'Atlas Shrugged' the movie: Dismal failure or cult hit?

The box office numbers are in, but commentators still can't decide whether the Tea Party-hyped Ayn Rand adaptation is a success

"Atlas Shrugged: Part 1" found some early success when it opened last Friday on just 300 screens, but many critics say it can't reach beyond its niche fan base.
(Image credit: atlasshruggedpart1.com)

Atlas Shrugged: Part I, the first cinematic adaptation of Ayn Rand's objectivist tome, opened last weekend to mostly negative reviews, and earned $1.6 million at the box office on about 300 screens. Depending on whom you ask, that's either a surprise win for what’s been called "the first Tea Party movie," or an abysmal failure. Which is it?

It did well for a little indie: Given that it only cost around $10 million to make and had very little traditional advertising promoting it, Atlas Shrugged: Part I's debut can be seen a "modest success," says Amy Kaufman in The Baltimore Sun. "The movie found an audience in certain parts of the country," especially Duluth, Ga., where it took in $53,832 on Friday and Saturday alone. Next weekend, the film's release expands to 1,000 theaters. Let's see how it does.

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