| Rank | Release
| Genre
| Budget
| Running Time
| Gross | Theaters | Total Gross | Release Date | Distributor
| Estimated
|
|---|
| 1 | Avatar | - | - | - | $283,624,210 | 3,461 | $749,766,139 | Dec 18 | Twentieth Century Fox | false |
| 2 | Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel | - | - | - | $120,727,282 | 3,747 | $219,614,612 | Dec 23 | Twentieth Century Fox | false |
| 3 | Sherlock Holmes | - | - | - | $102,102,956 | 3,626 | $209,028,679 | Dec 25 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 4 | The Blind Side | - | - | - | $94,261,156 | 3,407 | $255,959,475 | Nov 20 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 5 | The Princess and the Frog | - | - | - | $74,687,418 | 3,475 | $104,400,899 | Nov 25 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | false |
| 6 | The Twilight Saga: New Moon | - | - | - | $51,177,724 | 4,124 | $296,623,634 | Nov 20 | Summit Entertainment | false |
| 7 | It's Complicated | - | - | - | $40,375,875 | 2,955 | $112,735,375 | Dec 25 | Universal Pictures | false |
| 8 | Up in the Air | - | - | - | $33,655,213 | 2,218 | $83,823,381 | Dec 4 | Paramount Pictures | false |
| 9 | A Christmas Carol | - | - | - | $31,335,221 | 3,683 | $137,855,863 | Nov 6 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | false |
| 10 | Invictus | - | - | - | $26,677,133 | 2,170 | $37,491,364 | Dec 11 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 11 | Brothers | - | - | - | $26,222,779 | 2,088 | $28,544,157 | Dec 4 | Lionsgate Films | false |
| 12 | 2012 | - | - | - | $22,933,688 | 3,444 | $166,112,167 | Nov 13 | Sony Pictures Releasing | false |
| 13 | Old Dogs | - | - | - | $21,572,537 | 3,425 | $49,492,060 | Nov 25 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | false |
| 14 | Did You Hear About the Morgans? | - | - | - | $20,380,046 | 2,718 | $29,580,087 | Dec 18 | Sony Pictures Releasing | false |
| 15 | Armored | - | - | - | $15,498,240 | 1,919 | $15,988,876 | Dec 4 | Screen Gems | false |
| 16 | Ninja Assassin | - | - | - | $15,172,668 | 2,503 | $38,122,883 | Nov 25 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 17 | Planet 51 | - | - | - | $10,597,323 | 3,035 | $42,194,060 | Nov 20 | Sony Pictures Releasing | false |
| 18 | Nine | - | - | - | $9,844,753 | 1,412 | $19,676,965 | Dec 18 | The Weinstein Company | false |
| 19 | Precious | - | - | - | $9,718,043 | 1,003 | $47,566,524 | Nov 6 | Lionsgate Films | false |
| 20 | Everybody's Fine | - | - | - | $9,208,876 | 2,141 | $9,208,876 | Dec 4 | Miramax | false |
| 21 | Fantastic Mr. Fox | - | - | - | $8,309,707 | 2,304 | $21,002,919 | Nov 13 | Twentieth Century Fox | false |
| 22 | The Road | - | - | - | $4,216,163 | 396 | $8,117,000 | Nov 25 | - | false |
| 23 | The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day | - | - | - | $3,976,087 | 524 | $10,273,188 | Oct 30 | Apparition | false |
| 24 | 3 Idiots | - | - | - | $3,264,664 | 156 | $6,532,874 | Dec 23 | Reliance Big Pictures | false |
| 25 | An Education | - | - | - | $2,312,159 | 763 | $12,574,914 | Oct 9 | Sony Pictures Classics | false |
| 26 | The Young Victoria | - | - | - | $1,969,390 | 476 | $11,001,272 | Dec 18 | Apparition | false |
| 27 | Couples Retreat | - | - | - | $1,545,540 | 3,074 | $109,204,945 | Oct 9 | Universal Pictures | false |
| 28 | Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs | - | - | - | $1,411,611 | 3,119 | $124,870,275 | Sep 18 | Sony Pictures Releasing | false |
