Looking at the Weekend: Aug. 9-11, 2019

With five films going into wide release this weekend, it’s likely that none of them will do incredibly well, at least their studios don’t expect them to. Either that or they think the competition is weak enough for them to come out on top. At 1,500 theaters, Brian Banks is the easiest of the five to remove from any list of potential #1 finishers. The other four films release in more than 2,700 theaters each with Dora and the Lost City of Gold topping out at 3,500. Below that is Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark with 3,000 and The Art of Racing in the Rain on 2,800. The Kitchen rounds out the list in the lower position. Of these, devoted fanbases are likely to push Scary Stories and Dora into contention for the top release of the weekend while The Art of Racing in the Rain could sneak past both for a top finish. I give the edge to Scary Stories because its teen-targeted audience is much more likely to turn out for a PG-13-rated horror film than former Dora the Explorer fans who’ve never grown out of their love for her.

Our Highest Rated Films: The Kitchen, After the Wedding
Our Best Awards Ratings: No consensus

OTHER LIMITED RELEASES

One Child Nation

Aug. 9-11, 2019
Film	Our Thoughts	Awards Chances
The Art of Racing in the Rain (Wide Release) See the original CinemaSight Trailer & Poster Preview	4.3 Wesley Lovell: (4) Peter J. Patrick: (4) Thomas LaTourrette: (5)	Nil Wesley Lovell: (Nil) Peter J. Patrick: (Nil) Thomas LaTourrette: (Nil)	Categories: None
	Individual Commentary:
	Wesley Lovell (WL): The premise is incredibly corny and the trailer doesn’t make it look that much better. Peter J. Patrick (PP): Enough of these cute dog stories. Thomas LaTourette (TL): The film looks cute, but not really anything more than that. If you are into dog movies, then see it.
Film	Our Thoughts	Awards Chances
Brian Banks (Wide Release) See the original CinemaSight Trailer & Poster Preview	4.0 Wesley Lovell: (3) Peter J. Patrick: (5) Thomas LaTourrette: (4)	Nil Wesley Lovell: (Nil) Peter J. Patrick: (Nil) Thomas LaTourrette: (Nil)	Categories: None
	Individual Commentary:
	Wesley Lovell (WL): A film that wants to be important, but without a trailer to back up that impression. Peter J. Patrick (PP): Looks like something we’ve seen before. Thomas LaTourette (TL): It could be a provocative film about a young black man that was sent to prison on trumped up charges, but it feels a little too pat.
Film	Our Thoughts	Awards Chances
Dora and the Lost City of Gold (Wide Release) See the original CinemaSight Trailer & Poster Preview	3.3 Wesley Lovell: (1) Peter J. Patrick: (4) Thomas LaTourrette: (5)	Nil Wesley Lovell: (Nil) Peter J. Patrick: (Nil) Thomas LaTourrette: (Nil)	Categories: None
	Individual Commentary:
	Wesley Lovell (WL): Only fans of the animated character need apply and possibly not even then. Peter J. Patrick (PP): Appears to be a by-the-numbers kid’s adventure. Thomas LaTourette (TL): This definitely is geared for a younger audience, but for them it should be fun.
Film	Our Thoughts	Awards Chances
The Kitchen (Wide Release) See the original CinemaSight Trailer & Poster Preview	6.3 Wesley Lovell: (8) Peter J. Patrick: (5) Thomas LaTourrette: (6)	.3 Wesley Lovell: (1,Oscars) Peter J. Patrick: (Nil) Thomas LaTourrette: (Nil)	Categories: Picture (WL) Director (WL) Actress (WL) Supporting Actress (WL) Adapted Screenplay (WL) Film Editing (WL) Cinematography (WL) Production Design (WL)
	Individual Commentary:
	Wesley Lovell (WL): A terrific cast and a compelling narrative could make this the film to see. Peter J. Patrick (PP): Widows redux. Thomas LaTourette (TL): I want to like the trailer, which might be for an interesting film, but feels slightly not likable. Maybe I’m not into gangster movies, no matter the gender.
Film	Our Thoughts	Awards Chances
