Domestic Box Office For October 1996
| Rank | Release | Gross | Max Th | Opening | % of Total | Open Th | Open | Close | Distributor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sleepers | $53,315,285 | 2,080 | $12,305,745 | 23.1% | 1,915 | Oct 18 | - | Warner Bros. |
| 2 | The Ghost and the Darkness | $38,619,405 | 2,202 | $9,215,063 | 23.9% | 2,142 | Oct 11 | - | Paramount Pictures |
| 3 | The Long Kiss Goodnight | $33,447,612 | 2,404 | $9,065,363 | 27.1% | 2,245 | Oct 11 | - | New Line Cinema |
| 4 | That Thing You Do! | $25,857,416 | 1,887 | $6,208,595 | 24% | 1,870 | Oct 4 | - | 20th Century Fox |
| 5 | D3: The Mighty Ducks | $22,955,097 | 2,060 | $6,170,358 | 26.9% | 2,056 | Oct 4 | - | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 6 | High School High | $21,302,121 | 2,146 | $6,311,786 | 29.6% | 2,146 | Oct 25 | - | Sony Pictures Releasing |
| 7 | The Glimmer Man | $20,351,264 | 2,236 | $7,605,504 | 37.4% | 2,236 | Oct 4 | - | Warner Bros. |
| 8 | Thinner | $15,315,484 | 2,009 | $5,679,046 | 37.1% | 2,009 | Oct 25 | - | Paramount Pictures |
| 9 | The Chamber | $14,551,359 | 2,032 | $5,612,095 | 38.6% | 2,026 | Oct 11 | - | Universal Pictures |
| 10 | The Associate | $12,844,057 | 1,781 | $4,261,304 | 33.2% | 1,781 | Oct 25 | - | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 11 | Michael Collins | $11,092,559 | 878 | $182,221 | 1.6% | 6 | Oct 11 | - | Warner Bros. |
| 12 | Get on the Bus | $5,754,249 | 1,207 | $2,156,409 | 37.5% | 1,207 | Oct 18 | - | Sony Pictures Releasing |
| 13 | Swingers | $4,555,020 | 160 | $74,118 | 1.6% | 8 | Oct 18 | - | Miramax |
| 14 | To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday | $4,189,233 | 807 | $77,725 | 1.9% | 5 | Oct 18 | - | Sony Pictures Releasing |
| 15 | Bound | $3,802,260 | 262 | $900,902 | 23.7% | 261 | Oct 4 | - | Gramercy Pictures (I) |
| 16 | When We Were Kings | $2,789,985 | 92 | $12,479 | 0.4% | 2 | Oct 25 | Jul 31 | Gramercy Pictures (I) |
| 17 | Crash | $2,664,812 | 339 | $738,339 | 27.7% | 42 | Oct 4 | - | Fine Line Features |
| 18 | Snowriders | $2,068,490 | - | - | - | - | Oct 16 | - | Warren Miller Entertainment |
| 19 | Vertigo 1996 Restored 70mm | $1,967,552 | - | - | - | - | Oct 6 | - | Universal Pictures |
| 20 | Beautiful Thing | $1,548,120 | 2 | $33,931 | 2.2% | 2 | Oct 9 | - | Sony Pictures Releasing |
| 21 | Microcosmos | $1,433,210 | 43 | $35,189 | 2.5% | 2 | Oct 9 | Feb 13 | Miramax |
| 22 | Looking for Richard | $1,408,575 | 81 | $33,843 | 2.4% | 2 | Oct 11 | - | Fox Searchlight Pictures |
| 23 | Trees Lounge | $749,741 | 2 | $39,830 | 5.3% | 2 | Oct 11 | - | Orion Classics |
| 24 | Twelfth Night | $588,621 | 31 | $33,451 | 5.7% | 5 | Oct 25 | - | Fine Line Features |
| 25 | The Grass Harp | $559,771 | 48 | $117,161 | 20.9% | 46 | Oct 11 | - | Fine Line Features |
| 26 | Bitter Sugar | $450,060 | 12 | $30,742 | 6.8% | 2 | Oct 11 | - | First Look International |
| 27 | Jude | $409,144 | 20 | $31,850 | 7.8% | 6 | Oct 18 | - | Gramercy Pictures (I) |
| 28 | Palookaville | $365,284 | 24 | - | - | 7 | Oct 25 | - | The Samuel Goldwyn Company |
| 29 | A Single Girl | $230,049 | - | - | - | - | Oct 30 | - | Strand Releasing |
| 30 | Infinity | $195,170 | 46 | $78,976 | 40.5% | 46 | Oct 4 | - | First Look International |
| 31 | Love Is All There Is | $61,875 | 26 | $32,925 | 53.2% | 26 | Oct 11 | - | The Samuel Goldwyn Company |
| 32 | Normal Life | $22,891 | 2 | $3,315 | 14.5% | 1 | Oct 25 | - | Fine Line Features |
| 33 | The Sunchaser | $21,508 | 23 | $13,845 | 64.4% | 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 31 | Warner Bros. |
| 34 | Small Wonders | $20,819 | 7 | $2,880 | 13.8% | 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 24 | Miramax |
| 35 | Not Bad for a Girl | $6,152 | - | - | - | - | Oct 18 | Oct 24 | Horizon Unlimited |
| 36 | Bird of Prey | $3,652 | - | - | - | - | Oct 4 | Oct 17 | Northern Arts Entertainment |
| 37 | Tell the Truth and Run: George Seldes and the American Press | $3,204 | 1 | - | - | - | Oct 11 | Oct 17 | - |
| 38 | I Shot a Man in Vegas | $2,684 | - | - | - | - | Oct 18 | Oct 24 | Arrow Releasing |