| 29 | The Men Who Stare at Goats | - | - | - | $1,366,210 | 2,453 | $32,428,195 | Nov 6 | Overture Films | false |
| 30 | Broken Embraces | - | - | - | $1,291,013 | 202 | $5,014,305 | Nov 20 | Sony Pictures Classics | false |
| 31 | A Single Man | - | - | - | $1,244,691 | 354 | $9,176,000 | Dec 11 | The Weinstein Company | false |
| 32 | Law Abiding Citizen | - | - | - | $1,207,337 | 2,890 | $73,357,727 | Oct 16 | Overture Films | false |
| 33 | The Boat That Rocked | - | - | - | $1,068,395 | 883 | $8,017,917 | Nov 13 | Focus Features | false |
| 34 | Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon | - | - | - | $1,059,387 | 82 | $34,137,524 | Sep 23 | IMAX | false |
| 35 | Where the Wild Things Are | - | - | - | $912,781 | 3,735 | $77,233,467 | Oct 16 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 36 | A Serious Man | - | - | - | $911,317 | 262 | $9,228,768 | Oct 2 | Focus Features | false |
| 37 | Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans | - | - | - | $767,002 | 96 | $1,702,112 | Nov 20 | First Look International | false |
| 38 | Me and Orson Welles | - | - | - | $759,075 | 134 | $1,190,003 | Nov 25 | Freestyle Releasing | false |
| 39 | The Fourth Kind | - | - | - | $754,905 | 2,530 | $25,486,040 | Nov 6 | Universal Pictures | false |
| 40 | The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus | - | - | - | $660,985 | 607 | $7,689,607 | Dec 25 | Sony Pictures Classics | false |
| 41 | Paranormal Activity | - | - | - | $646,346 | 2,712 | $107,918,810 | Sep 25 | Paramount Pictures | false |
| 42 | Crazy Heart | - | - | - | $481,200 | 1,361 | $39,464,306 | Dec 16 | - | false |
| 43 | Zombieland | - | - | - | $478,227 | 3,171 | $75,590,286 | Oct 2 | Sony Pictures Releasing | false |
| 44 | Under the Sea 3D | - | - | - | $445,643 | 108 | $36,262,926 | Feb 13 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 45 | Astro Boy | - | - | - | $444,945 | 3,020 | $19,551,067 | Oct 23 | Summit Entertainment | false |
| 46 | The Polar Express 2009 IMAX Release | - | - | - | $412,876 | 21 | $514,354 | Nov 6 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 47 | De Dana Dan | - | - | - | $400,278 | 69 | $944,979 | Nov 27 | Eros Worldwide | false |
| 48 | Transylmania | - | - | - | $397,641 | 1,007 | $397,641 | Dec 4 | Full Circle Releasing | false |
| 49 | Coco Before Chanel | - | - | - | $384,771 | 307 | $6,113,834 | Sep 25 | Sony Pictures Classics | false |
| 50 | Red Cliff | - | - | - | $380,928 | 42 | $627,047 | Nov 18 | Magnolia Pictures | false |
| 51 | The Messenger | - | - | - | $319,509 | 50 | $1,109,660 | Nov 13 | Oscilloscope | false |
| 52 | The Lovely Bones | - | - | - | $318,423 | 2,638 | $44,114,232 | Dec 11 | DreamWorks | false |
| 53 | The Box | - | - | - | $274,451 | 2,635 | $15,051,977 | Nov 6 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 54 | Larger Than Life in | - | - | - | $246,042 | 509 | $246,042 | Dec 11 | Cinedigm Entertainment Group | false |
| 55 | Space Station 3D | - | - | - | $235,155 | 64 | $93,383,953 | Apr 19 | IMAX | false |
| 56 | La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet | - | - | - | $227,366 | 25 | $567,493 | Nov 4 | Zipporah Films | false |
| 57 | Amelia | - | - | - | $212,400 | 1,070 | $14,246,488 | Oct 23 | - | false |
| 58 | Paa | - | - | - | $199,228 | 67 | $199,228 | Dec 4 | - | false |
| 59 | This Is It | - | - | - | $190,967 | 3,481 | $72,091,016 | Oct 28 | Sony Pictures Releasing | false |
