#1 of 3 #1 drama movie of January 1989
1989 · Drama, Mystery
$34.6M worldwide · 92% of the chart's total
$34.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Drama box office · January 1989
Drama Box Office, January 1989: Top-Grossing Releases
Mississippi Burning (1989) is the highest-grossing drama movie released in January 1989, with $34.6M worldwide, ahead of Gleaming the Cube (1989) at $2.8M and Signs of Life (1989) at $108.9K. 3 drama films released in January 1989 report a worldwide gross, $37.5M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 94% on December 1988, whose releases took $590.8M.
- January 1989 releases with a gross
- 3
- combined worldwide
- $37.5M
- Mississippi Burning (1989), the #1
- $34.6M
- vs December 1988
- −94%
#1 of 3 Top 3
What Were the Biggest Drama Hits of January 1989?
Mississippi Burning (1989) leads with $34.6M, 92% of the total. The top 3 together took $37.5M, almost all of what the 3 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
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Drama Release of January 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 January 1989.
- 1 Jan 27, 1989 US and Canada: $34.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $34.6M
- 2 Jan 13, 1989 US and Canada: $2.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $2.8M
- 3 1989 US and Canada: $95.8K Rest of the world: $13.1K Worldwide: $108.9K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in January 1989?
Of the top 3, Mississippi Burning (1989) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Signs of Life (1989) made 12% of its gross abroad. Across all 3 films, $37.5M (100%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Mississippi Burning (1989) $34.6M $34.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 Gleaming the Cube (1989) $2.8M $2.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 Signs of Life (1989) $108.9K $95.8K US & Canada · 88% $13.1K elsewhere · 12%
By release week
Which Week of January 1989 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 4 (Jan 22–28) took $34.6M, led by Mississippi Burning (1989). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 1 Wk 1 Jan 1–7 Signs of Life (1989) $108.9K Signs of Life (1989)
- Week 2 Wk 2 Jan 8–14 Gleaming the Cube (1989) $2.8M Gleaming the Cube (1989)
- Week 3 Wk 3 Jan 15–21 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 4 Wk 4 Jan 22–28 Mississippi Burning (1989) $34.6M Mississippi Burning (1989)
- Week 5 Wk 5 Jan 29–Feb 4 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does January 1989 Compare With January in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, January 1988 earned the most: $141.6M from 4 films, led by Good Morning, Vietnam (1988). January 1989 took $37.5M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1980 3 films | 3 | $2.1M | – | Windows (1980) $2.1M |
| January 1981 3 films · −99% | 3 | $21.3K | −99% | Thee (1981) $11.2K |
| January 1982 5 films · +149346% | 5 | $31.8M | +149346% | Vice Squad (1982) $13.3M |
| January 1983 3 films · −57% | 3 | $13.6M | −57% | The Year of Living Dangerously (1983) $10.3M |
| January 1984 3 films · +197% | 3 | $40.4M | +197% | Yentl (1984) $40.2M |
| January 1985 5 films · −65% | 5 | $14M | −65% | Tuff Turf (1985) $9.4M |
| January 1986 8 films · +222% | 8 | $44.9M | +222% | Youngblood (1986) $15.4M |
| January 1987 4 films · −36% | 4 | $28.6M | −36% | Crimes of the Heart (1987) $22.9M |
| January 1988 4 films · +395% | 4 | $141.6M | +395% | Good Morning, Vietnam (1988) $123.9M |
| January 1989 3 films · −74% | 3 | $37.5M | −74% | Mississippi Burning (1989) $34.6M |
Archive
Drama Box Office in 1989, Month by Month
The months of 1989 with their totals: December leads with $441M, led by Born on the Fourth of July (1989).
- January $37.5M #1 Mississippi Burning (1989)
- February $28.2M #1 Tap (1989)
- March $90.3M #1 Lean on Me (1989)
- April $112.9M #1 Field of Dreams (1989)
- May $24.5M #1 Pink Cadillac (1989)
- June $334.9M #1 Dead Poets Society (1989)
- July $182.8M #1 When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
- August $283.9M #1 Parenthood (1989)
- September $132.4M #1 Sea of Love (1989)
- October $121.1M #1 The Bear (1989)
- November $238.8M #1 Steel Magnolias (1989)
- December $441M #1 Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
FAQ
Drama Box Office January 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 3 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing drama movie in January 1989?
Mississippi Burning (1989) leads with $34.6M worldwide, $34.6M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Gleaming the Cube (1989) at $2.8M and Signs of Life (1989) at $108.9K.
How much did drama movies released in January 1989 earn?
3 drama films released in January 1989 report a worldwide gross, $37.5M in all, or $12.5M per film on average. December 1988 releases took $590.8M.
How many drama movies released in January 1989 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Mississippi Burning (1989), earned $34.6M.
How is the January 1989 drama 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 January 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 January 1989 drama 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.