THE MARKET: “Swing Vote” goes into wide release on Friday, August 1, 2008. How much will it gross in its opening weekend as first reported by Variety on August 3? Each dollar of the share price represents millions of dollars in sales. Shares bought at $45, for example, would be worth $78 if the movie grosses $78 million. Trading closes on August 1 at 9 a.m. ET.
THE DATA: More than a decade removed from arguably the biggest Hollywood disaster ever, Kevin Costner’s career still hasn’t recovered from “Waterworld.” “Mr. Brooks,” anyone? That and the eleven other flicks Costner has starred in since “Waterworld” came out failed to break the $20 million mark in their opening weekends. The most recognizable credit to director Joshua Michael Stern’s name is writing for “Survivor.” However, with the public tiring of the constant real-life election, a movie poking fun at the entire issue might be a welcome break.
OUR TAKE: It sounds preposterous, even for a movie. The fate of the presidential election comes down to one man’s vote. Awful, right? The thing is, it looks kind of funny. Dennis Hopper and Kelsey Grammer play the warring candidates, and Kevin Costner seems very at home as an apathetic everyman. Maybe a little levity is just what Costner needs to bring his career back to life. – Leigh Kunkel

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