| 60 | The Private Lives of Pippa Lee | - | - | - | $189,201 | 26 | $337,356 | Nov 27 | Screen Media Films | false |
| 61 | Inglourious Basterds | - | - | - | $154,915 | 3,358 | $120,540,719 | Aug 21 | The Weinstein Company | false |
| 62 | Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure | - | - | - | $128,294 | 252 | $23,746,066 | Oct 5 | National Geographic Entertainment | false |
| 63 | The Maid | - | - | - | $112,336 | 19 | $576,608 | Oct 16 | Elephant Eye Films | false |
| 64 | The Invention of Lying | - | - | - | $106,015 | 1,743 | $18,451,251 | Oct 2 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 65 | The Wizard of Oz 2009 NCM Fathom Event | - | - | - | $98,571 | 451 | $1,140,000 | Sep 23 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 66 | Paris | - | - | - | $83,752 | 34 | $1,010,194 | Sep 18 | IFC Films | false |
| 67 | Whiteout | - | - | - | $83,184 | 2,745 | $10,275,638 | Sep 11 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 68 | The Hangover | - | - | - | $78,489 | 3,545 | $277,322,503 | Jun 5 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 69 | Deep Sea | - | - | - | $78,055 | 47 | $46,412,757 | Mar 3 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 70 | Kurbaan | - | - | - | $68,071 | 83 | $754,268 | Nov 20 | UTV Motion Pictures | false |
| 71 | New York, I Love You | - | - | - | $62,354 | 118 | $1,588,015 | Oct 16 | Vivendi Entertainment | false |
| 72 | Julie & Julia | - | - | - | $57,945 | 2,528 | $94,125,426 | Aug 7 | Sony Pictures Releasing | false |
| 73 | Surrogates | - | - | - | $57,537 | 2,992 | $38,577,772 | Sep 25 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | false |
| 74 | G-Force | - | - | - | $53,514 | 3,697 | $119,436,770 | Jul 24 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | false |
| 75 | Capitalism: A Love Story | - | - | - | $48,123 | 995 | $14,363,397 | Sep 23 | Overture Films | false |
| 76 | Antichrist | - | - | - | $48,037 | 19 | $404,122 | Oct 23 | IFC Films | false |
| 77 | Shorts | - | - | - | $42,169 | 3,105 | $20,919,166 | Aug 21 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 78 | The Damned United | - | - | - | $39,565 | 45 | $449,865 | Oct 9 | Sony Pictures Classics | false |
| 79 | Until the Light Takes Us | - | - | - | $39,548 | 3 | $130,441 | Dec 4 | Variance Films | false |
| 80 | The Slammin' Salmon | - | - | - | $38,920 | 11 | $41,587 | Dec 11 | Anchor Bay Films | false |
| 81 | Police, Adjective | - | - | - | $38,424 | 8 | $53,206 | Dec 23 | IFC Films | false |
| 82 | Dolphins and Whales 3D: Tribes of the Ocean | - | - | - | $37,142 | 42 | $7,714,996 | Feb 15 | 3D Entertainment | false |
| 83 | Good Hair | - | - | - | $37,034 | 466 | $4,157,223 | Oct 9 | Roadside Attractions | false |
| 84 | Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | - | - | - | $36,283 | 4,455 | $301,959,197 | Jul 15 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 85 | The Informant! | - | - | - | $34,956 | 2,505 | $33,316,821 | Sep 18 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 86 | The Little Traitor | - | - | - | $33,983 | 5 | $402,088 | Oct 23 | - | false |
| 87 | 35 Shots of Rum | - | - | - | $27,574 | 5 | $177,511 | Sep 16 | The Cinema Guild | false |
| 88 | Serious Moonlight | - | - | - | $25,339 | 8 | $25,339 | Dec 4 | Magnolia Pictures | false |
| 89 | The September Issue | - | - | - | $25,178 | 143 | $3,820,067 | Aug 28 | Roadside Attractions | false |
