Domestic Box Office For 1990
Limited releases are those released in fewer than 600 theaters.
| Rank | Release | Gross | Max Th | Opening | % of Total | Open Th | Open | Close | Distributor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Awakenings | $52,096,475 | 1,330 | $417,076 | 0.8% | 12 | Dec 22 | - | Columbia Pictures |
| 2 | Green Card | $29,888,235 | 757 | $47,781 | 0.2% | 2 | Dec 25 | - | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 3 | Fantasia 1990 Re-release | $25,363,371 | 481 | $6,047,613 | 23.8% | 481 | Oct 5 | - | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 4 | Hamlet | $20,710,451 | 624 | $116,975 | 0.6% | 4 | Dec 22 | - | Warner Bros. |
| 5 | Mo' Better Blues | $16,153,593 | 572 | $4,387,360 | 27.2% | 544 | Aug 3 | - | Universal Pictures |
| 6 | The Grifters | $13,446,769 | 780 | $71,034 | 0.5% | 2 | Dec 7 | - | Miramax |
| 7 | Cinema Paradiso | $11,990,401 | 124 | $16,552 | 0.1% | 1 | Feb 2 | - | Miramax |
| 8 | Henry & June | $11,567,449 | 295 | $1,032,942 | 8.9% | 76 | Oct 5 | - | Universal Pictures |
| 9 | Ski Patrol | $8,533,973 | 565 | $1,648,000 | 19.3% | 515 | Jan 12 | - | Triumph Releasing Corporation |
| 10 | The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover | $7,724,701 | 239 | $252,223 | 3.3% | 16 | Apr 6 | - | Miramax |
| 11 | Mr. & Mrs. Bridge | $7,698,010 | 240 | $57,959 | 0.8% | 2 | Nov 23 | - | Miramax |
| 12 | Alice | $7,331,647 | 325 | $36,274 | 0.5% | 3 | Dec 25 | - | Orion Pictures |
| 13 | The Gods Must Be Crazy II | $6,291,444 | 323 | $1,180,803 | 18.8% | 321 | Apr 13 | - | Columbia Pictures |
| 14 | Miller's Crossing | $5,080,409 | 289 | $28,202 | 0.6% | 1 | Sep 21 | - | Twentieth Century Fox |
| 15 | The Handmaid's Tale | $4,960,385 | 177 | $738,578 | 14.9% | 117 | Mar 9 | - | Cinecom Pictures |
| 16 | The Long Walk Home | $4,873,620 | 272 | $26,140 | 0.5% | 4 | Dec 22 | May 30 | Miramax |
| 17 | Longtime Companion | $4,609,953 | 85 | $50,525 | 1.1% | 2 | May 11 | - | The Samuel Goldwyn Company |
| 18 | Lisa | $4,347,648 | 287 | $1,119,895 | 25.8% | 287 | Apr 20 | - | United Artists |
| 19 | Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! | $4,087,361 | 82 | $65,299 | 1.6% | 2 | May 4 | - | Miramax |
| 20 | Mountains of the Moon | $4,011,793 | 187 | $66,683 | 1.7% | 2 | Feb 23 | - | TriStar Pictures |
| 21 | Short Time | $4,010,647 | 574 | $1,237,211 | 30.8% | 557 | May 4 | - | Twentieth Century Fox |
| 22 | The Lemon Sisters | $3,473,905 | 598 | $2,122,066 | 61.1% | 598 | Aug 31 | - | Miramax |
| 23 | A Shock to the System | $3,417,056 | 345 | $1,002,158 | 29.3% | 345 | Mar 23 | May 24 | Corsair Pictures |
| 24 | Metropolitan | $2,938,208 | 5 | $46,663 | 1.6% | 1 | Aug 3 | - | New Line Cinema |
| 25 | Blind Fury | $2,692,037 | 353 | $868,380 | 32.3% | 353 | Mar 16 | - | TriStar Pictures |
| 26 | After Dark, My Sweet | $2,678,414 | 153 | $244,919 | 9.1% | 30 | Aug 24 | Nov 8 | Avenue Pictures Productions |
| 27 | King of New York | $2,554,476 | 119 | $411,597 | 16.1% | 115 | Sep 28 | May 30 | New Line Cinema |
| 28 | Impulse | $2,544,504 | 155 | $471,126 | 18.5% | 155 | Apr 6 | - | Warner Bros. |
| 29 | Class of 1999 | $2,459,895 | 320 | $767,620 | 31.2% | 320 | May 11 | Jun 21 | Taurus Entertainment Company |
