"Milk" cracks the top ten in only 36 theaters

As you may have heard, Gus Van Sant's Harvey Milk biopic opened over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in limited release. But here's what you may not have heard: despite playing in only 36 theaters, Milk raked in almost $2 million, making it the #10 movie of the weekend and giving it a whopping $38,361 per-screen average (compared to the $9,571 per-screen average of Four Christmases, the #1 movie of the weekend).

Good news, to be sure. Let's hope the momentum continues as the film continues to open wider around the country. You may recall that earlier this year the Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom movie did similarly boffo per-screen box office (topping $30,000 per theater).

The lesson? If you build it (and decorate tastefully), we will come.

Did you have a chance to check out Milk over the weekend? What'd you think?