#1 of 10 #1 romance movie of May 1989
1989 · Romance, Drama
$4.3M worldwide · 31% of the chart's total
$4.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Romance box office · May 1989
Romance Box Office, May 1989: Top-Grossing Releases
Listen to Me (1989) is the highest-grossing romance movie released in May 1989, with $4.3M worldwide, ahead of Earth Girls Are Easy (1989) at $3.9M and How I Got Into College (1989) at $1.6M. 10 romance films released in May 1989 report a worldwide gross, $14M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 51% on April 1989, whose releases took $28.5M. By language, English leads with $12.4M across 9 romance releases.
- May 1989 releases with a gross
- 10
- combined worldwide
- $14M
- Listen to Me (1989), the #1
- $4.3M
- vs April 1989
- −51%
#1 of 10 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Romance Hits of May 1989?
Listen to Me (1989) leads with $4.3M, 31% of the total. The top 5 together took $12.4M, 89% of what all 10 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 -
Number 5
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Romance Release of May 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 May 1989.
- 1 May 5, 1989 US and Canada: $4.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $4.3M
- 2 May 12, 1989 US and Canada: $3.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $3.9M
- 3 May 19, 1989 US and Canada: $1.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.6M
- 4 May 15, 1989 US and Canada: $1.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.6M
- 5 May 5, 1989 US and Canada: $960.4K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $960.4K
- 6
May 14, 1989 US and Canada: $764.8K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $764.8K - 7
May 5, 1989 US and Canada: $444.1K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $444.1K - 8
May 12, 1989 US and Canada: $201.5K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $201.5K - 9
May 4, 1989 US and Canada: $70.9K Rest of the world: $4.7K Worldwide: $75.7K - 10
May 15, 1989 US and Canada: $67.9K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $67.9K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in May 1989?
Of the top 10, Listen to Me (1989) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Happy Together (1989) made 6% of its gross abroad. Across all 10 films, $14M (100%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Listen to Me (1989) $4.3M $4.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 Earth Girls Are Easy (1989) $3.9M $3.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 How I Got Into College (1989) $1.6M $1.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 Jesus of Montreal (1989) $1.6M $1.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Getting It Right (1989) $960.4K $960.4K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 6 Strapless (1989) $764.8K $764.8K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 7 The Rainbow (1989) $444.1K $444.1K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 8 The Rachel Papers (1989) $201.5K $201.5K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 9 Happy Together (1989) $75.7K $70.9K US & Canada · 94% $4.7K elsewhere · 6%
- 10 Brenda Starr (1989) $67.9K $67.9K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Gross bands
How Many May 1989 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
None of the 10 films reached $100M. 10 films, 100% of the list, earned under $10M. Each band shows its films and its share of the $14M total.
100%
- $1B or more 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $500M to $1B 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $100M to $500M 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $10M to $100M 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- Under $10M 10 films, 100% of the list $14M · 100% of the gross
By release week
Which Week of May 1989 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 18 (Apr 30–May 6) took $5.8M, led by Listen to Me (1989). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 18 Wk 18 Apr 30–May 6 Listen to Me (1989) $5.8M Listen to Me (1989)
- Week 19 Wk 19 May 7–13 Earth Girls Are Easy (1989) $4.1M Earth Girls Are Easy (1989)
- Week 20 Wk 20 May 14–20 How I Got Into College (1989) $4.1M How I Got Into College (1989)
- Week 21 Wk 21 May 21–27 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 22 Wk 22 May 28–Jun 3 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does May 1989 Compare With May in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, May 1986 earned the most: $357.3M from 1 film, led by Top Gun (1986). May 1989 took $14M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1980 1 film | 1 | $38.5K | – | My American Uncle (1980) $38.5K |
| May 1981 1 film · +131000% | 1 | $50.4M | +131000% | The Four Seasons (1981) $50.4M |
| May 1982 3 films · −89% | 3 | $5.6M | −89% | Paradise (1982) $5.6M |
| May 1983 2 films · +262% | 2 | $20.2M | +262% | Breathless (1983) $19.9M |
| May 1984 7 films · +272% | 7 | $75.3M | +272% | Breakin' (1984) $38.7M |
| May 1985 2 films · −84% | 2 | $11.7M | −84% | The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) $10.6M |
| May 1986 1 film · +2956% | 1 | $357.3M | +2956% | Top Gun (1986) $357.3M |
| May 1987 6 films · −98% | 6 | $7M | −98% | The Allnighter (1987) $2.7M |
| May 1988 5 films · +795% | 5 | $62.8M | +795% | Willow (1988) $57.3M |
| May 1989 10 films · −78% | 10 | $14M | −78% | Listen to Me (1989) $4.3M |
By language
Which Languages Do the Biggest Romance Movies Speak in May 1989?
English-language romance films took $12.4M across 9 films, 89% of the total, ahead of French-language romance films ($1.6M).
Archive
Romance Box Office in 1989, Month by Month
The months of 1989 with their totals: October leads with $338.5M, led by Look Who's Talking (1989).
- January No grosses
- February $41.2M #1 Cousins (1989)
- March $50.3M #1 Skin Deep (1989)
- April $28.5M #1 Say Anything... (1989)
- May $14M #1 Listen to Me (1989)
- June No grosses
- July $100.2M #1 When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
- August $6.3M #1 Shirley Valentine (1989)
- September $114.6M #1 Sea of Love (1989)
- October $338.5M #1 Look Who's Talking (1989)
- November $169M #1 Steel Magnolias (1989)
- December $96.2M #1 Always (1989)
FAQ
Romance Box Office May 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 10 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing romance movie in May 1989?
Listen to Me (1989) leads with $4.3M worldwide, $4.3M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Earth Girls Are Easy (1989) at $3.9M and How I Got Into College (1989) at $1.6M.
How much did romance movies released in May 1989 earn?
10 romance films released in May 1989 report a worldwide gross, $14M in all, or $1.4M per film on average. April 1989 releases took $28.5M.
How many romance movies released in May 1989 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Listen to Me (1989), earned $4.3M.
How is the May 1989 romance 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 May 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 May 1989 romance 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.