Why was this film a box office failure?
The Indian Runner and Glengarry Glen Ross may be my 2 favorite box office flops.
I liked this film. Why do you think it tanked at the box office? Probably several reasons.
It was too depressing to really attract that demographic that fills theater seats: wide-eyed teenagers. You want several other reasons? It was depressing. Oh, and also, it was depressing.
I'd like to point out, that *I* liked the film, because it was a non-sugar coated look at the darker aspects of modern society. But it's a film I wouldn't recommend to just anyone, and it's also a film that I only want to watch once, and that's it.
Good analysis ZolotoyRetriever. I agree. The Indian Runner is a dark and sad film indeed. Like you I thought it was a good movie and have also only seen it once.
One exception- I think you are overestimating the value of "wide-eyed teenagers". I think movies that are commercially successful have a varied fan base and consist of young, middle-aged and elderly viewers.
I can't provide data at this time though. Young viewers are important but are they that important? I don't believe so.
This was the case with E.T. which was for many years the most commercially successful film. No longer but it held the record for a long time. Likewise with the LOTR films.
Okay, maybe you're right, maybe "wide-eyed teenagers" was a broad and perhaps unfair swipe at a big demographic. I guess what I'm getting at is that movies that generally do well at the box office are ones that are more upbeat, and appeal to a younger crowd that wants fun, carefree entertainment. With that in mind, I can see why TIR didn't exactly fill the seats at the local theaters.
Come to think of it, I think *I* might have liked this movie even way back when I was a teenager, because I always gravitated towards movies that were introspective, and made you think and feel, and do some soul-searching. I guess I was weird that way. But I've noticed that most young people nowadays are really turned off at going to see this sort of movie in the theaters. It's just too heavy.