#1 of 4 #1 documentary movie of 1989
1989 · Documentary
$7.7M worldwide · 83% of the chart's total
$6.7M US & Canada · 87% $1M elsewhere · 13%
Documentary box office · 1989
Documentary Box Office 1989: Highest-Grossing Documentary Movies
Roger & Me (1989) is the highest-grossing documentary movie released in 1989, with $7.7M worldwide, ahead of For All Mankind (1989) at $770.4K and Let's Get Lost (1989) at $576.2K. 4 documentary films released in 1989 report a worldwide gross, $9.3M in all, 83% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 39% on 1988, whose releases took $15.3M.
- 1989 releases with a gross
- 4
- combined worldwide
- $9.3M
- Roger & Me (1989), the #1
- $7.7M
- vs 1988
- −39%
#1 of 4 Top 4
What Were the Biggest Documentary Hits of 1989?
Roger & Me (1989) leads with $7.7M, 83% of the total. The top 4 together took $9.3M, almost all of what the 4 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.
- Number 1
-
Number 2 -
Number 3 -
Number 4
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Documentary Release of 1989, Ranked by Worldwide Gross
Lifetime worldwide grosses in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation; domestic means the US & Canada. Films are grouped by their release date in 1989.
- 1 Dec 20, 1989 US and Canada: $6.7M Rest of the world: $1M Worldwide: $7.7M
- 2 May 19, 1989 US and Canada: $770.1K Rest of the world: $234 Worldwide: $770.4K
- 3 Apr 21, 1989 US and Canada: $37.4K Rest of the world: $538.7K Worldwide: $576.2K
- 4 Sep 22, 1989 US and Canada: $272.4K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $272.4K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in 1989?
Of the top 4, Heavy Petting (1989) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Let's Get Lost (1989) made 94% of its gross abroad. Across all 4 films, $7.8M (83%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Roger & Me (1989) $7.7M $6.7M US & Canada · 87% $1M elsewhere · 13%
- 2 For All Mankind (1989) $770.4K $770.1K US & Canada · 100% $234 elsewhere · <1%
- 3 Let's Get Lost (1989) $576.2K $37.4K US & Canada · 6% $538.7K elsewhere · 94%
- 4 Heavy Petting (1989) $272.4K $272.4K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
By release month
Which Month of 1989 Earned the Most?
December releases took the most, $7.7M from 1 film, led by Roger & Me (1989). September was the quietest month ($272.4K). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.
- January Jan No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- February Feb No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- March Mar No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- April Apr Let's Get Lost (1989) $576.2K Let's Get Lost (1989)
- May May For All Mankind (1989) $770.4K For All Mankind (1989)
- June Jun No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- July Jul No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- August Aug No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- September Sep Heavy Petting (1989) $272.4K Heavy Petting (1989)
- October Oct No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- November Nov No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- December Dec Roger & Me (1989) $7.7M Roger & Me (1989)
Last 10 years
How Does 1989 Compare With Previous Years?
Of these 10 years, 1987 earned the most: $54.3M from 4 films, led by Eddie Murphy: Raw (1987). 1989 took $9.3M.
| Year | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 1 film | 1 | $5.3M | – | Divine Madness (1980) $5.3M |
| 1981 4 films · −60% | 4 | $2.1M | −60% | This Is Elvis (1981) $2M |
| 1982 8 films · +1986% | 8 | $44.4M | +1986% | Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip (1982) $36.3M |
| 1983 3 films · −64% | 3 | $16.2M | −64% | Richard Pryor: Here and Now (1983) $16.2M |
| 1984 7 films · +49% | 7 | $24.1M | +49% | Stop Making Sense (1984) $13.1M |
| 1985 6 films · −93% | 6 | $1.8M | −93% | The Dream Is Alive (1985) $1M |
| 1986 3 films · −23% | 3 | $1.4M | −23% | Home of the Brave: A Film by Laurie Anderson (1986) $1.3M |
| 1987 4 films · +3833% | 4 | $54.3M | +3833% | Eddie Murphy: Raw (1987) $50.5M |
| 1988 12 films · −72% | 12 | $15.3M | −72% | U2: Rattle and Hum (1988) $8.6M |
| 1989 4 films · −39% | 4 | $9.3M | −39% | Roger & Me (1989) $7.7M |
Archive
Documentary Box Office Year by Year
Every year from 1918 to 2026 with its total and its biggest film. 2013 leads with $696.2M, led by Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013).