| 30 | Body Chemistry | $2,415,312 | 91 | $38,025 | 1.6% | 53 | Mar 9 | Jun 14 | Concorde Pictures |
| 31 | Downtown | $2,346,150 | 349 | $821,626 | 35% | 349 | Jan 12 | - | Twentieth Century Fox |
| 32 | White Hunter Black Heart | $2,319,124 | 78 | $165,450 | 7.1% | 24 | Sep 14 | - | Warner Bros. |
| 33 | The Nasty Girl | $2,281,569 | 40 | $19,491 | 0.9% | 2 | Oct 26 | Jun 6 | Miramax |
| 34 | Texasville | $2,268,181 | 354 | $823,534 | 36.3% | 354 | Sep 28 | - | Columbia Pictures |
| 35 | Vincent & Theo | $2,231,274 | 59 | $22,585 | 1% | 1 | Nov 2 | - | Hemdale |
| 36 | Def by Temptation | $2,218,579 | 57 | $54,582 | 2.5% | 11 | May 11 | - | Troma |
| 37 | Eating | $2,100,538 | 19 | $12,764 | 0.6% | 2 | Nov 16 | - | Rainbow Releasing |
| 38 | The Sheltering Sky | $2,075,084 | 95 | $82,753 | 4% | 3 | Dec 14 | - | Warner Bros. |
| 39 | The Krays | $2,060,847 | 392 | $948,002 | 46% | 392 | Nov 9 | Jan 10 | Miramax |
| 40 | State of Grace | $1,911,542 | 335 | $179,927 | 9.4% | 14 | Sep 14 | - | Orion Pictures |
| 41 | Tune in Tomorrow... | $1,794,001 | 207 | $62,747 | 3.5% | 7 | Oct 26 | - | Cinecom Pictures |
| 42 | Too Beautiful for You | $1,776,440 | 29 | $31,208 | 1.8% | 1 | Mar 2 | Aug 23 | Orion Classics |
| 43 | Last Exit to Brooklyn | $1,730,005 | 25 | $186,489 | 10.8% | 13 | May 4 | - | Cinecom Pictures |
| 44 | Jesus of Montreal | $1,601,612 | 21 | $20,388 | 1.3% | 1 | May 25 | Nov 15 | Orion Classics |
| 45 | May Fools | $1,576,702 | 30 | $20,078 | 1.3% | 1 | Jun 22 | Dec 6 | Orion Classics |
| 46 | The Last of the Finest | $1,531,489 | 424 | $551,876 | 36% | 424 | Mar 9 | - | Orion Pictures |
| 47 | Streets | $1,510,053 | 77 | $86,708 | 5.7% | 53 | Jan 19 | May 3 | Concorde Pictures |
| 48 | The Field | $1,494,399 | 40 | $27,948 | 1.9% | 2 | Dec 22 | May 2 | Avenue Pictures Productions |
| 49 | Monsieur Hire | $1,417,030 | 26 | $29,980 | 2.1% | 2 | Apr 20 | Sep 27 | Orion Classics |
| 50 | Courage Mountain | $1,393,610 | 506 | $693,087 | 49.7% | 506 | Feb 16 | - | Triumph Releasing Corporation |
| 51 | Repossessed | $1,382,462 | 115 | $266,975 | 19.3% | 115 | Sep 14 | - | New Line Cinema |
| 52 | Daddy's Dyin'... Who's Got the Will? | $1,373,728 | 150 | $313,844 | 22.8% | 150 | May 4 | - | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) |
| 53 | Everybody Wins | $1,372,350 | 451 | $581,979 | 42.4% | 451 | Jan 19 | - | Orion Pictures |
| 54 | The Hot Spot | $1,293,976 | 365 | $112,188 | 8.7% | 23 | Oct 12 | - | Orion Pictures |
| 55 | Bloodfist II | $1,292,323 | 92 | $267,996 | 20.7% | 92 | Oct 12 | Nov 29 | Concorde Pictures |
| 56 | Robot Jox | $1,272,977 | 333 | $464,441 | 36.5% | 333 | Nov 21 | - | Triumph Releasing Corporation |
| 57 | Slumber Party Massacre III | $1,242,995 | 81 | $270,135 | 21.7% | 81 | Sep 7 | - | Concorde Pictures |
| 58 | The Icicle Thief | $1,231,622 | 22 | $20,809 | 1.7% | 1 | Aug 24 | Feb 28 | Aries Films |
| 59 | Vital Signs | $1,224,605 | 275 | $372,253 | 30.4% | 275 | Apr 13 | - | Twentieth Century Fox |
| 60 | The Boyfriend School | $1,171,762 | 177 | $531,714 | 45.4% | 177 | Sep 21 | - | Hemdale |
| 61 | To Sleep with Anger | $1,161,135 | 23 | $19,295 | 1.7% | 4 | Oct 12 | Feb 21 | The Samuel Goldwyn Company |
