Surprisingly slow decline

The "Scent of a Woman," which became a dark horse in the fall season of 1992, displayed increasing strength as it continued to be screened. Just three weeks after its release, it was shown in 1,400 theaters, thanks to the momentum created by Universal Pictures. In the first week of November, it achieved an astonishing weekend box office of $9.5 million. It continued to show an upward trend in weekend box office performance for four consecutive weeks. By the end of its fourth week, it had accumulated a box office revenue of $20 million, stunning the entire North American film criticism community.

If we carefully recall the immense pressure "Scent of a Woman" faced before its release and the pain and suffering Al Pacino endured in the past seventeen months, there is no doubt that this battle of monks was a resounding victory for "Scent of a Woman"!

With a weekend box office revenue of $9.5 million, "Scent of a Woman" triumphed over the premiere of "Passenger 57" in the first week of November, successfully retaining the top spot in the North American weekend box office rankings.

Although the heavily invested $20 million film "Passenger 57" came with great momentum, it ultimately fell short with a modest weekend box office of $9.4 million, losing by a narrow margin of less than $100,000. It was a double victory for the box office of "Scent of a Woman".

"Under Siege" secured the third place with a weekend box office revenue of $5.6 million, accumulating a total box office revenue of $59 million in its five-week run, making it the biggest winner in the fall season. On the other hand, "A River Runs Through It", which expanded to 1,000 theaters, earned $5 million, claiming the fourth position in the weekly box office rankings. It also performed quite well, accumulating a total box office revenue of $14 million in its five weeks of release.

It must be said that "A River Runs Through It" and "Scent of a Woman" were rivals. Although "A River Runs Through It" had the advantage of being released earlier and taking the lead, "Scent of a Woman" managed to surpass it from various angles, leaving its direct competitor breathless. One can imagine the frustration of Brad and Martin.

"Scent of a Woman," which achieved two consecutive victories, not only shattered all doubts and concerns before its release but also completed an incredible comeback. Although all the spotlight was on the male lead, Al Pacino, Hugo's contribution undoubtedly caught people's attention. This also heralded the end of the bad luck of the Golden Raspberry Awards!

In the second week of November, the magical journey of "Scent of a Woman" temporarily came to a halt. Faced with the $40 million blockbuster "Dracula" directed by renowned director Francis Ford Coppola and featuring popular actors such as Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Keanu Reeves, and Anthony Hopkins, it was difficult for "Scent of a Woman" to launch an effective counterattack.

After its release, "Dracula" easily dominated with a weekend box office revenue of $30 million, claiming the champion's position without suspense.

Faced with such a formidable competitor, "Scent of a Woman" did not back down. It delivered a super-low decline rate of 15% and reached a weekend box office of 8 million dollars, firmly holding onto the second place after stepping down from the champion position. In comparison, "Under Siege" was somewhat disappointing with a 30% drop, resulting in a score of only 6.5 million dollars. Although it ranked third, it was surpassed by a significant margin by "Scent of a Woman".

As for "A River Runs Through It", its performance was also quite good. With a decline rate of 22%, it achieved a weekend box office of 3.9 million dollars. However, it still fell short compared to the outstanding performance of "Scent of a Woman", lagging behind by one level.

The movie "Scent of a Woman", which accumulated a box office of 29 million dollars within five weeks of its release, although it lost its ability to compete for the top spot afterward, achieving two consecutive weeks as the champion was already an unexpected surprise. One couldn't ask for more. The film's box office performance in North America, driven by excellent word-of-mouth, remained impressive. Not only did it control its weekly decline to below 20 percent, but it even experienced growth in some weeks. Furthermore, "Scent of a Woman" received enthusiastic support from audiences in the long run. It stayed in theaters from the second week of October until the first week of July, totaling a screening period of 36 weeks.

On the other hand, it was evident that "A River Runs Through It" couldn't be compared. It had to end its run prematurely after thirteen weeks due to a rapid decrease in audience attendance, and its cumulative box office ultimately reached 36 million dollars. Of course, considering it was a low-budget production, achieving profitability was expected. However, compared to "Scent of a Woman", its performance was not as outstanding.

In the end, "Scent of a Woman" brought its cumulative box office in North America to 80 million dollars, which was ten times its production cost of 8 million dollars. Of course, profits need to be divided among the film company and major theater chains, and the film company also needs to share with the actors, director, and others. However, the enormous success of "Scent of a Woman" was undeniable.

