Sony Pictures Classics opted for quantity and quality as it nurtured more than 20 films at the boxoffice last year, though about two-thirds of its 2006 releases didn’t score above the low- to mid-six figures. The biggest hits had either the biggest stars — like the $13 million-grossing “Friends With Money” starring Jennifer Aniston — and the most acclaim — Oscar winner “Capote,” a holdover from 2005. At present, the critically acclaimed “Volver” from director Pedro Almodovar, is shaping up as a formidable awards season contender; it has been nominated for a best foreign-language film Golden Globe and lead Penelope Cruz has picked up several nominations. The sumptuous martial arts tale “Curse of the Golden Flower,” from Zhang Yimou, also is heating up screens in its initial dates.
| Sony Classics releases | Date | Boxoffice |
| Why We Fight | 1/20 | $1.4 |
| Don’t Come Knocking | 3/17 | 0.4 |
| The Child | 3/24 | 0.7 |
| The Devil and Daniel Johnston | 3/31 | 0.3 |
| Friends With Money | 4/7 | 13.4 |
| Art School Confidential | 5/5 | 3.3 |
| Sketches of Frank Gehry | 5/12 | 0.4 |
| Who Killed the Electric Car? | 6/28 | 1.7 |
| Quinceanera | 8/4 | 1.7 |
| House of Sand | 8/11 | 0.5 |
| Viva Pedro! | 8/11 | 0.6 |
| The Quiet | 8/25 | 0.4 |
| Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles | 9/1 | 0.2 |
| American Hardcore | 9/22 | 0.3 |
| Driving Lessons | 10/13 | 0.2 |
| Volver | 11/3 | 5.0 |
| CUrse of the Golden Flower | 12/21 | 1.7 |
| Cache | 12/23/05 | 3.4 |
| The White Countess | 12/21/05 | 1.5 |
| Joyeux Noel | 12/16/05 | 1.0 |
| Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada | 12/14/05 | 5.0 |
| Breakfast on Pluto | 11/16/05 | 0.4 |
| The Passenger | 10/28/05 | 0.1 |
| Capote | 9/30/05 | 16.7 |
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The boxoffice and market share for each distributor represents tickets sales from Jan. 3, 2006, through Jan. 1, 2007, inclusive. “Films tracked” represents the total number of films, including 2005 releases that generated ticket sales for each distributor. For 2005 releases, only boxoffice returns from 2006 are reported. |
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