| Rank
| Release
| Genre
| Budget
| Running Time
| Gross | Max Theaters | Total Gross | % of Total | Release Date | Distributor
|
|---|
| 1 | Ransom | - | - | - | $117,963,463 | 2,768 | $136,492,681 | 86.4% | Nov 8, 1996 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 2 | Star Trek: First Contact | - | - | - | $77,398,035 | 2,812 | $92,027,888 | 84.1% | Nov 22, 1996 | Paramount Pictures |
| 3 | Space Jam | - | - | - | $76,649,303 | 2,650 | $90,418,342 | 84.8% | Nov 15, 1996 | Warner Bros. |
| 4 | 101 Dalmatians | - | - | - | $76,197,720 | 2,901 | $136,189,294 | 55.9% | Nov 27, 1996 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 5 | The First Wives Club | - | - | - | $67,016,793 | 2,406 | $105,489,203 | 63.5% | Sep 20, 1996 | Paramount Pictures |
| 6 | Sleepers | - | - | - | $53,315,285 | 2,080 | $53,315,285 | 100% | Oct 18, 1996 | Warner Bros. |
| 7 | Jingle All the Way | - | - | - | $43,574,203 | 2,404 | $60,592,389 | 71.9% | Nov 22, 1996 | Twentieth Century Fox |
| 8 | Romeo + Juliet | - | - | - | $41,668,083 | 1,963 | $46,351,345 | 89.9% | Nov 1, 1996 | Twentieth Century Fox |
| 9 | The Mirror Has Two Faces | - | - | - | $40,081,233 | 2,489 | $41,083,864 | 97.6% | Nov 15, 1996 | Sony Pictures Releasing |
| 10 | The Ghost and the Darkness | - | - | - | $38,619,405 | 2,202 | $38,619,405 | 100% | Oct 11, 1996 | Paramount Pictures |
| 11 | Set It Off | - | - | - | $35,851,259 | 1,016 | $36,461,139 | 98.3% | Nov 8, 1996 | New Line Cinema |
| 12 | The Long Kiss Goodnight | - | - | - | $33,447,612 | 2,404 | $33,447,612 | 100% | Oct 11, 1996 | New Line Cinema |
| 13 | That Thing You Do! | - | - | - | $25,857,416 | 1,887 | $25,857,416 | 100% | Oct 4, 1996 | Twentieth Century Fox |
| 14 | D3: The Mighty Ducks | - | - | - | $22,955,097 | 2,060 | $22,955,097 | 100% | Oct 4, 1996 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 15 | Jerry Maguire | - | - | - | $21,702,567 | 2,531 | $153,952,592 | 14.1% | Dec 13, 1996 | Sony Pictures Releasing |
| 16 | High School High | - | - | - | $21,302,121 | 2,146 | $21,302,121 | 100% | Oct 25, 1996 | Sony Pictures Releasing |
| 17 | The Glimmer Man | - | - | - | $20,351,264 | 2,236 | $20,351,264 | 100% | Oct 4, 1996 | Warner Bros. |
| 18 | Daylight | - | - | - | $17,182,870 | 2,189 | $33,023,469 | 52% | Dec 6, 1996 | Universal Pictures |
| 19 | The English Patient | - | - | - | $16,402,248 | 1,409 | $78,676,425 | 20.8% | Nov 15, 1996 | Miramax |
| 20 | Thinner | - | - | - | $15,315,484 | 2,009 | $15,315,484 | 100% | Oct 25, 1996 | Paramount Pictures |
| 21 | The Chamber | - | - | - | $14,551,359 | 2,032 | $14,551,359 | 100% | Oct 11, 1996 | Universal Pictures |
| 22 | The Associate | - | - | - | $12,844,057 | 1,781 | $12,844,057 | 100% | Oct 25, 1996 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 23 | Fly Away Home | - | - | - | $12,813,617 | 1,401 | $25,143,818 | 51% | Sep 13, 1996 | Sony Pictures Releasing |
| 24 | Independence Day | - | - | - | $12,364,627 | 2,977 | $306,169,268 | 4% | Jul 3, 1996 | Twentieth Century Fox |
| 25 | Extreme Measures | - | - | - | $12,307,961 | 2,298 | $17,380,126 | 70.8% | Sep 27, 1996 | Sony Pictures Releasing |
| 26 | Michael Collins | - | - | - | $11,001,480 | 878 | $11,092,559 | 99.2% | Oct 11, 1996 | Warner Bros. |
