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Documentary box office · 1997

Documentary Box Office 1997: Highest-Grossing Documentary Movies

Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun (1997) is the highest-grossing documentary movie released in 1997, with $18.8M worldwide, ahead of Rhyme & Reason (1997) at $1.6M and The Big One (1997) at $720.1K. 9 documentary films released in 1997 report a worldwide gross, $22M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is 3.7 times the total of 1996, whose releases took $5.9M. By language, English leads with $21.9M across 7 documentary releases.

1997 releases with a gross
9
combined worldwide
$22M
Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun (1997), the #1
$18.8M
vs 1996
×3.7
Top 5

What Were the Biggest Documentary Hits of 1997?

Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun (1997) leads with $18.8M, 86% of the total. The top 5 together took $21.8M, 99% of what all 9 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun (1997) movie poster Number 1
    $18.8M Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun (1997)
    $18.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  2. Rhyme & Reason (1997) movie poster Number 2
    $1.6M Rhyme & Reason (1997)
    $1.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  3. The Big One (1997) movie poster Number 3
    $720.1K The Big One (1997)
    $720.1K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. Wild Man Blues (1997) movie poster Number 4
    $533.8K Wild Man Blues (1997)
    $533.8K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997) movie poster Number 5
    $142.2K Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997)
    $142.2K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Documentary Release of 1997, 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 1997.

  1. 1 Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun (1997) movie poster
    Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun (1997) Jul 11, 1997 · English · Adventure, Documentary $18.8M worldwide
    Jul 11, 1997 US and Canada: $18.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $18.8M
  2. 2 Rhyme & Reason (1997) movie poster
    Rhyme & Reason (1997) Mar 4, 1997 · English · Music, Documentary $1.6M worldwide
    Mar 4, 1997 US and Canada: $1.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.6M
  3. 3 The Big One (1997) movie poster
    The Big One (1997) Sep 6, 1997 · English · Documentary $720.1K worldwide
    Sep 6, 1997 US and Canada: $720.1K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $720.1K
  4. 4 Wild Man Blues (1997) movie poster
    Wild Man Blues (1997) Jan 16, 1997 · English · Music, Documentary $533.8K worldwide
    Jan 16, 1997 US and Canada: $533.8K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $533.8K
  5. 5 Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997) movie poster
    Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997) Apr 21, 1997 · English · Documentary $142.2K worldwide
    Apr 21, 1997 US and Canada: $142.2K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $142.2K
  6. 6 4 Little Girls (1997) movie poster
    4 Little Girls (1997) Jul 9, 1997 · English · History, Documentary $130.1K worldwide
    Jul 9, 1997 US and Canada: $130.1K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $130.1K
  7. 7 Level Five (1997) movie poster
    Level Five (1997) Feb 19, 1997 · French · War, Documentary, Sci-Fi $27K worldwide
    Feb 19, 1997 US and Canada: $27K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $27K
  8. 8 El último carnaval (1997) movie poster
    El último carnaval (1997) Feb 24, 1997 · Spanish · Drama, Documentary $5.4K worldwide
    Feb 24, 1997 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $5.4K
  9. 9 Robinson in Space (1997) movie poster
    Robinson in Space (1997) Jan 10, 1997 · English · Documentary $5.1K worldwide
    Jan 10, 1997 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $5.1K
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in 1997?

Of the top 9, Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun (1997) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Level Five (1997) made 0% of its gross abroad. Across all 9 films, $22M (100%) came from the US & Canada. 2 films of the top 9 report no US & Canada figure.

  1. 1 Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun (1997) $18.8M
    $18.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  2. 2 Rhyme & Reason (1997) $1.6M
    $1.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  3. 3 The Big One (1997) $720.1K
    $720.1K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. 4 Wild Man Blues (1997) $533.8K
    $533.8K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. 5 Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997) $142.2K
    $142.2K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  6. 6 4 Little Girls (1997) $130.1K
    $130.1K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  7. 7 Level Five (1997) $27K
    $27K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  8. 8 El último carnaval (1997) $5.4K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  9. 9 Robinson in Space (1997) $5.1K
    No US & Canada figure reported
By release month

Which Month of 1997 Earned the Most?

July releases took the most, $18.9M from 2 films, led by Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun (1997). February was the quietest month ($32.4K). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.

  1. January Jan Wild Man Blues (1997) $538.8K Wild Man Blues (1997)
  2. February Feb Level Five (1997) $32.4K Level Five (1997)
  3. March Mar Rhyme & Reason (1997) $1.6M Rhyme & Reason (1997)
  4. April Apr Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997) $142.2K Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997)
  5. May May No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  6. June Jun No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  7. July Jul Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun (1997) $18.9M Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun (1997)
  8. August Aug No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  9. September Sep The Big One (1997) $720.1K The Big One (1997)
  10. October Oct No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  11. November Nov No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  12. December Dec No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Last 10 years

How Does 1997 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1991 earned the most: $37.7M from 6 films, led by Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991). 1997 took $22M.

Year Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
1988 12 films 12 $15.3M – U2: Rattle and Hum (1988) $8.6M
1989 4 films · −39% 4 $9.3M −39% Roger & Me (1989) $7.7M
1990 3 films · −92% 3 $785.7K −92% Listen Up: The Lives of Quincy Jones (1990) $776.7K
1991 6 films · +4697% 6 $37.7M +4697% Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991) $29M
1992 9 films · −81% 9 $7.2M −81% My Crasy Life (1992) $3.3M
1993 6 films · −90% 6 $733.8K −90% The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl (1993) $449.7K
1994 14 films · +3551% 14 $26.8M +3551% Hoop Dreams (1994) $11.8M
1995 15 films · −48% 15 $13.9M −48% Born to Be Wild (1995) $3.7M
1996 9 films · −58% 9 $5.9M −58% When We Were Kings (1996) $2.8M
1997 9 films · +272% 9 $22M +272% Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun (1997) $18.8M
By language

Which Languages Do the Biggest Documentary Movies Speak in 1997?

English-language documentary films took $21.9M across 7 films, 100% of the total, ahead of French-language documentary films ($27K) and Spanish-language documentary films ($5.4K).

1997 Documentary Box Office by Language

  1. English $21.9M
    7 films · #1 Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun (1997)
  2. French $27K
    1 film · #1 Level Five (1997)
  3. Spanish $5.4K
    1 film · #1 El último carnaval (1997)
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
2000s 10 years · $2.1B
1990s 10 years · $226.1M
1980s 10 years · $174.2M
1970s 9 years · $33.9M
1960s 6 years · $143K
1950s 5 years · $233.2K
1920s 2 years · $201.5K
1910s 1 year · $9.7K
FAQ

Documentary Box Office 1997: 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 9 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing documentary movie in 1997?

Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun (1997) leads with $18.8M worldwide, $18.8M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Rhyme & Reason (1997) at $1.6M and The Big One (1997) at $720.1K.

How much did documentary movies released in 1997 earn?

9 documentary films released in 1997 report a worldwide gross, $22M in all, or $2.4M per film on average. 1996 releases took $5.9M.

How many documentary movies released in 1997 made $1 billion?

None. The biggest, Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun (1997), earned $18.8M.

How much of the 1997 Documentary box office came from the US and Canada?

$22M of the $22M total, or 100%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 2 films of the 9 report no domestic figure.

How is the 1997 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 1997. 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 1997 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.