| 90 | Mystery Team | - | - | - | $25,100 | 4 | $89,442 | Aug 28 | Roadside Attractions | false |
| 91 | Fame | - | - | - | $22,630 | 3,133 | $22,455,510 | Sep 25 | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) | false |
| 92 | Bright Star | - | - | - | $22,563 | 380 | $4,444,637 | Sep 16 | Apparition | false |
| 93 | The House of the Devil | - | - | - | $22,447 | 7 | $101,215 | Oct 30 | Magnolia Pictures | false |
| 94 | Whip It | - | - | - | $21,288 | 1,738 | $13,043,363 | Oct 2 | - | false |
| 95 | The Yes Men Fix the World | - | - | - | $18,851 | 16 | $194,533 | Sep 25 | Shadow Distribution | false |
| 96 | Collapse | - | - | - | $17,497 | 5 | $46,964 | Nov 6 | Vitagraph Films | false |
| 97 | The End of Poverty? | - | - | - | $17,481 | 5 | $57,805 | Nov 13 | Cinema Libre Studio | false |
| 98 | Ong Bak 2 | - | - | - | $17,436 | 12 | $102,458 | Oct 23 | Magnolia Pictures | false |
| 99 | Killing Kasztner | - | - | - | $17,241 | 5 | $112,313 | Oct 23 | Sky Island Films | false |
| 100 | It Might Get Loud | - | - | - | $16,324 | 75 | $1,610,163 | Aug 14 | Sony Pictures Classics | false |
| 101 | Oh My God | - | - | - | $15,706 | 7 | $38,244 | Nov 13 | Mitropoulos Films | false |
| 102 | A Town Called Panic | - | - | - | $14,767 | 10 | $165,509 | Dec 16 | Zeitgeist Films | false |
| 103 | The Horse Boy | - | - | - | $14,602 | 5 | $156,612 | Sep 30 | Zeitgeist Films | false |
| 104 | All About Steve | - | - | - | $14,205 | 2,265 | $33,862,903 | Sep 4 | Twentieth Century Fox | false |
| 105 | Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg | - | - | - | $13,696 | 25 | $1,134,623 | Jul 10 | International Film Circuit | false |
| 106 | Amreeka | - | - | - | $13,020 | 40 | $627,436 | Sep 4 | National Geographic Entertainment | false |
| 107 | The Sun 2009 Re-release | - | - | - | $12,794 | 4 | $77,303 | Nov 18 | Lorber Films | false |
| 108 | (Untitled) | - | - | - | $12,652 | 25 | $230,600 | Oct 23 | The Samuel Goldwyn Company | false |
| 109 | The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry | - | - | - | $12,242 | 135 | $1,355,079 | Sep 18 | Five & Two Pictures | false |
| 110 | One Peace at a Time | - | - | - | $11,698 | 2 | $11,698 | Dec 4 | Monterey Media | false |
| 111 | Four Seasons Lodge | - | - | - | $11,060 | 3 | $58,334 | Nov 11 | First Run | false |
| 112 | Uncertainty | - | - | - | $10,300 | 4 | $36,689 | Nov 13 | IFC Films | false |
| 113 | Bronson | - | - | - | $10,191 | 8 | $104,979 | Oct 9 | Magnolia Pictures | false |
| 114 | The Beaches of Agnès | - | - | - | $9,000 | 7 | $239,711 | Jul 2 | The Cinema Guild | false |
| 115 | Crude | - | - | - | $8,948 | 7 | $170,295 | Sep 9 | First Run | false |
| 116 | Small Change | - | - | - | $8,609 | 2 | $38,296 | Nov 24 | The Film Desk | false |
| 117 | The Headless Woman | - | - | - | $7,706 | 3 | $100,177 | Aug 19 | Strand Releasing | false |
| 118 | That Evening Sun | - | - | - | $7,412 | 10 | $281,350 | Nov 6 | Freestyle Releasing | false |
| 119 | Home | - | - | - | $6,504 | 2 | $15,925 | Nov 27 | Lorber Films | false |
| 120 | Seraphine | - | - | - | $5,949 | 24 | $884,613 | Jun 5 | Music Box Films | false |
| 121 | The Strip | - | - | - | $5,107 | 8 | $5,107 | Dec 4 | Truly Indie | false |
| 122 | 9 | - | - | - | $4,804 | 2,060 | $31,749,894 | Sep 9 | Focus Features | false |
| 123 | Big Fan | - | - | - | $4,395 | 15 | $234,540 | Aug 28 | First Independent Pictures | false |
| 124 | Defamation | - | - | - | $4,302 | 4 | $12,038 | Nov 20 | First Run | false |
