Domestic Box Office For 1997
Limited releases are those released in fewer than 600 theaters.
| Rank | Release | Gross | Max Th | Opening | % of Total | Open Th | Open | Close | Distributor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Good Will Hunting | $138,433,435 | 2,203 | $272,912 | 0.2% | 7 | Dec 5 | - | Miramax |
| 2 | Wag the Dog | $43,061,945 | 1,752 | $92,079 | 0.2% | 3 | Dec 25 | - | New Line Cinema |
| 3 | The Apostle | $19,868,354 | 751 | $29,396 | 0.1% | 4 | Dec 19 | - | October Films |
| 4 | The Wings of the Dove | $13,692,848 | 261 | $183,610 | 1.3% | 7 | Nov 7 | - | Miramax |
| 5 | Chasing Amy | $12,021,272 | 553 | $52,446 | 0.4% | 3 | Apr 4 | - | Miramax |
| 6 | Deconstructing Harry | $10,686,841 | 445 | $356,476 | 3.3% | 10 | Dec 12 | - | Fine Line Features |
| 7 | Mrs. Brown | $9,229,808 | 432 | $76,268 | 0.8% | 6 | Jul 18 | - | Miramax |
| 8 | Ulee's Gold | $9,161,691 | 350 | $89,563 | 1% | 7 | Jun 13 | - | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) |
| 9 | The Ice Storm | $8,038,061 | 230 | $75,183 | 0.9% | 3 | Sep 27 | - | Fox Searchlight Pictures |
| 10 | Kolya | $5,770,254 | 128 | - | - | - | Jan 17 | - | Miramax |
| 11 | Kundun | $5,684,789 | 439 | $72,095 | 1.3% | 2 | Dec 25 | - | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 12 | Les Boys | $4,602,341 | 52 | $436,174 | 9.5% | 52 | Dec 12 | - | Lionsgate |
| 13 | Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love | $4,109,095 | 81 | $53,499 | 1.3% | 10 | Feb 28 | - | Trimark Pictures |
| 14 | Lost Highway | $3,675,201 | 337 | $212,710 | 5.8% | 12 | Feb 21 | - | October Films |
| 15 | A Smile Like Yours | $3,330,352 | 582 | $1,163,576 | 34.9% | 582 | Aug 22 | - | Paramount Pictures |
| 16 | The Sweet Hereafter | $3,263,585 | 70 | $31,149 | 1% | 2 | Oct 10 | - | Fine Line Features |
| 17 | Waiting for Guffman | $2,923,982 | 59 | $37,990 | 1.3% | 3 | Jan 31 | Dec 11 | Sony Pictures Classics |
| 18 | In the Company of Men | $2,804,473 | 108 | $100,006 | 3.6% | 8 | Aug 1 | Jan 8 | Sony Pictures Classics |
| 19 | One Night Stand | $2,642,983 | 407 | $978,819 | 37% | 407 | Nov 14 | - | New Line Cinema |
| 20 | Brassed Off | $2,576,331 | 231 | $52,534 | 2% | 12 | May 23 | Aug 14 | Miramax |
| 21 | Afterglow | $2,465,960 | 353 | $50,052 | 2% | 7 | Dec 26 | May 21 | Sony Pictures Classics |
| 22 | Career Girls | $2,416,734 | 148 | $93,303 | 3.9% | 8 | Aug 8 | Oct 30 | October Films |
| 23 | Smilla's Sense of Snow | $2,372,903 | 135 | $107,108 | 4.5% | 8 | Feb 28 | - | Fox Searchlight Pictures |
| 24 | Ma vie en rose | $2,162,043 | 63 | $76,212 | 3.5% | 14 | Dec 26 | May 21 | Sony Pictures Classics |
| 25 | The Daytrippers | $2,099,677 | 52 | $35,988 | 1.7% | 2 | Mar 5 | Sep 4 | Sony Pictures Releasing |
| 26 | Paradise Road | $2,007,100 | 350 | $62,518 | 3.1% | 9 | Apr 11 | - | Fox Searchlight Pictures |
| 27 | Washington Square | $1,851,761 | 35 | $14,352 | 0.8% | 1 | Oct 5 | Apr 16 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 28 | Rhyme & Reason | $1,608,277 | 280 | $853,589 | 53.1% | 280 | Mar 7 | - | Miramax |
| 29 | City of Industry | $1,568,258 | 441 | $803,811 | 51.3% | 441 | Mar 14 | - | Orion Pictures |
| 30 | The Godfather 1997 Re-release | $1,267,490 | 40 | $229,932 | 18.1% | 40 | Mar 21 | - | Paramount Pictures |
