As I embark on the film adaptation of Inside the Outside, I find myself pondering things like production costs and budgets. You see, I'm a very big appreciator of small films that make lasting impacts. The film Once, for example, cost $150,000 to make and earned $20,710,513. More importantly than it's $20 million-plus profit, is the fact that it's a lovely movie.
So, when Inside the Outside is eventually produced, I often think that I would like for it to be such a film. Of course, I'm well aware that while there are triumphant films like Once, there are also plenty of wonderful films, big and small alike, that failed to break even.
With that in mind, I've compiled a list of my 5 favorite films that didn't earn a profit:
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5. Little Children (2006)
Little Children is a film based on the novel of the same name by Tom Perrotta, who along, with the director, Todd Field, wrote the screenplay. It's a terrific film about a group of suburban men and women, all of whom have graduated into adulthood and are embarking on middle age, only to find that, like most adults, they never really grew up.
COST: $26,000,000
EARNED: $14,821,658
PROFIT: -$11,178,342
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4. The Majestic (2001)
The Majestic is a film starring Jim Carrey, directed by Frank Darabont, the creator and executive producer of The Walking Dead. Set in the 1950s, it's about a young screenwriter who, upon being accused of being a communist, gets drunk and accidentally drives his car over a bridge. He wakes up with amnesia in the small town of Lawson, where the locals believe him to be a war hero thought to have died in WWII.
COST: $72,000,000
EARNED: $37,317,558
PROFIT: -$34,682,442
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3. Rabbit Hole (2010)
Rabbit Hole is a film starring Nicole Kidman and directed by John Cameron Mitchell, the brilliant filmmaker who made Hedwig and The Angry Inch and Short Bus. The story is about a married couple struggling to heal after the tragic death of their 4-year-old son. Despite it's sad themes, Rabbit Hole is a surprisingly entertaining film with more than a few laughs.
COST: $5,000,000
EARNED: $3,409,780
PROFIT: -$1,590,220
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2. Waiting for Guffman (1997)
Waiting for Guffman is the hilarious mockumentary starring, co-written, and directed by Christopher Guest. It is about a community theater set in the fictional town of Blaine, Missouri. To help celebrate the town's 150th anniversary, a group of local residents take part in a musical production called Red, White and Blaine. And, as you might imagine, the production goes anything but smoothly.
COST: $4,000,000
EARNED: $2,923,982
PROFIT: -$1,076,018
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1. Almost Famous (2000)
Almost Famous, written and directed by Cameron Crowe, is easily one of my very favorite movies of all time. It's the story of a 15-year-old boy named William Miller, who loves writing and music and, thanks to a fortunate set of circumstances, finds himself on tour with the (fictitious) rock band, Stillwater, as he covers them for an article he's writing for Rolling Stone. The story is loosely based on the experiences of Crowe, who, as a teenager, wrote for Rolling Stone.
COST: $60,000,000
EARNED: $47,383,689
PROFIT: -$12,616,311