Atlas Shrugged, Conspirator Get Political in Search For Box-Office Respect

Rio might have flown away with number one, but the real stories of the weekend box-office might be a pair of films that didn't even make the top 10. And if their companies' reactions are any indication, they are not done yet. But is this really just about the money?

Well, yes and no. Yes, because the opening weekends for The Conspirator and Atlas Shrugged: Part One finished a respective 11th and 14th overall in the weekend box-office standings -- which may not seem especially impressive until you consider the former was on only 707 screens and the latter had a mere 299. The results were per-screen averages more on-par with modestly performing studio wide openings than with the lean, low-profile and cost-conscious semi-indies they both were (or at least purported themselves to be). Once all the money was counted, Atlas Shrugged's average succumbed to Scream 4's own by a mere $16 per screen -- $5,656 to $5,640.

A little more adversely affected in this metric by its higher screen saturation, The Conspirator nevertheless managed an average of $4,963 per screen. Both easily beat the first-week averages of recent wide releases Hanna ($4,880), Arthur ($3,731), Your Highness ($3.380), and Soul Surfer -- the most prodigious sleeper going right now with a cumulative gross of nearly $20 million in two weeks, yet a maximum per-screen average of $4,759.

Then there's the flip side. For the record, neither film reaped some dizzying windfall; $5,000 per screen is solid, but not exactly what you'd call a universal benchmark of success. "Boosters of Atlas Shrugged: Part I might point to the movie's per theater average to spin it as a success (ex. 'it did almost as much per theater as Scream 4!'), but spin is all it is," wrote Box Office Mojo's Brandon Gray on Sunday.

But because the "per screen" indicator is generally recognized as one of the few equalizing barometers of demand between studios and indie distributors, guess who had a note in their newsletter subscribers' inboxes today? Atlas Shrugged's arrived first, borrowing both the vernacular of Ayn Rand's source novel and the underdog ideology of the conservatives sought to help outlast Hollywood [note: The numbers cited below are estimates]:

STRIKERS,

THANK YOU. After an incredible opening weekend, it would appear it's time to expand. Opening in only 300 theaters, Atlas Shrugged pulled in 1.67 million dollars averaging $5,590 per theater - 3rd only to Rio and Scream 4 in averages.

Atlas Shrugged Movie = Free Market Working.

The HEAT is on

Our work is not done - it has only just begun and we are running out of time quick. The opposition is out in force and they DO NOT want the message of Atlas to get out. Add to that the summer movie season is hurriedly approaching and we have to move NOW.

This is NOT a dress rehearsal. We must keep the pressure on and get the word out FAST.

Head on over to our Get Involved page and get to spreading the word - twiitter, facebook, email - every single post you make has an impact.

The Atlas Shrugged team didn't respond to request for comment explaining "the message of Atlas," or specifying who exactly this "opposition" is. But considering distributor Rocky Mountain Pictures' historically right-leaning successes like Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed and End of the Spear, you can draw you own conclusions accordingly.

Not to be outdone, the team behind the Civil War-set Conspirator -- director Robert Redford's thinly veiled allegory about the integrity of law during wartime, or in other words, the weekend's unofficial liberal perspective at the movies -- borrowed a page from The King's Speech textbook. And boy, did they make it count:

AUDIENCES STAND AND CHEER FOR THE CONSPIRATOR

DIRECTED BY ROBERT REDFORD

"NOT MANY FILMS THIS SMART CAN BE MADE," SAYS ROGER EBERT

Los Angeles, April 18, 2011 - THE CONSPIRATOR, directed by film legend Robert Redford, brought audiences to their feet this weekend as the movie debuted at more than 700 theaters across the country. Filmgoers gave standing ovations at sold-out shows following a similar reaction at the movie's Ford's Theatre premiere last week, which included members of the United States Supreme Court, Congress, and the Presidential Cabinet. From media outlets like the NEWSHOUR on PBS, MSNBC'S ANDREA MITCHELL REPORTS, CNN's PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT and NPR's MORNING EDITION, to social media hubs like Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/TheConspirator).

THE CONSPIRATOR has sparked a spirited discussion about the film's timely story and the provocative questions it raises - Does the law fall silent during times of war? How far should a mother go to protect her child?

In television segments aired over the past week on networks including MSNBC, BLOOMBERG NEWS and FOX NEWS CHANNEL, esteemed members of the news media have lauded the film:

Andrea Mitchell, NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent and host of "Andrea Mitchell Reports" on MSNBC

On air: April 13, 2011 at approximately 1:34pm ET

"Gripping film...I saw the film the other night and came away in tears as did many in the audience...The constitutional issues are deeply profound...This is an extraordinary legal drama, a constitutional drama, and a human drama... I was really moved by it."

Shannon Bream, Supreme Court Reporter, Fox News Channel

On air: April 17, 2011 at approximately 1:45m ET

"Very, very nicely done...it is very, very thought provoking... a great balance of educating and entertaining people at the same time."

Al Hunt, Washington Executive Editor, Bloomberg News

On air: April 12, 2011 at approximately 10:37am ET

"One of the best movies I have ever seen. I will tell you, there are truths in there that are just as applicable today as they were 146 years ago. I know you have a busy schedule, but go see it... it is an absolutely fabulous movie."

OK, OK -- we get it. Regardless of whether or not it's an "absolutely fabulous" movie (hint: it isn't), the real message now is that The Conspirator's humanist, compassionate purpose transcends basic critical standards. Moreover, viewers don't have to take the flacks' word for it; just check out how well Redford's sincere, sensitive epic performed on a fraction of the screens populated by mass-market trifles like Rio and Scream 4. The numbers don't tell a stunning story on their own, but being able to anchor a press release battleship such as this one is good enough for opening weekend -- and hopefully the second as well.

Which is interesting in and of itself: The Conspirator's release was timed to commemorate Abraham's Lincoln's assassination on April 14, 1865. Atlas Shrugged: Part 1 was timed to the scourge of Tax Day. This weekend is Easter. Anyone want to bet which has the best shot at resurrection?