| 31 | Temptress Moon | $1,100,788 | 46 | $66,471 | 6% | 5 | Jun 13 | Aug 14 | Miramax |
| 32 | Blood and Wine | $1,094,668 | 166 | $420,993 | 38.5% | 166 | Feb 21 | - | Fox Searchlight Pictures |
| 33 | The Tango Lesson | $1,080,192 | 2 | $19,752 | 1.8% | 2 | Nov 14 | - | Sony Pictures Classics |
| 34 | Shiloh | $1,007,822 | 70 | $115,710 | 11.5% | 70 | Apr 25 | Jul 17 | Legacy Releasing Corporation |
| 35 | Guantanamera | $903,840 | 12 | $8,851 | 1% | 3 | Jul 4 | Feb 19 | Lionsgate |
| 36 | Fast, Cheap & Out of Control | $878,960 | 40 | $23,665 | 2.7% | 2 | Oct 3 | Feb 26 | Sony Pictures Classics |
| 37 | The Winter Guest | $870,290 | 21 | $20,533 | 2.4% | 3 | Dec 25 | Apr 16 | Fine Line Features |
| 38 | Anna Karenina | $858,553 | 34 | $75,268 | 8.8% | 5 | Apr 4 | - | Warner Bros. |
| 39 | Children of the Revolution | $838,368 | 59 | $31,562 | 3.8% | 6 | May 1 | Jul 10 | Miramax |
| 40 | Prisoner of the Mountains | $790,078 | 36 | $17,205 | 2.2% | 3 | Jan 31 | - | Orion Classics |
| 41 | The Van | $712,095 | 25 | $23,366 | 3.3% | 3 | May 16 | - | Fox Searchlight Pictures |
| 42 | A Chef in Love | $686,704 | 34 | $36,628 | 5.3% | 6 | Apr 23 | Dec 25 | Sony Pictures Classics |
| 43 | Star Maps | $661,465 | 39 | $63,477 | 9.6% | 5 | Jul 23 | - | Fox Searchlight Pictures |
| 44 | SubUrbia | $656,747 | 24 | $69,365 | 10.6% | 16 | Feb 7 | Oct 23 | Sony Pictures Classics |
| 45 | The House of Yes | $626,057 | 54 | $63,266 | 10.1% | 4 | Oct 10 | Nov 20 | Miramax |
| 46 | Prefontaine | $589,304 | 201 | $311,253 | 52.8% | 201 | Jan 24 | - | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 47 | Das Boot 1997 Director's Cut | $572,426 | 29 | $68,369 | 11.9% | 13 | Apr 4 | - | Sony Pictures Releasing |
| 48 | Commandments | $548,561 | 269 | $312,437 | 57% | 269 | May 2 | - | Gramercy Pictures (I) |
| 49 | Dream with the Fishes | $543,708 | 32 | $31,777 | 5.8% | 7 | Jun 20 | Dec 18 | Sony Pictures Classics |
| 50 | Traveller | $534,010 | 6 | $30,855 | 5.8% | 6 | Apr 18 | Jun 5 | October Films |
| 51 | Boys Life 2 | $532,654 | 6 | $56,224 | 10.6% | 4 | Mar 7 | - | Strand Releasing |
| 52 | The Myth of Fingerprints | $523,025 | 50 | $30,533 | 5.8% | 3 | Sep 17 | Jan 8 | Sony Pictures Classics |
| 53 | Dirty Dancing 1997 Re-release | $507,892 | 54 | $162,378 | 32% | 54 | Aug 22 | - | Live Entertainment |
| 54 | Pippi Longstocking | $505,335 | 73 | $62,196 | 12.3% | 73 | Aug 22 | Oct 30 | Legacy Releasing Corporation |
| 55 | Bent | $496,059 | 12 | $109,243 | 22% | 12 | Nov 26 | - | The Samuel Goldwyn Company |
| 56 | Flamenco | $480,941 | 6 | $22,106 | 4.6% | 2 | Apr 25 | Mar 18 | New Yorker Films |
| 57 | The Eighth Day | $416,401 | 5 | $14,397 | 3.5% | 3 | Mar 7 | May 8 | Gramercy Pictures (I) |
| 58 | Touch | $387,069 | 51 | $195,236 | 50.4% | 51 | Feb 14 | - | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) |
| 59 | The Second Jungle Book: Mowgli & Baloo | $346,056 | 101 | $157,049 | 45.4% | 101 | May 16 | - | TriStar Pictures |
| 60 | Albino Alligator | $339,379 | 12 | $101,176 | 29.8% | 12 | Jan 17 | Feb 13 | Miramax |
| 61 | Welcome to Sarajevo | $334,319 | 15 | $66,920 | 20% | 5 | Nov 26 | Jan 29 | Miramax |
| 62 | The Assignment | $332,597 | 34 | $117,608 | 35.4% | 34 | Sep 26 | - | Sony Pictures Releasing |