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (Wide Release) See the original CinemaSight Trailer & Poster Preview	4.7 Wesley Lovell: (5) Peter J. Patrick: (5) Thomas LaTourrette: (4)	Nil Wesley Lovell: (Nil) Peter J. Patrick: (Nil) Thomas LaTourrette: (Nil)	Categories: None
	Individual Commentary:
	Wesley Lovell (WL): The trailers don’t give the audience much hope that this will be much more than a “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” clone. Peter J. Patrick (PP): Looks more silly than scary. Thomas LaTourette (TL): Scary movies are not my favorite to start with, and this one just does not even look that scary.
Film	Our Thoughts	Awards Chances
After the Wedding (Limited Release) See the original CinemaSight Trailer & Poster Preview	6.0 Wesley Lovell: (6) Peter J. Patrick: (6) Thomas LaTourrette: (6)	Nil Wesley Lovell: (Nil) Peter J. Patrick: (Nil) Thomas LaTourrette: (Nil)	Categories: None
	Individual Commentary:
	Wesley Lovell (WL): The trailer looks modestly engaging with a solid cast. Peter J. Patrick (PP): This Hollywood remake of a 2006 Danish films looks intriguing. Thomas LaTourette (TL): I have not seen the original which early reviewers liked better, but this looks interesting if not captivating, though it does boast a strong cast.
Film	Our Thoughts	Awards Chances
Dying to Survive (Limited Release) See the original CinemaSight Trailer & Poster Preview	4.3 Wesley Lovell: (2) Peter J. Patrick: (8) Thomas LaTourrette: (3)	Nil Wesley Lovell: (Nil) Peter J. Patrick: (Nil) Thomas LaTourrette: (Nil)	Categories: None
	Individual Commentary:
	Wesley Lovell (WL): It’s not a film that holds a lot of appeal for me. Peter J. Patrick (PP): This exposé of the Chinese drug industry looks solid. Thomas LaTourette (TL): The description of the film sounds way more interesting than the trailer, not a good sign.
Film	Our Thoughts	Awards Chances
ECCO (Limited Release) See the original CinemaSight Trailer & Poster Preview	4.0 Wesley Lovell: (3) Peter J. Patrick: (5) Thomas LaTourrette: (4)	Nil Wesley Lovell: (Nil) Peter J. Patrick: (Nil) Thomas LaTourrette: (Nil)	Categories: None
	Individual Commentary:
	Wesley Lovell (WL): The premise isn’t bad, but it isn’t great either. Peter J. Patrick (PP): This examination of the life of an assassin on the run doesn’t look very appealing. Thomas LaTourette (TL): I am not at all sure what this film is trying to be, but it certainly does not interest me.
Film	Our Thoughts	Awards Chances
Ode to Joy (Limited Release) See the original CinemaSight Trailer & Poster Preview	5.3 Wesley Lovell: (6) Peter J. Patrick: (5) Thomas LaTourrette: (5)	Nil Wesley Lovell: (Nil) Peter J. Patrick: (Nil) Thomas LaTourrette: (Nil)	Categories: None
	Individual Commentary:
	Wesley Lovell (WL): Martin Freeman is a wonderful reason to see the film even if it doesn’t look all that impressive. Peter J. Patrick (PP): Looks like a so-so romantic comedy. Thomas LaTourette (TL): I like Martin Freeman, but I wonder if he will be able to support a full movie about a man who passes out every time he feels joy. Interesting concept, but it may be hard to make him falling in love feel at all real.
Film	Our Thoughts	Awards Chances
The Peanut Butter Falcon (Limited Release) See the original CinemaSight Trailer & Poster Preview	4.7 Wesley Lovell: (4) Peter J. Patrick: (6) Thomas LaTourrette: (4)	Nil Wesley Lovell: (Nil) Peter J. Patrick: (Nil) Thomas LaTourrette: (Nil)	Categories: None
	Individual Commentary:
	Wesley Lovell (WL): It’s a story that’s been told many times, but with a different kind of protagonist and that might give it some merit. Peter J. Patrick (PP): Inspirational film about a kid with Down’s Syndrome who wants to be a wrestler looks surprisingly good. Thomas LaTourette (TL): Supposedly a feel good movie, but the trailer strained for laughs and believability.