The top 20 films in New Zealand together sold less ticketson the weekend than any other top 20 group of films this year. Despite thislack-lustre result, the five most popular films grossed within NZ$10,000 ofeach other, intimating that it was a hard-fought race at the top.

Two openers, JerseyGirl from BVI/Miramax and The GirlNext Door from 20th Century Fox, were the first and second place-getters,but another Fox title, Walking Tall,which was in its second weekend in cinemas, was snapping at its stablemate'sheels. Fahrenheit 9/11 fromHopscotch, in its fourth week on release, came next, despite being on thesmallest number of screens, and Hellboy,which Columbia TriStar launched three weeks ago, was the fifth place-getter.