| 63 | The Education of Little Tree | $323,411 | 52 | $1,817 | 0.6% | 1 | Dec 25 | Apr 23 | Paramount Pictures |
| 64 | Happy Together | $320,319 | 9 | - | - | - | Oct 10 | - | Kino International |
| 65 | Telling Lies in America | $318,809 | 60 | $11,470 | 3.6% | 2 | Oct 17 | Jan 8 | Banner Entertainment |
| 66 | Lilies | $301,548 | 7 | $28,781 | 9.5% | 4 | Oct 10 | Jan 28 | Turbulent Arts |
| 67 | Different for Girls | $300,645 | 16 | $52,816 | 17.6% | 14 | Sep 12 | Dec 18 | First Look International |
| 68 | Love and Other Catastrophes | $294,212 | 32 | $22,807 | 7.8% | 3 | Mar 28 | - | Fox Searchlight Pictures |
| 69 | Bliss | $294,064 | 12 | $54,547 | 18.5% | 11 | Jun 6 | - | Triumph Releasing Corporation |
| 70 | Irma Vep | $282,310 | 6 | $11,852 | 4.2% | 1 | Apr 30 | - | Zeitgeist Films |
| 71 | The Swan Princess: Escape from Castle Mountain | $273,644 | 97 | $50,208 | 18.3% | 97 | Jul 18 | - | Legacy Releasing Corporation |
| 72 | Hollow Reed | $265,732 | 7 | $13,284 | 5% | 1 | Apr 18 | Sep 4 | Lionsgate |
| 73 | The Graduate 1997 Re-release | $259,279 | 2 | $37,948 | 14.6% | 2 | Feb 14 | - | Strand Releasing |
| 74 | Rough Magic | $247,202 | 30 | $59,026 | 23.9% | 28 | May 30 | - | The Samuel Goldwyn Company |
| 75 | Hard Eight | $222,559 | 29 | $69,486 | 31.2% | 29 | Feb 28 | - | The Samuel Goldwyn Company |
| 76 | Critical Care | $221,193 | 34 | $43,380 | 19.6% | 10 | Oct 31 | Dec 25 | Artisan Entertainment |
| 77 | Latin Boys Go to Hell | $199,033 | 3 | $24,335 | 12.2% | 2 | Sep 5 | Feb 12 | Strand Releasing |
| 78 | Nowhere | $194,201 | 6 | $27,354 | 14.1% | 2 | May 9 | - | Fine Line Features |
| 79 | Hotel de Love | $165,845 | 42 | $50,947 | 30.7% | 18 | Feb 7 | - | Live Entertainment |
| 80 | Paperback Romance | $151,068 | 28 | $13,939 | 9.2% | 4 | Aug 15 | - | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) |
| 81 | Waco: The Rules of Engagement | $142,193 | 5 | - | - | - | Feb 28 | - | SomFord Entertainment |
| 82 | Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation 1997 Re-release | $141,626 | 23 | $53,111 | 37.5% | 23 | Aug 29 | - | Lionsgate |
| 83 | Troublesome Creek: A Midwestern | $140,000 | 8 | $8,318 | 5.9% | 1 | Jan 3 | - | Artistic License |
| 84 | 4 Little Girls | $130,146 | 4 | $13,528 | 10.4% | 1 | Jul 9 | Oct 2 | - |
| 85 | Twin Town | $127,923 | 18 | $6,827 | 5.3% | 1 | May 9 | Jun 26 | Gramercy Pictures (I) |
| 86 | For Roseanna | $123,330 | 6 | $6,580 | 5.3% | 1 | Jun 18 | - | Fine Line Features |
| 87 | Going All the Way | $113,069 | 17 | $20,796 | 18.4% | 4 | Sep 19 | Oct 30 | Gramercy Pictures (I) |
| 88 | Truth or Consequences, N.M. | $109,261 | 7 | $19,528 | 17.9% | 7 | May 2 | - | Sony Pictures Releasing |
| 89 | The Ride | $86,307 | 53 | $55,332 | 64.1% | 53 | Dec 5 | - | R.S. Entertainment |
| 90 | The Long Way Home | $60,509 | 7 | $10,606 | 17.5% | 7 | Sep 17 | - | Seventh Art Releasing |
| 91 | Keys to Tulsa | $57,252 | 24 | $28,318 | 49.5% | 24 | Apr 11 | Apr 24 | Gramercy Pictures (I) |
| 92 | Intimate Relations | $53,662 | 10 | $12,918 | 24.1% | 6 | Jun 6 | - | Fox Searchlight Pictures |
| 93 | Reggie's Prayer | $52,665 | 1 | $5,120 | 9.7% | 1 | Jan 24 | - | Arrow Releasing |
