Box Office Performance for Factual Movies in 2008
| Rank | Movie | Genre | MPAA | 2008 Gross | Tickets Sold | Inflation- Adjusted Gross |
| 1 |
Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour
|
Concert/Performance
|
G
|
$65,280,346 |
9,488,422 |
$65,280,343 |
| 2 |
Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure
|
Documentary
|
Not Rated
|
$13,375,648 |
1,944,135 |
$13,375,649 |
| 3 |
Space Station
|
Documentary
|
Not Rated
|
$9,985,732 |
1,451,415 |
$9,985,735 |
| 4 |
U2 3D
|
Concert/Performance
|
G
|
$9,416,277 |
1,368,645 |
$9,416,278 |
| 5 |
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed
|
Documentary
|
PG
|
$7,598,071 |
1,104,371 |
$7,598,072 |
| 6 |
Shine a Light
|
Documentary
|
R
|
$5,371,629 |
780,760 |
$5,371,629 |
| 7 |
Dolphins and Whales Tribes of the Ocean 3D
|
Documentary
|
Not Rated
|
$4,423,054 |
642,886 |
$4,423,056 |
| 8 |
Young @ Heart
|
Documentary
|
PG
|
$3,932,018 |
571,514 |
$3,932,016 |
| 9 |
Deep Sea 3-D
|
Documentary
|
G
|
$2,488,297 |
361,671 |
$2,488,296 |
| 10 |
Man on Wire
|
Documentary
|
PG-13
|
$1,526,761 |
221,913 |
$1,526,761 |
| 11 |
Roving Mars
|
Documentary
|
G
|
$1,488,726 |
216,385 |
$1,488,729 |
| 12 |
Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
|
Documentary
|
|
$1,148,709 |
166,964 |
$1,148,712 |
| 13 |
American Teen
|
Documentary
|
PG-13
|
$865,045 |
125,733 |
$865,043 |
| 14 |
Encounters at the End of the World
|
Documentary
|
G
|
$837,767 |
121,768 |
$837,764 |
| 15 |
How to Cook Your Life
|
Documentary
|
PG-13
|
$779,456 |
113,293 |
$779,456 |
| 16 |
Up the Yangtze
|
Documentary
|
|
$721,007 |
104,798 |
$721,010 |
| 17 |
I.O.U.S.A.
|
Documentary
|
PG
|
$706,894 |
102,746 |
$706,892 |
| 18 |
Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days & 30 Nights - Hollywood to the Heartland
|
Documentary
|
R
|
$603,894 |
87,775 |
$603,892 |
| 19 |
Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?
|
Documentary
|
PG-13
|
$384,955 |
55,953 |
$384,957 |
| 20 |
The Singing Revolution
|
Documentary
|
|
$319,763 |
46,477 |
$319,762 |
| 21 |
Bigger, Stronger, Faster*
|
Documentary
|
|
$307,811 |
44,740 |
$307,811 |
| 22 |
Taxi to the Dark Side
|
Documentary
|
R
|
$274,661 |
39,922 |
$274,663 |
| 23 |
Planet B-Boy
|
Documentary
|
|
$272,791 |
39,650 |
$272,792 |
| 24 |
Surfwise
|
Documentary
|
R
|
$269,994 |
39,243 |
$269,992 |
| 25 |
Standard Operating Procedure
|
Documentary
|
R
|
$228,830 |
33,260 |
$228,829 |
| 26 |
Aida at La Scala
|
Concert/Performance
|
|
$205,098 |
29,811 |
$205,100 |
| 27 |
Steep
|
Documentary
|
PG
|
$204,069 |
29,661 |
$204,068 |
| 28 |
Chris and Don: A Love Story
|
Documentary
|
|
$197,019 |
28,636 |
$197,016 |
| 29 |
Wild Safari 3D
|
Documentary
|
Not Rated
|
$187,606 |
27,268 |
$187,604 |
| 30 |
Chicago 10
|
Documentary
|
R
|
$176,545 |
25,661 |
$176,548 |
| 31 |
Constantine's Sword
|
Documentary
|
|
$174,024 |
25,294 |
$174,023 |
| 32 |
La Traviata at La Scala
|
Concert/Performance
|
|
$173,656 |
25,241 |
$173,658 |
| 33 |
My Winnipeg
|
Documentary
|
|
$156,629 |
22,766 |
$156,630 |
| 34 |
Girls Rock!
