I Hope You’re Happy With Yourselves: MIDNIGHT IN PARIS Expanded Again, Is at $50 Million

On the heels of the story that Transformers: Dark of the Moon is returning to IMAX theaters I wanted to share some good box office news: Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris has reached the $50 million mark after expanding this past weekend to 500 theaters.

I certainly haven’t helped the film get to that number, which represents Woody’s best (unadjusted for inflation) gross. I saw the film, loved it wholly and then never bothered to write a review. What a scamp I am! But the movie is absolutely wonderful, a smart and light and sweet movie that speaks to me on the subject of nostalgia - about how tempting it is, and about how eventually hollow it is. And what’s more, the film features a truly remarkable performance from Owen Wilson, one that reminds you why you liked the guy so much way back when. Wilson is probably the best faux-Woody in years, because his performance doesn’t go to fully neurotic Woody but harkens back to the 60s/early 70s semi-suave Woody. Yes, there was such a thing. Check out Bananas.

The film’s success also means that Midnight in Paris just might turn out to be an Oscar contender. At the very least I think it’s in for Best Screenplay, but the film is also quite gorgeous. I don’t understand the new Best Picture system (yeah, they’ve changed it again), so I don’t know if it has a shot at being nominated there, but if they had stuck with 10 movies it would have been a shoo-in.

The upshot of this is that Midnight in Paris is now very likely to be playing in somewhat close proximity to you and your loved ones. If you like smart movies you should see this. If you like Paris, you should see this (it made me want to hop a plane to Paris). If you’ve ever liked a Woody Allen movie, you should see this.

Pretty much you should see this.