| 94 | A Brother's Kiss | $52,632 | 9 | $25,800 | 49% | 9 | Apr 25 | May 15 | First Look International |
| 95 | Follow Me Home | $52,155 | 3 | $17,319 | 33.2% | 3 | Feb 28 | - | New Millennia Films LLC |
| 96 | Will It Snow for Christmas? | $51,950 | 2 | $10,786 | 20.8% | 2 | Dec 17 | - | Zeitgeist Films |
| 97 | This World, Then the Fireworks | $51,618 | 5 | $19,906 | 38.6% | 5 | Jul 11 | - | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) |
| 98 | Fall | $51,266 | 3 | $12,045 | 23.5% | 1 | Jun 20 | Jul 10 | Five Minutes Before the Miracle |
| 99 | Johns | $50,789 | 8 | $50,789 | 100% | 8 | Jan 31 | - | First Look International |
| 100 | Hamsun | $50,000 | 1 | $7,529 | 15.1% | 1 | Aug 6 | - | First Run |
| 101 | The Last Time I Committed Suicide | $46,362 | 4 | $12,836 | 27.7% | 4 | Jun 20 | - | Roxie Releasing |
| 102 | Red Cherry | $44,846 | 3 | $16,208 | 36.1% | 3 | Jun 6 | Jun 26 | Moonstone Entertainment |
| 103 | Bandwagon | $44,544 | 12 | $22,189 | 49.8% | 12 | Sep 12 | Sep 25 | Lionsgate |
| 104 | Wedding Bell Blues | $44,052 | 11 | $22,002 | 49.9% | 11 | Jun 13 | - | Legacy Releasing Corporation |
| 105 | Mandela | $42,056 | 8 | $8,413 | 20% | 8 | Mar 21 | - | Palm Pictures |
| 106 | Nothing Personal | $40,374 | 1 | $5,563 | 13.8% | 1 | Apr 25 | Jun 12 | Trimark Pictures |
| 107 | The Locusts | $40,158 | 12 | $17,787 | 44.3% | 12 | Oct 3 | - | Orion Pictures |
| 108 | Good Luck | $39,962 | 106 | $39,962 | 100% | 106 | Mar 7 | - | Moki Mac River Expedition |
| 109 | Drunks | $38,268 | 2 | $17,581 | 45.9% | 2 | Mar 14 | Apr 24 | Northern Arts Entertainment |
| 110 | Koyla | $37,795 | 3 | $37,795 | 100% | 3 | Jan 24 | - | Miramax |
| 111 | Head Above Water | $32,212 | 10 | $11,589 | 36% | 10 | Jun 25 | - | Fine Line Features |
| 112 | The Substance of Fire | $31,638 | 11 | $56,211 | 177.7% | 11 | Mar 14 | - | Miramax |
| 113 | Soul in the Hole | $30,697 | 6 | $14,077 | 45.9% | 6 | Aug 8 | - | - |
| 114 | Gray's Anatomy | $29,090 | 1 | $4,690 | 16.1% | 1 | Mar 19 | - | Northern Arts Entertainment |
| 115 | Forgotten Silver | $26,459 | 1 | $1,740 | 6.6% | 1 | Oct 3 | - | First Run |
| 116 | The Winner | $26,004 | 3 | $12,639 | 48.6% | 3 | Jul 25 | - | Artisan Entertainment |
| 117 | Trojan Eddie | $21,264 | 2 | $11,867 | 55.8% | 2 | Aug 29 | Sep 18 | Castle Hill Productions |
| 118 | I Love You, I Love You Not | $20,677 | 6 | $10,587 | 51.2% | 6 | Oct 31 | - | Lionsgate |
| 119 | Hugo Pool | $13,330 | 4 | $6,305 | 47.3% | 4 | Dec 12 | Dec 25 | Northern Arts Entertainment |
| 120 | Breaking Up | $11,690 | 2 | $4,493 | 38.4% | 2 | Oct 17 | - | Warner Bros. |
| 121 | Schizopolis | $10,580 | 2 | $6,023 | 56.9% | 2 | Apr 9 | - | Northern Arts Entertainment |
| 122 | Brothers in Trouble | $8,000 | 1 | $1,596 | 20% | 1 | May 14 | - | First Run |
| 123 | Cold Around the Heart | $5,171 | 1 | $552 | 10.7% | 1 | Nov 7 | - | Twentieth Century Fox |
| 124 | Guy | $4,134 | 1 | $2,132 | 51.6% | 1 | Dec 17 | Dec 25 | Gramercy Pictures (I) |
| 125 | Childhood's End | $3,804 | 1 | $2,556 | 67.2% | 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 10 | Plainview Pictures |
| 126 | Beyond Barbed Wire | $3,109 | 1 | $1,668 | 53.7% | 1 | Jul 18 | - | Mac & Ava Films |
| 127 | Trojan War | $309 | 1 | $217 | 70.2% | 1 | Sep 26 | Oct 2 | Warner Bros. |