| 27 | Big Night | - | - | - | $10,648,962 | 336 | $12,008,376 | 88.7% | Sep 20, 1996 | The Samuel Goldwyn Company |
| 28 | Mars Attacks! | - | - | - | $10,269,648 | 1,955 | $37,771,017 | 27.2% | Dec 13, 1996 | Warner Bros. |
| 29 | The Preacher's Wife | - | - | - | $8,664,000 | 2,008 | $48,102,795 | 18% | Dec 13, 1996 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 30 | 2 Days in the Valley | - | - | - | $8,492,141 | 855 | $11,132,210 | 76.3% | Sep 27, 1996 | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) |
| 31 | Larger Than Life | - | - | - | $8,315,693 | 2,433 | $8,315,693 | 100% | Nov 1, 1996 | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) |
| 32 | Dear God | - | - | - | $7,138,523 | 1,774 | $7,138,523 | 100% | Nov 1, 1996 | Paramount Pictures |
| 33 | Last Man Standing | - | - | - | $6,282,761 | 2,579 | $18,115,927 | 34.7% | Sep 20, 1996 | New Line Cinema |
| 34 | Get on the Bus | - | - | - | $5,754,249 | 1,207 | $5,754,249 | 100% | Oct 18, 1996 | Sony Pictures Releasing |
| 35 | First Kid | - | - | - | $4,633,503 | 1,878 | $26,491,793 | 17.5% | Aug 30, 1996 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 36 | Swingers | - | - | - | $4,448,950 | 160 | $4,555,020 | 97.7% | Oct 18, 1996 | Miramax |
| 37 | To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday | - | - | - | $4,189,233 | 807 | $4,189,233 | 100% | Oct 18, 1996 | Sony Pictures Releasing |
| 38 | Bound | - | - | - | $3,802,260 | 262 | $3,802,260 | 100% | Oct 4, 1996 | Gramercy Pictures (I) |
| 39 | Bulletproof | - | - | - | $3,724,485 | 2,242 | $21,576,954 | 17.3% | Sep 6, 1996 | Universal Pictures |
| 40 | Surviving Picasso | - | - | - | $1,880,442 | 49 | $2,021,348 | 93% | Sep 20, 1996 | Warner Bros. |
| 41 | Maximum Risk | - | - | - | $1,616,178 | 2,358 | $14,502,483 | 11.1% | Sep 13, 1996 | Sony Pictures Releasing |
| 42 | Beautiful Thing | - | - | - | $1,548,120 | 2 | $1,548,120 | 100% | Oct 9, 1996 | Sony Pictures Releasing |
| 43 | Microcosmos | - | - | - | $1,433,210 | 43 | $1,433,210 | 100% | Oct 9, 1996 | Miramax |
| 44 | The Funeral | - | - | - | $1,227,324 | 70 | $1,227,324 | 100% | Nov 1, 1996 | October Films |
| 45 | Bad Moon | - | - | - | $1,055,525 | 825 | $1,055,525 | 100% | Nov 1, 1996 | Warner Bros. |
| 46 | The Rock | - | - | - | $1,006,669 | 2,426 | $134,069,511 | 0.8% | Jun 7, 1996 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 47 | Trees Lounge | - | - | - | $749,741 | 2 | $749,741 | 100% | Oct 11, 1996 | Orion Classics |
| 48 | Crash | - | - | - | $738,339 | 339 | $2,664,812 | 27.7% | Oct 4, 1996 | Fine Line Features |
| 49 | Twelfth Night | - | - | - | $588,621 | 31 | $588,621 | 100% | Oct 25, 1996 | Fine Line Features |
| 50 | The Grass Harp | - | - | - | $559,771 | 48 | $559,771 | 100% | Oct 11, 1996 | Fine Line Features |
| 51 | Mission: Impossible | - | - | - | $535,479 | 3,012 | $180,981,856 | 0.3% | May 22, 1996 | Paramount Pictures |
| 52 | American Buffalo | - | - | - | $449,089 | 73 | $665,450 | 67.5% | Sep 13, 1996 | The Samuel Goldwyn Company |
| 53 | Jude | - | - | - | $409,144 | 20 | $409,144 | 100% | Oct 18, 1996 | Gramercy Pictures (I) |
| 54 | Mother Night | - | - | - | $403,701 | 30 | $403,701 | 100% | Nov 1, 1996 | Fine Line Features |
| 55 | Palookaville | - | - | - | $365,284 | 24 | $365,284 | 100% | Oct 25, 1996 | The Samuel Goldwyn Company |
