Los Angeles: The maids of 'The Help' proved far mightier than muscle-flexing 'Conan the Barbarian' and three other new releases at the weekend box office, taking the top spot with an estimated $20.5 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales.
'The Help' rose from its second-place finish last week to the top spot with rave reviews and strong word-of-mouth buzz, distributor Walt Disney Co said on Sunday.
The drama chronicles the relationships between white women in Mississippi and their black housekeepers in the 1960s. The movie's North American (U.S. and Canadian) receipts slipped 21 percent from its debut a week earlier, an impressive hold and more than enough to beat underwhelming performances from four new films.
To date, 'The Help' has beat expectations by ringing up a total of $71.8 million. ...
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12:15 PM, Aug 22, 2011