Additionally, the highly acclaimed "Scent of a Woman" also entered the international market, where the enthusiasm was even higher than in the United States. It ultimately achieved a box office revenue of 90 million dollars, bringing the global box office of "Scent of a Woman" to 170 million dollars, causing great joy at Universal Pictures.

The undeniable success of "Scent of a Woman" established Hugo's comeback and brought him back into the mainstream media's spotlight. He became a hot figure. Compared to Al, who has always been in the public eye, Hugo, who experienced a rollercoaster year, became the center of attention. This led to Hugo being invited as a guest on the latest episode of The Tonight Show.

The Tonight Show, under the NBC television network, was currently the highest-rated talk show in the United States. Its previous host, Johnny Carson, hosted the show for a remarkable thirty years, taking it to its peak. However, in May of this year, when Johnny Carson announced his retirement, a fierce battle erupted for the host position. Competitors included Jay Leno and David Letterman, and ultimately, the more loyal Jay Leno emerged as the victor. David Letterman, who had been promised the position after Johnny's retirement, felt betrayed and left CBS television station in a fit of anger. The vacant position he left at NBC was taken over by Conan O'Brien.

The Tonight Show features guests from various fields, including sports, movies, music, politics, and the economy. Its twice-weekly broadcasts consistently receive enthusiastic support from the audience, and after Jay took over as the host, he continued to maintain this advantage.

Hugo arrived early at the Burbank studio, but there was still some distance to cover before reaching the studio itself. Joseph had to slow down the car because of the crowded crowd ahead, about a dozen or so people. Although not many, they made the road narrow, requiring careful driving. Hugo, who had been to the Burbank studio many times before, had never encountered such a peculiar situation.

Joseph looked around and uncertainly said, "Maybe these people are here as audience members, waiting for the staff to come and receive them."

At this moment, the gathering crowd also noticed the slowly approaching vehicle from behind and turned around. The few people closest to the middle of the road dispersed, preparing to make space. However, just then, someone suddenly rushed forward, startling Joseph, who was driving, and he didn't dare to speed up. Hugo, sitting in the passenger seat, also became confused and couldn't grasp the situation.

"Hugo! I love you!" The first person rushed to the passenger seat and shouted loudly through the window, their excited face vividly presented in front of Hugo.

Before Hugo could react, the people behind finally realized that Hugo Lancaster was sitting in the car. Since Joseph had not put any screen on the windows, it was effortless to see what was happening inside the car. As a result, a dozen people rushed forward and surrounded Joseph's old Volkswagen Golf.

"Hugo! Hugo!" Hearing the calls outside the window, Hugo finally understood. He looked bewilderedly at Joseph and asked, "Are they... here for me?" The pounding sounds on the car were deafening, making one suspect that the old vehicle might fall apart at any moment.

Joseph now understood the situation and a smile curved on his lips. "Seems like it. Get ready. They are waiting for you." When actors come to record programs, fans wait in front of the studio. Although this behavior of idol chasing is not very common and is more often seen at premiere events, it is not so rare either. However, Joseph did not anticipate that the effect would come out just one week after the release of "Scent of a Woman".

"So, what should I do?" Hugo asked foolishly.

Joseph glanced at Hugo and almost burst out laughing at his slightly silly expression but managed to hold it back. Hesitatingly, he said, "Just wave your hand?"

In Hugo's impression, fans gathering and screaming were treatments reserved for popular idols, like Justin Bieber or Robert Pattinson. Typically, it was more common for teenage girls to be starstruck, needing a trigger for their "fangirling" behavior. However, Hugo didn't have that kind of experience right now. "Scent of a Woman" wasn't the kind of movie that would make girls scream after watching it.

So, faced with these dozen or so fans waiting for him outside the car window, Hugo was caught off guard. Even when he had a few female fans during his previous glory days, he had never been so nervous. Therefore, Hugo followed Joseph's suggestion and smiled, waving his hand towards the outside of the window.

In an instant, "Ah! Ah! Ah!" screams surged like a tidal wave. Hugo realized for the first time that a collective scream from a dozen people could create such a terrifying effect. But it felt amazing. The slightly stiff smile on Hugo's face involuntarily relaxed, and he completely bloomed, his amber eyes radiating golden light.