|
Documentary
|
PG
|
$156,222 |
22,707 |
$156,224 |
| 35 |
A Man Named Pearl
|
Documentary
|
|
$153,964 |
22,378 |
$153,961 |
| 36 |
Nanking
|
Documentary
|
R
|
$138,788 |
20,173 |
$138,790 |
| 37 |
The First Saturday in May
|
Documentary
|
PG-13
|
$124,294 |
18,066 |
$124,294 |
| 38 |
Bra Boys
|
Documentary
|
R
|
$113,730 |
16,531 |
$113,733 |
| 39 |
Trumbo
|
Documentary
|
PG-13
|
$108,280 |
15,738 |
$108,277 |
| 40 |
Bustin' Down the Door
|
Documentary
|
|
$106,100 |
15,422 |
$106,103 |
| 41 |
Trouble the Water
|
Documentary
|
|
$92,605 |
13,460 |
$92,605 |
| 42 |
The Unforeseen
|
Documentary
|
|
$89,891 |
13,066 |
$89,894 |
| 43 |
Blindsight
|
Documentary
|
PG
|
$89,169 |
12,961 |
$89,172 |
| 44 |
A Jihad for Love
|
Documentary
|
|
$85,525 |
12,431 |
$85,525 |
| 45 |
Praying with Lior
|
Documentary
|
|
$82,553 |
11,999 |
$82,553 |
| 46 |
Maria Stuarda at La Scala
|
Concert/Performance
|
|
$82,227 |
11,952 |
$82,230 |
| 47 |
Body of War
|
Documentary
|
|
$71,716 |
10,424 |
$71,717 |
| 48 |
The Business of Being Born
|
Documentary
|
|
$69,348 |
10,080 |
$69,350 |
| 49 |
Happy Valley
|
Documentary
|
PG-13
|
$67,665 |
9,835 |
$67,665 |
| 50 |
CSNY: Déjà Vu
|
Documentary
|
R
|
$63,310 |
9,202 |
$63,310 |
| 51 |
Bloodline
|
Documentary
|
|
$62,248 |
9,048 |
$62,250 |
| 52 |
Louise Bourgeois
|
Documentary
|
|
$61,665 |
8,963 |
$61,665 |
| 53 |
War Dance
|
Documentary
|
PG-13
|
$57,570 |
8,368 |
$57,572 |
| 54 |
America the Beautiful
|
Documentary
|
R
|
$53,036 |
7,709 |
$53,038 |
| 55 |
Shoot Down
|
Documentary
|
PG-13
|
$51,408 |
7,472 |
$51,407 |
| 56 |
La Forza del Destino
|
Concert/Performance
|
|
$51,172 |
7,438 |
$51,173 |
| 57 |
Gunnin' for that #1 Spot
|
Documentary
|
PG-13
|
$50,804 |
7,384 |
$50,802 |
| 58 |
Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired
|
Documentary
|
|
$50,122 |
7,285 |
$50,121 |
| 59 |
Tristan und Isolde at La Scala
|
Concert/Performance
|
|
$49,945 |
7,259 |
$49,942 |
| 60 |
For the Bible Tells Me So
|
Documentary
|
|
$43,505 |
6,323 |
$43,502 |
| 61 |
Refusenik
|
Documentary
|
|
$39,456 |
5,735 |
$39,457 |
| 62 |
Beautiful Losers
|
Documentary
|
|
$31,743 |
4,614 |
$31,744 |
| 63 |
Hats Off
|
Documentary
|
|
$31,272 |
4,545 |
$31,270 |
| 64 |
Fighting for Life
|
Documentary
|
|
$30,606 |
4,449 |
$30,609 |
| 65 |
Lou Reed's Berlin
|
Concert/Performance
|
PG-13
|
$29,692 |
4,316 |
$29,694 |
| 66 |
Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains
|
Documentary
|
|
$28,278 |
4,110 |
$28,277 |
| 67 |
La Rondine
|
Concert/Performance
|
|
$27,742 |
4,032 |
$27,740 |
| 68 |
Forever
|
Documentary
|
|
$23,291 |
3,385 |
$23,289 |
| 69 |
Billy the Kid
|
Documentary
|
|
$22,795 |
3,313 |
$22,793 |
| 70 |
Yiddish Theater: A Love Story
|
Documentary
|
|
$22,789 |
3,312 |
$22,787 |
| 71 |
Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts
|
Documentary
|
|
$20,018 |
2,910 |
$20,021 |
| 72 |
The Order of Myths
|
Documentary
|
|
$19,878 |
2,889 |
$19,876 |
| 73 |
Trying to Get Good: The Jazz Odyssey of Jack Sheldon
|
Documentary
|
|
$19,712 |
2,865 |
$19,711 |
| 74 |
Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten
|
Documentary
|
|
$18,684 |
2,716 |
$18,686 |
| 75 |
My Kid Could Paint That
|
Documentary
|
PG-13
|
$18,133 |
2,636 |
$18,136 |
| 76 |
Imaginary Witness: Hollywood and the Holocaust
|
Documentary
|
|
$17,537 |
2,549 |
$17,537 |
| 77 |
To the Limit
|
Documentary
|
|
$15,323 |
2,227 |
$15,322 |
| 78 |
Full Battle Rattle
|
Documentary
|
|
$12,306 |
1,789 |
$12,308 |
| 79 |
Operation Filmmaker
|
Documentary
|
|
$11,573 |
1,682 |
$11,572 |
| 80 |
Kurt Cobain: About a Son
|
Documentary
|
|
$11,373 |
1,653 |
$11,373 |
| 81 |
Sputnik Mania
|
Documentary
|
|
$10,650 |
1,548 |
$10,650 |
| 82 |
Lord, Save Us From Your Followers
|
Documentary
|
|
$10,510 |
1,528 |
$10,513 |
| 83 |
Without the King
|
Documentary
|
|
$8,663 |
1,259 |
$8,662 |
| 84 |
Patti Smith: Dream of Life
|
Documentary
|
|
$6,703 |
974 |
$6,701 |
| 85 |
El Inmigrante
|
Documentary
|
|
$5,569 |
809 |
$5,566 |
| 86 |
Stealing America: Vote by Vote
|
Documentary
|
|
$4,740 |
689 |
$4,740 |
| 87 |
Twisted: A Balloonamentary
|
Documentary
|
Not Rated
|
$4,345 |
632 |
$4,348 |
| 88 |
Poisoned by Polonium: Litvinenko File
|
Documentary
|
|
$4,293 |
624 |
$4,293 |
| 89 |
FLOW: For Love of Water
|
Documentary
|
|
$3,644 |
530 |
$3,646 |
| 90 |
Wetlands Preserved: The Story of an Activist Rock Club
|
Documentary
|
|
$2,970 |
432 |
$2,972 |
| 91 |
A Lawyer Walks into a Bar
|
Documentary
|
|
$2,618 |
381 |
$2,621 |
| 92 |
Running with Arnold
|
Documentary
|
|
$2,119 |
308 |
$2,119 |
| 93 |
On the Rumba River
|
Documentary
|
|
$1,698 |
247 |
$1,699 |
| 94 |
Beyond Belief
|
Documentary
|
|
$667 |
97 |
$667 |
| 95 |
I for India
|
Documentary
|
|
$386 |
56 |
$385 |
| 96 |
Show Business
|
Documentary
|
PG
|
$217 |
32 |
$220 |
| Total Gross of All Movies | $136,831,637 |
| Total Tickets Sold | 19,888,324 |
| Total Gross of All Movies at 2008 ticket prices | $136,831,669 |
Note: This chart ranks movies by the amount they earned during 2008.
It includes movies released in previous years that earned money during 2008.
For example, a movie released over Thanksgiving in 2007 will most likely earn money in 2007 and 2008.
Click on the individual movie to see its total gross over all the years in which it played.
Each box office year ends on the first Sunday of the following year.
The next year starts the following day (Monday).
For example, the "2004 box office year" ended on Sunday, January 2, 2005.
Inflation-adjusted figures are based ticket sale estimates, and may not be precise due to
rounding errors.
|