| 125 | Ricky | - | - | - | $3,457 | 1 | $3,457 | Dec 16 | IFC Films | false |
| 126 | The Way We Get By | - | - | - | $3,331 | 7 | $106,542 | Jul 17 | International Film Circuit | false |
| 127 | Trucker | - | - | - | $3,313 | 13 | $52,429 | Oct 9 | Monterey Media | false |
| 128 | Earth Days | - | - | - | $3,282 | 5 | $26,748 | Aug 14 | Zeitgeist Films | false |
| 129 | Le combat dans l'île | - | - | - | $3,234 | 1 | $50,039 | Jun 12 | The Film Desk | false |
| 130 | Cloud 9 | - | - | - | $3,223 | 8 | $91,675 | Aug 14 | Music Box Films | false |
| 131 | The Missing Person | - | - | - | $3,084 | 3 | $17,896 | Nov 20 | Strand Releasing | false |
| 132 | The Baader Meinhof Complex | - | - | - | $2,889 | 38 | $476,270 | Aug 21 | Vitagraph Films | false |
| 133 | The Time Traveler's Wife | - | - | - | $2,572 | 2,988 | $63,414,846 | Aug 14 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 134 | Beeswax | - | - | - | $2,520 | 3 | $46,590 | Aug 7 | The Cinema Guild | false |
| 135 | Gentlemen Broncos | - | - | - | $2,462 | 18 | $113,682 | Oct 30 | - | false |
| 136 | The Wonder of it All | - | - | - | $2,322 | 39 | $781,016 | Jul 17 | Indican Pictures | false |
| 137 | Bicycle Thieves 2008 Re-release | - | - | - | $2,208 | 2 | $36,818 | Oct 31 | Corinth Films | false |
| 138 | William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe | - | - | - | $2,112 | 6 | $46,078 | Nov 13 | Arthouse Films | false |
| 139 | White on Rice | - | - | - | $1,850 | 4 | $69,171 | Sep 11 | Variance Films | false |
| 140 | The Cove | - | - | - | $1,747 | 56 | $857,005 | Jul 31 | Roadside Attractions | false |
| 141 | Endgame | - | - | - | $1,457 | 14 | $9,645 | Nov 6 | Monterey Media | false |
| 142 | Youssou Ndour: I Bring What I Love | - | - | - | $1,406 | 7 | $172,225 | Jun 12 | Shadow Distribution | false |
| 143 | Departures | - | - | - | $1,367 | 27 | $1,498,210 | May 29 | Regent Releasing | false |
| 144 | Yuri Gagarin Conspiracy: Fallen Idol | - | - | - | $1,270 | 2 | $14,471 | Oct 2 | Indican Pictures | false |
| 145 | Mammoth | - | - | - | $1,197 | 1 | $9,580 | Nov 20 | IFC Films | false |
| 146 | We Live in Public | - | - | - | $1,159 | 2 | $41,711 | Aug 28 | Abramorama | false |
| 147 | Shall We Kiss? | - | - | - | $996 | 33 | $535,499 | Mar 27 | Music Box Films | false |
| 148 | Tokyo Sonata | - | - | - | $969 | 10 | $278,356 | Mar 13 | Regent Releasing | false |
| 149 | Home | - | - | - | $582 | 3 | $9,478 | Apr 23 | Monterey Media | false |
| 150 | Lorna's Silence | - | - | - | $513 | 23 | $338,795 | Jul 31 | Sony Pictures Classics | false |
| 151 | Bliss 2009 Re-release | - | - | - | $345 | 3 | $40,349 | Aug 7 | First Run | false |
| 152 | From Mexico with Love | - | - | - | $316 | 279 | $548,787 | Oct 9 | Roadside Attractions | false |
| 153 | American Fork | - | - | - | $285 | 2 | $3,359 | Nov 6 | Monterey Media | false |
| 154 | Adventures of Power | - | - | - | $273 | 3 | $17,419 | Oct 9 | Variance Films | false |
| 155 | Little Ashes | - | - | - | $253 | 16 | $481,586 | May 8 | Regent Releasing | false |
| 156 | Sex Positive | - | - | - | $171 | 1 | $12,069 | Jun 12 | Regent Releasing | false |
| 157 | Peter and Vandy | - | - | - | $143 | 3 | $11,495 | Oct 9 | Strand Releasing | false |
| 158 | The Song of Sparrows | - | - | - | $67 | 5 | $116,372 | Apr 3 | Regent Releasing | false |
| 159 | Monsieur Verdoux | - | - | - | $54 | 2 | $64,636 | Mar 14 | The Film Desk | false |
