Final box-office figures for the four-day Labor Day holiday released on Tuesday indicated that the studios' original estimates were right on target. Focus Features's The American , starring George Clooney, ended up on top with $16,662,333, well ahead of forecasts. Its gross, including Wednesday and Thursday receipts, came to $19,806.118. Coming in second was the debuting Robert Rodriguez feature Machete from Fox, which earned $14,102,888, edging out the second week of Sony/Screen Gems's Takers, with $13,535,992. Lionsgate's The Last Exorcism plunged 64 percent in its second week to wind up with $8,750,191. Rounding out the top five was the Drew Barrymore romcom Going the Distance , which went not very far at all, with just $8,508,290.

08/09/2010