Following its release, the Athena Grand announced that Home Run, the influential, independent Christian-based substance-recovery movie, was the highest grossing film of the weekend in the area.
“I felt humbled by the fact that it was the number one movie at the Athena Grand because I was not expecting that,” said Sheila Knudson, ministry director for Celebrate Recovery at the Athens Community Church. “I believe Home Run has a message that everyone needs to hear and can relate to.”
The film was able to sell $5,400 in tickets within the three-day period, an impressive feat for any independent film. The movie beat out Oblivion, the biggest new high-profile movie of the weekend, which stars Tom Cruise and had a budget of $120 million, by more than 350 tickets.
Additionally, the film was able to beat the national average of ticket sales in the country, which was about $4,200. An impressive feat, said Knudson, considering that ticket prices are lower in the area than typical theater prices.
Before the film was released, Rick Frame, general manager of the Athena Grand, believed that the movie was going to have a huge impact in the area, as the Athena Grand was the only theater showing the film within a 50-mile radius. A large portion of the film’s profit was found through Batting a Thousand, a fundraiser event held by Celebrate Recovery, which sold thousands of tickets for the film before it was even released.
Thanks to the film’s success this weekend, the movie will continue screening until at least May 2. If the film remains profitable, however, it will continue for a longer run in town.
“The last two-and-a-half years of waiting, praying, cheering and believing that Home Run would launch in theaters has brought us to this great moment,” said John Baker, founder of Celebrate Recovery.
Co-sponsored by Celebrate Recovery, the film tells the story of a professional baseball player’s journey through rehab in his hometown as he fights a substance abuse problem and begins to find hope in life again when he coaches a misfit little league baseball team.
“It is not just about alcoholism but instead there are testimonies of real-life people with real-life issues threaded throughout the movie,” Knudson said. “There is hope. Change is possible for everyone.”
wa054010@ohiou.edu
