By Gavin Boyle
Disney’s live action LILO & STITCH broke the Memorial Day weekend box office record, thanks to its family-friendly themes that made it accessible for all audiences.
“Millions of moviegoers this holiday weekend proved once again that going to the cinema is a true American pastime,” Cinema United President and CEO Michael O’Leary said after last weekend’s box office success. “Records aside, it’s clear that movie theaters are cultural and economic hubs in cities and towns of all sizes, uniting communities across the country in the singular thrill of seeing a movie on the big screen. This weekend is just the start of what will be a great summer for movie fans around the world.”
LILO & STITCH opened to $146 million at the domestic box office, beating out Tom Cruise’s MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING’s $64 million domestic opening. This is not the only way the live-action remake beat out Tom Cruise, thuough, as it also became the highest grossing Memorial Day opening of all time, taking the record from TOP GUN: MAVERICK, which opened to $127 million domestically.
While the new MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE movie is accessible for many audiences, it is rated PG-13, meaning it is not suitable for younger kids. Meanwhile, LILO & STITCH is rated PG, meaning nearly anyone can enjoy it. Movieguide® agrees with this sentiment as the movie received a +1 rating. A portion of Movieguide®’s review reads:
Related: Family Friendly Movies Win at Memorial Day Weekend Box Office
The live action LILO & STITCH is lots of fun, with touching moments of rescue and redemption. Sometimes, however, the comical action is awkwardly shot. Eventually, Lilo’s love and devotion change Stitch’s heart, allowing him to feel love and want to be part of her family. Lilo won’t quit loving Stitch no matter how much trouble he causes. The live action LILO & STITCH has lots of comical action violence, however, and very brief light foul language. So, MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for younger children.
Last weekend’s box office provides a stark example of just how important it is for Hollywood to continue to create family-friendly movies. While the industry often focuses on creating movies for older teens and adults, time and time again, it is the ones accessible by all audiences that perform the best. Of the top 10 best box office performing movies so far this year, six are rated PG, and only two are rated R.
This is a trend that Movieguide® has outlined every year through its annual Report to the Entertainment Industry which finds that the movies that are free from excessive content (foul language, violence, sex, etc.) outperform their peers. Furthermore, movies that extoll Christian values succeed even further, revealing it is in the best interest of both audiences and studios to focus on creating more of these movies.
While Hollywood continues to ignore this data, this Memorial Day Weekend makes it clear that this is a long standing trend that continues to prove itself true time and time again.
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