| 62 | Where the Heart Is | $1,106,475 | 235 | $530,893 | 48% | 235 | Feb 23 | - | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 63 | Hidden Agenda | $1,030,938 | 114 | $49,827 | 4.8% | 3 | Nov 21 | - | Hemdale |
| 64 | Corporate Affairs | $1,006,575 | 57 | $224,847 | 22.3% | 38 | Oct 5 | - | Concorde Pictures |
| 65 | Come See the Paradise | $947,306 | 97 | $65,532 | 6.9% | 5 | Dec 25 | - | Twentieth Century Fox |
| 66 | Sweetie | $938,065 | 1 | $20,403 | 2.2% | 1 | Jan 19 | - | Avenue Pictures Productions |
| 67 | The Blood of Heroes | $882,290 | 318 | $471,775 | 53.5% | 318 | Feb 23 | Mar 15 | New Line Cinema |
| 68 | Angel Town | $855,810 | 55 | $300,000 | 35.1% | 55 | Feb 23 | Mar 29 | Taurus Entertainment Company |
| 69 | Waiting for the Light | $808,690 | 149 | $334,748 | 41.4% | 149 | Nov 2 | Nov 29 | Triumph Releasing Corporation |
| 70 | C'est la vie | $805,472 | 28 | $18,749 | 2.3% | 2 | Nov 2 | Feb 21 | The Samuel Goldwyn Company |
| 71 | Coupe de Ville | $715,983 | 170 | $66,871 | 9.3% | 7 | Mar 9 | - | Universal Pictures |
| 72 | The Return of Superfly | $610,402 | 260 | $359,367 | 58.9% | 260 | Nov 9 | - | Triton Pictures |
| 73 | Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer | $609,939 | 8 | - | - | - | Jan 5 | - | Greycat Films |
| 74 | Strike It Rich | $541,626 | 206 | $331,875 | 61.3% | 206 | Jan 26 | - | Miramax |
| 75 | The Tall Guy | $510,712 | 41 | $91,131 | 17.8% | 30 | Sep 21 | - | Miramax |
| 76 | Frankenstein Unbound | $334,748 | 34 | $37,017 | 11.1% | 34 | Nov 2 | - | Twentieth Century Fox |
| 77 | Chattahoochee | $259,486 | 2 | $17,471 | 6.7% | 2 | Apr 20 | - | Hemdale |
| 78 | Martians Go Home | $129,778 | 155 | $129,778 | 100% | 155 | Apr 20 | - | Taurus Entertainment Company |
| 79 | A Man Called Sarge | $92,706 | 188 | - | - | 188 | Feb 2 | Feb 4 | Cannon Film Distributors |
| 80 | A Show of Force | $91,578 | 12 | $73,405 | 80.2% | 12 | May 11 | - | Paramount Pictures |
| 81 | Chicago Joe and the Showgirl | $85,395 | 18 | $14,979 | 17.5% | 6 | Jul 27 | Aug 23 | New Line Cinema |
| 82 | Why Me? | $83,882 | 113 | $49,933 | 59.5% | 113 | Apr 20 | - | Triumph Releasing Corporation |
| 83 | Fools of Fortune | $83,490 | 9 | $11,422 | 13.7% | 3 | Sep 14 | - | New Line Cinema |
| 84 | Speaking Parts | $76,609 | 1 | $8,934 | 11.7% | 1 | Feb 16 | - | Zeitgeist Films |
| 85 | Happy Together | $70,912 | 10 | $32,776 | 46.2% | 10 | May 4 | May 17 | Borde Releasing |
| 86 | The Spirit of '76 | $52,310 | 12 | $9,979 | 19.1% | 5 | Oct 12 | - | Columbia Pictures |
| 87 | Spontaneous Combustion | $50,367 | 50 | $50,367 | 100% | 50 | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Taurus Entertainment Company |
| 88 | Twister | $33,455 | 2 | $9,864 | 29.5% | 2 | Aug 8 | - | Greycat Films |
| 89 | Red Surf | $13,136 | 6 | $8,630 | 65.7% | 6 | Jun 1 | Jun 7 | Academy Entertainment |
| 90 | Just Ask for Diamond | $12,751 | 30 | $12,751 | 100% | 30 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Castle Hill Productions |
| 91 | Pathfinder | $10,628 | 1 | $3,950 | 37.2% | 1 | May 11 | May 24 | International Film Exchange (IFEX) |
| 92 | The Feud | $3,102 | 1 | $2,236 | 72.1% | 1 | May 4 | May 10 | Castle Hill Productions |
