Combine Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington’s star-wattage and you’re bound to get a hit.  But did anyone expect a $43 million debut for American Gangster?  Why did these Oscar-winners do so well when others have only done okay?  How did an R-rated film beat out an animated PG flick?  Why didn’t the movie’s long running-time (157 minutes) turn people away?

Gangster’s #1 spot was just one of the film’s many weekend achievements.  The movie also marked the biggest opening weekend for both lead actors (Russell’s Gladiator earned $35 million; Washington’s Inside Man grossed $29 million).  It also had the 2nd best debut for a drama in November (right behind 2002’s 8 Mile).

Unfortunately, all this good news was lost on comedian Jerry Seinfeld—the hardest working self-promoter of 2007.  Even though NBC spent countless hours of airtime sucking up to its former Golden Boy, Seinfeld’s Bee Movie was stung with a 2nd place finish.  Although $38 million take is nothing to complain about, I expect next week’s Fred Claus will slide right in to become the week’s best-grossing comedy.

1. American Gangster, Universal,  $43,565,135
2. Bee Movie, DreamWorks, $38,021,044
3. Saw IV, Lionsgate, $10,348,646
4. Dan in Real Life, Touchstone, $7,870,196
5. The Game Plan, Disney, $3,931,491
6. 30 Days of Night, Sony, $3,741,763
7. Martian Child, New Line, $3,376,669
8. Michael Clayton, Warner Bros., $2,785,133
9. Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married?, Lionsgate, $2,604,119
10. Gone Baby Gone, Miramax, $2,237,915