I’m not an expert in the movie business, but I think it’s a good sign to see this movie anywhere at all in the box office results for its opening weekend:
Note the low number of theaters, only 299.
The film opened on 300 screens on April 15, 2011, and made $1,676,917 in its opening weekend, finishing in 14th place overall, but when compared on a per-screen basis, it finished 3rd (among films in wide release), with $5590 per screen.
Personally I can say that I really enjoyed watching the movie. No doubt, the acting could have been a lot better, meaning more credible, emotional, and gripping. The cinematography seemed a bit too clean and stylized for my taste.
However, the philosophy comes across well and that’s what matters most to me. These ideas have been dead and gone for so long, at least in the mainstream, and it’s exciting to me to see them take a peek into the public sphere again. I see this as an indicator that philosophical change is on its way slowly but surely, but of course I may be utterly biased. :)
In any case, I’m sure looking forward to the next parts!