| 56 | Shine | - | - | - | $331,061 | 1,050 | $35,892,330 | 0.9% | Nov 22, 1996 | Fine Line Features |
| 57 | Freeway | - | - | - | $272,625 | 9 | $295,493 | 92.3% | Aug 23, 1996 | Roxie Releasing |
| 58 | Secrets & Lies | - | - | - | $271,305 | 296 | $13,417,292 | 2% | Sep 28, 1996 | October Films |
| 59 | Paraíso Perdido | - | - | - | $254,550 | 11 | $272,750 | 93.3% | Sep 20, 1996 | Creative Thinking International Ltd. |
| 60 | Santa with Muscles | - | - | - | $220,198 | 98 | $220,198 | 100% | Nov 8, 1996 | Legacy Releasing Corporation |
| 61 | Infinity | - | - | - | $195,170 | 46 | $195,170 | 100% | Oct 4, 1996 | First Look International |
| 62 | The Crucible | - | - | - | $171,490 | 344 | $7,343,114 | 2.3% | Nov 29, 1996 | Twentieth Century Fox |
| 63 | Everyone Says I Love You | - | - | - | $131,678 | 276 | $9,759,200 | 1.3% | Dec 6, 1996 | Miramax |
| 64 | Small Faces | - | - | - | $131,430 | 12 | $155,239 | 84.7% | Aug 14, 1996 | October Films |
| 65 | Losing Chase | - | - | - | $64,161 | 10 | $64,161 | 100% | Dec 6, 1996 | - |
| 66 | Love Is All There Is | - | - | - | $61,875 | 26 | $61,875 | 100% | Oct 11, 1996 | The Samuel Goldwyn Company |
| 67 | Unhook the Stars | - | - | - | $50,741 | 20 | $272,542 | 18.6% | Nov 1, 1996 | Miramax |
| 68 | The War at Home | - | - | - | $44,722 | 6 | $44,722 | 100% | Nov 22, 1996 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 69 | The Line King: The Al Hirschfeld Story | - | - | - | $43,036 | 7 | $50,605 | 85% | Sep 27, 1996 | Castle Hill Productions |
| 70 | Bitter Sugar | - | - | - | $40,646 | 12 | $450,060 | 9% | Oct 11, 1996 | First Look International |
| 71 | Sling Blade | - | - | - | $36,644 | 1,020 | $24,444,121 | 0.1% | Nov 29, 1996 | Miramax |
| 72 | Curdled | - | - | - | $35,788 | 18 | $49,620 | 72.1% | Sep 27, 1996 | Rolling Thunder Pictures |
| 73 | Citizen Ruth | - | - | - | $34,020 | 23 | $285,112 | 11.9% | Dec 13, 1996 | Miramax |
| 74 | Looking for Richard | - | - | - | $33,843 | 81 | $1,408,575 | 2.4% | Oct 11, 1996 | Fox Searchlight Pictures |
| 75 | The Secret Agent | - | - | - | $25,909 | 7 | $106,606 | 24.3% | Nov 8, 1996 | Fox Searchlight Pictures |
| 76 | When We Were Kings | - | - | - | $25,682 | 92 | $2,789,985 | 0.9% | Oct 25, 1996 | Gramercy Pictures (I) |
| 77 | Normal Life | - | - | - | $22,891 | 2 | $22,891 | 100% | Oct 25, 1996 | Fine Line Features |
| 78 | The Sunchaser | - | - | - | $21,508 | 23 | $21,508 | 100% | Oct 25, 1996 | Warner Bros. |
| 79 | Small Wonders | - | - | - | $20,819 | 7 | $20,819 | 100% | Oct 4, 1996 | Miramax |
| 80 | Breathing Room | - | - | - | $16,299 | 1 | $16,299 | 100% | Nov 8, 1996 | Arrow Releasing |
| 81 | Marvin's Room | - | - | - | $13,320 | 1,158 | $12,803,305 | 0.1% | Dec 20, 1996 | Miramax |
| 82 | Zero Kelvin | - | - | - | $10,493 | 1 | $10,493 | 100% | Nov 27, 1996 | Kino International |
| 83 | Somebody to Love | - | - | - | $9,907 | 10 | $18,112 | 54.7% | Sep 27, 1996 | Legacy Releasing Corporation |
| 84 | Blue Juice | - | - | - | $4,535 | 2 | $4,535 | 100% | Nov 13, 1996 | Filmopolis Pictures |
| 85 | Tell the Truth and Run: George Seldes and the American Press | - | - | - | $3,204 | 1 | $3,204 | 100% | Oct 11, 1996 | - |
| 86 | In Love and War | - | - | - | $1,368 | 1,612 | $14,481,231 | <0.1% | Dec 18, 1996 | New Line Cinema |