Mel Gibson Shows He’s in Command

Mel Gibson did something neither Bruce Willis in “Hart’s War,” Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Collateral Damage” or Kevin Costner in “Dragonfly” have been able to do this year--headline a hit movie.

To be sure, Gibson’s Vietnam War-era film, “We Were Soldiers,” which debuted with $20.2 million to claim the No. 1 spot over the weekend, lagged behind the openings of his two previous movies, “What Women Want” ($33.6 million) and “The Patriot” ($22.4 million), but it still proved that the veteran actor remains a healthy draw.

Despite poor reviews, the abstinence-themed romantic comedy “40 Days and 40 Nights,” starring Josh Hartnett, opened in second place with $12.2 million.

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Weekend Box Office

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