 5 | Absence of Malice | $3,734,408 | 994 | $40,716,963 | Nov 20 | Columbia Pictures |
| 6 | Taps | $3,401,281 | 792 | $35,856,053 | Dec 9 | Twentieth Century Fox |
| 7 | Ghost Story | $3,283,067 | 600 | $23,371,905 | Dec 16 | Universal Pictures |
| 8 | Rollover | $3,229,556 | 755 | $10,851,261 | Dec 11 | Warner Bros. |
| 9 | Heartbeeps | $2,154,696 | 493 | $2,154,696 | Dec 18 | Universal Pictures |
| 10 | Cinderella 1981 Re-release | $1,733,334 | 1,050 | $28,040,000 | Dec 18 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 11 | On Golden Pond | $564,824 | 1,015 | $119,285,432 | Dec 4 | Universal Pictures |
