Why ‘Call Jane’ Box Office Woes Spell Trouble for Democrats
Pro-abortion drama's fate suggests voters have other issues top of mind
Indie films typically start their theatrical rollouts in blue cities.
If audiences show up in droves, the studios expand the films into theaters nationwide. It’s an effective strategy that relies on word-of-mouth to buoy interest.
Roadside Attractions opted for a different release strategy for “Call Jane,” and it made sense on paper.
The film stars Elizabeth Banks as a ’60s-era woman seeking an abortion due to a medical complication threatening her life. The story is fictional but connects with the real-life Janes, an underground network that helped secure illegal abortions during the era.
“Call Jane” is unabashedly pro-choice, one of many recent films to argue on behalf of abortion.
And, given the 2022 Supreme Court ended Roe v. Wade a few months back, the progressive appetite for “Call Jane” should be as strong as possible. Why not release the drama days before the midterm elections?
Except very few people showed up to see the film over the weekend. That’s an understatement.
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The movie earned just $243,922 at the box office from more than 1,000 screens. That isn’t a wide release in the traditional sense, but it’s far more than most indie films receive.
“The Banshees of Inisherin,” an Oscar-bait release that opened on just 58 screens Oct. 28, earned more than double what “Call Jane” generated.
You can’t blame a lack of awareness for the results. “Call Jane” earned oodles of media attention. The New York Times gave co-star Sigourney Weaver a massive profile feature tied to the project.
Banks similarly earned a New York Times close-up along with a Vanity Fair feature story.
Planned Parenthood also used its considerable clout to promote the film.
The film and its partners, including the Planned Parenthood Federation of America — which also served in a collaborative role on the film to ensure it reflects the realities of barriers to abortion access — and Abortion Care Network’s KeepOurClinics.org campaign, will screen the Phyllis Nagy-directed film with dozens of American clinics.
Banks and Weaver worked the late-night circuit, too, and the respective hosts echoed their pitch about the movie’s real-world implications.
The pair also made a joint appearance on “The View,” another smart marketing move given that show’s progressive following.
Perhaps “Call Jane” might have resonated with audiences had it hit theaters closer to the Roe v. Wade reversal. Instead, the movie arrived as evidence of a red electoral wave is intensifying, and voters are coming to grips with that reality.
Or, the conventional wisdom that abortion would be the Democrats’ best bet to defang GOP arguments never held much sway in the first place.
The film’s commercial failure is another sign Democrats may have plenty to worry about come Nov. 8.
UPDATE: “Call Jane’s” dismal box office numbers clearly impacted Lionsgate’s home video release schedule. The company just announced the film will be available Dec. 6 via VOD and Dec. 13 on Blu-ray.
I thought by eliminating half of life the other half would thrive, but you’ve shown me…that’s impossible. As long as there are those that remember what was, there will always be those who are unable to accept what can be. They will resist.
I’m thankful. Because now I know what I must do. I will shred this universe down to its last atom, and then, with the stones you collected for me, create a new one teeming with life that knows not what it has lost but only what it has been given. A grateful universe.
Thanos
A sad mentality shared by many people pushing an agenda of death, never ending wars, famine, man made diseases, etc.
I am glad people speak with their money and show them that we will resist.
$243,000 in 1000 theaters is not merely dismal, it’s barely visible with the naked eye. Do the math. That averages $243 per theater. For a three day period, Fri/Sat/Sun. With multiple showings per day. Even at a lowball $8 per ticket, that is 30 tickets in three days, two or thee audience members per showing. It is a very safe bet that there were hundreds of showings that sold ZERO tickets.
I was in a theater with only one other person.
It is a good thing that states allow an abortion for extenuating circumstances (life of the mother, for example) but those situations are very, very few. For the vast majority of abortions, they are a human sacrifice upon the altar of convenience. The bloodlust of the pro-abortion crowd is disturbing.
More Marxist history revisionism or this movie would be a plus for pro life. The real story of Jane Roe is an expose’ of the Luciferian Left’s cruelty, callousness and unbridled deception.
It’s destined to win an Oscar!
Best supporting actor goes to…… “The Fetus”!