2020s 7 years · $644.6M
2010s 10 years · $2.7B
- 2019 $145.4M #1 Apollo 11 (2019)
- 2018 $257.3M #1 Believer (2018)
- 2017 $172.8M #1 Reset (2017)
- 2016 $149.8M #1 A Beautiful Planet (2016)
- 2015 $203.5M #1 Northern Limit Line (2015)
- 2014 $126.7M #1 Bears (2014)
- 2013 $696.2M #1 Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013)
- 2012 $288M #1 Switch (2012)
- 2011 $288.8M #1 Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (2011)
- 2010 $338.6M #1 Jackass 3-D (2010)
2000s 10 years · $2.1B
- 2009 $401.6M #1 This Is It (2009)
- 2008 $118.2M #1 U2 3D (2008)
- 2007 $137.8M #1 Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure (2007)
- 2006 $286.9M #1 Deep Sea (2006)
- 2005 $284.9M #1 March of the Penguins (2005)
- 2004 $339.9M #1 Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
- 2003 $123.3M #1 Bugs! (2003)
- 2002 $239M #1 Space Station 3D (2002)
- 2001 $39.4M #1 Shackleton’s Antarctic Adventure (2001)
- 2000 $81.4M #1 The Original Kings of Comedy (2000)
1990s 10 years · $226.1M
- 1999 $50.2M #1 Buena Vista Social Club (1999)
- 1998 $60.8M #1 Mysteries of Egypt (1998)
- 1997 $22M #1 Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun (1997)
- 1996 $5.9M #1 When We Were Kings (1996)
- 1995 $13.9M #1 Born to Be Wild (1995)
- 1994 $26.8M #1 Hoop Dreams (1994)
- 1993 $733.8K #1 The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl (1993)
- 1992 $7.2M #1 My Crasy Life (1992)
- 1991 $37.7M #1 Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991)
- 1990 $785.7K #1 Listen Up: The Lives of Quincy Jones (1990)
1980s 10 years · $174.2M
- 1989 $9.3M #1 Roger & Me (1989)
- 1988 $15.3M #1 U2: Rattle and Hum (1988)
- 1987 $54.3M #1 Eddie Murphy: Raw (1987)
- 1986 $1.4M #1 Home of the Brave: A Film by Laurie Anderson (1986)
- 1985 $1.8M #1 The Dream Is Alive (1985)
- 1984 $24.1M #1 Stop Making Sense (1984)
- 1983 $16.2M #1 Richard Pryor: Here and Now (1983)
- 1982 $44.4M #1 Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip (1982)
- 1981 $2.1M #1 This Is Elvis (1981)
- 1980 $5.3M #1 Divine Madness (1980)
1970s 9 years · $33.9M
- 1978 $363.8K #1 The Last Waltz (1978)
- 1977 $298.5K #1 ABBA: The Movie (1977)
- 1976 $5M #1 That's Entertainment, Part II (1976)
- 1975 $40.9K #1 Grey Gardens (1975)
- 1974 $27.2M #1 That's Entertainment! (1974)
- 1973 $16.7K #1 Wattstax (1973)
- 1972 $676.7K #1 Elvis on Tour (1972)
- 1971 $31.4K #1 Bushman (1971)
- 1970 $357.4K #1 Woodstock (1970)
1960s 6 years · $143K
1950s 5 years · $233.2K
1920s 2 years · $201.5K
1910s 1 year · $9.7K
FAQ
Documentary Box Office 1989: Questions & Answers
The chart's numbers in short: the #1 film, the total, the billion-dollar hits and the US & Canada share, answered from the same 4 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing documentary movie in 1989?
Roger & Me (1989) leads with $7.7M worldwide, $6.7M of it in the US & Canada. Next come For All Mankind (1989) at $770.4K and Let's Get Lost (1989) at $576.2K.
How much did documentary movies released in 1989 earn?
4 documentary films released in 1989 report a worldwide gross, $9.3M in all, or $2.3M per film on average. 1988 releases took $15.3M.
How many documentary movies released in 1989 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Roger & Me (1989), earned $7.7M.
How is the 1989 documentary box office chart ranked and where do the numbers come from?
Films are ranked by lifetime worldwide gross in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation, and grouped by their release date in 1989. The figures are the reported box office grosses in our database. A gross that looks misattributed, such as one figure shared by two unrelated films or a blockbuster total on an obscure title, is left out rather than shown as a fact.
How often is the 1989 documentary box office chart updated?
Grosses change while films are in theaters and whenever a new figure is reported; this chart reads the latest numbers in our database, so an older film can still move after a re-release.