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'Life' Is Beautiful

and 'The Matrix' stays close behind, nearing the $100 million mark

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By Josh Wolk

Josh Wolk

Josh Wolk is a senior writer at EW and the author of ''Cabin Pressure: One Man's Desparate Attempt to Recapture His Youth as a Camp Counselor''

You never can tell with Eddie Murphy: Is he a box office draw or isn't he? He came off a long slump with the hits ''The Nutty Professor'' and ''Dr. Dolittle,'' and then tumbled to earth last fall with the dud ''Holy Man.'' But now his career is alive again because of ''Life,'' which opened as the No. 1 movie this weekend with an estimated $20.7 million; ''Life'' also took the record for highest April three-day debut, beating last year's ''Lost in Space,'' which earned $20.5 million.

Just because ''The Matrix'' was bumped out of the top spot doesn't mean that it's hurting: At No. 2, it still pulled in $18.1 million, for a total of $99.1 million. The three-week-old Keanu Reeves effects-o-rama will undoubtedly break the six-digit mark by Monday, making it the first 1999 release to cross that line. It will also pass $100 million before the slow-and-steady ''Analyze This,'' which has been this year's biggest hit, taking in $91.2 million after seven weekends. (''Analyze'' was in fourth place this week, with $4 million, just after third-place ''Never Been Kissed,'' with $8.7 million.)

Meanwhile, as students head back to school after spring break, teen movies are heading back to a grim box office reality. ''10 Things I Hate About You'' dropped to fifth, with $3.7 million, and ''Go'' is now in seventh place with $3 million. Clearly, the studios need to work harder to convince kids that school is much less fun than going to the movies.

For more details, see the list of Top 20 films.

Posted Apr 19, 1999 | Order Article Reprints