Roberts Rules Box Office Again

Is it charisma, media-spin finesse or talent in bringing to life a true story? Whatever the ingredients, Julia Roberts proved once again that she is one of the most popular actresses on the planet.

Roberts' Erin Brockovich took in a $19 million in its second weekend to top the box office in earnings again, according to Hollywood.com. Early Show Contributor Laurie Hibbard reviews the numbers.

Roberts scored a record-breaking salary to portray Erin Brockovich, and apparently she's worth every penny. Her megawatt smile makes audiences melt. But is it worth $20 million?

"If any star at the moment is worth $20 million, Julia Roberts is it," Entertainment Weekly's Jess Cagle declares. "She delivers huge opening weekends. She's had three solid hits in a row. She delivers a really solid crossover male/female audience. People really want to see her."

And this time, they saw more than just a "pretty woman."

"Erin Brockovich is a bit more of a stretch in the acting department. She's totally up to it. Because, as we saw in Notting Hill, she really does have some acting chops," Cagle says.

What else goes into calculating a star's worth?

"Who gets $20 million depends on how much buzz they can generate about a movie, how much press they can get, how many people they can put in the seats, how well their movies do overseas," he adds.

Roberts can demand as much as $20 million, but she doesn't always receive that much. It depends on the movie and whether she has a starring or lesser role.

An additional element in Roberts' popularity is that audiences are invested in her personal life.

"We've watched her grow up since Mystic Pizza," Cagle says. "There was the Kiefer Sutherland engagement. There was the Lyle Lovett thing. Audiences have weathered the difficult man problems that she's had."

And now, with Erin Brockovich at the box office, Roberts has proven she can put her money where her mouth is.

"For $20 million, you get a very fine actress who knows what her audience wants," Cagle says. "And for $20 million, you get a lot of excitement; you get people going on opening weekend."

Another factor that draws people in is an Oscar nod, as the makers of American Beauty are confirming. Since the movie's eight nominations last month, the film has earned nearly $28 million in re-release. Now that the film found Oscar gold Sunday, its earnings are likely to increase.