An 'Almighty' Lead At Box Office

"Bruce Almighty" made a heavenly debut, opening to a whopping $70.5 million according to early Studio estimates. With Memorial Day, the weekend is not over.

Last week's leader, the sci-fi thriller "The Matrix Reloaded" came in second with $37.6 million and "Daddy Day Care" starring Eddie Murphy took the third spot with $14.2 million.

Overall, it was a good time for a comedy. "Daddy Day Care" did well, but it was definitely not the kind of comedy that teenagers would go to. The Early Show entertainment contributor and People Magazine senior editor Jess Cagle says it was Jim Carrey doing exactly what audiences wanted him to do, which is Carrey acting goofy.

This is a kind of a comeback for him - his last movie was "The Majestic," which did not do well in the box office two years ago. "Bruce Almighty" proves why it is sort of a comeback in a way. There is still a tremendous audience who want him to do comedy, broad physical, commercial comedy, says Cagle.

Thought it seemed a gamble for "Bruce Almighty" to open after "The Matrix," Cagle says anytime you open a movie a week after a movie like "The Matrix," it turned out to be smart. "Bruce Almighty" turned out to be a big movie that drew people out and its success was expected people were liking the movie going into it, Cagle noted.

"The Matrix Reloaded" is also going strong. It's already surpassed the numbers of the first "Matrix." It has made over $200 million, the first "Matrix" had $171 million. "Spiderman" took nine days to hit $200 million, while this took 11 days. It's the second-fastest film to hit $200 million.

The weekend's other new release "The In-Laws" didn't have an automatic draw at the box office. Cagle says once people saw the movie they were not recommending it to their friends.

But even in a movie season dominated by the likes of "Bruce Almighty" and "The Matrix Reloaded" there still remains room in theaters for movies like "The Shape of Things," a thought-provoking drama that opened wide last weekend."

The film is the latest effort by writer/director Neil Labute, whose movies such as "In the Company of Men" and "Your Friends and Neighbors" are distinguished by their unsparingly dark depictions of male-female relationships."

Despite all the options available for actors, Paul Rudd, who stars in "The Shape of Things" is drawn to roles in small, artsy films. He told Entertainment contributor Jess Cagle, "There are so many movies out, so many movies being made. It's nice to have choices, you are going to get something different from a movie like 'The Shape of Things' than maybe you would from a big blockbuster."

In the film, Rudd plays an innocent college student named Adam who turns his life over to a beautiful manipulative woman.

He says, "My character and Rachel Weisz kind of, interestingly enough, start dating and she's cool and artsy and cute and I'm pretty schlubby and insecure and it starts off where she says, 'You're cute, I don't like your hair,' so the next scene I have a haircut, but slowly and surely, I start losing weight, get rid of my glasses and get contacts and it gets more and more extreme, some of these changes."

Adam's physical transformation required some make-up and it forced Rudd to get himself into shape.

"I lost the weight by going on this delivery-zone diet," Rudd says. "I had no carbs, it was kind of a joke because there was always craft service and pretty good food on a movie and everyone was sitting around having really nice meals and I had like, half a walnut and some melon and then maybe, maybe a piece of chicken."

Rudd was challenged not only physically, but mentally by the director's uncompromisingly bleak perspective on human nature.

Rudd says, "Any writer would want people to start thinking about things in different ways and to spark some sort of reaction, not just a needless shock reaction but something that makes people evaluate what's important to them and that's what he tries to focus on and he's not concerned with giving people that sweet happy ending that I think we've all become accustomed to."

Despite critical praise for his role in "The Shape of Things," most people know Rudd from lighter romantic roles in "Clueless," the "Object of My Affection" and as Phoebe's love-interest on "Friends."

A role on a hit sitcom may have increased his fame, but there will always be a special place in Paul Rudd's heart for little independent films like the "Shape of Things."

He says, "I think sometimes smaller films which just focus on relationships a little more and have smaller budgets, they tend to be my favorite movies."