Market Charts > 2009 > Creative Types > Factual

Box Office Performance for Factual Movies in 2009

← 2008 Summary for all Years 2010 →
RankMovieRelease
Date		 GenreMPAA
Rating		2009 GrossTickets Sold
1 Michael Jackson's This Is It Oct 28, 2009 Documentary PG $72,091,016 9,612,135
2 Earth Apr 22, 2009 Documentary G $32,011,576 4,268,210
3 Under the Sea 3D Feb 13, 2009 Documentary G $19,416,024 2,588,803
4 Jonas Brothers: The 3D Conc… Feb 27, 2009 Concert/Perfor… G $19,162,740 2,555,032
5 Capitalism: A Love Story Sep 23, 2009 Documentary R $14,363,397 1,915,119
6 Deep Sea 3D Mar 3, 2006 Documentary G $5,275,270 703,369
7 Magnificent Desolation Sep 23, 2005 Documentary Not Rated $4,434,163 591,221
8 Food, Inc. Jun 12, 2009 Documentary PG $4,417,674 589,023
9 Good Hair Oct 9, 2009 Documentary PG-13 $4,146,170 552,822
10 The September Issue Aug 28, 2009 Documentary PG-13 $3,817,531 509,004
11 Space Station Apr 19, 2002 Documentary Not Rated $3,314,255 441,900
12 Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric… Oct 5, 2007 Documentary Not Rated $2,299,538 306,605
13 Waltz with Bashir Dec 25, 2008 Documentary R $2,063,408 275,121
14 Dolphins and Whales Tribes … Feb 15, 2008 Documentary Not Rated $2,013,083 268,411
15 Valentino: The Last Emperor Mar 18, 2009 Documentary PG-13 $1,755,134 234,017
16 Every Little Step Apr 17, 2009 Documentary PG-13 $1,725,141 230,018
17 It Might Get Loud Aug 14, 2009 Documentary PG $1,610,163 214,688
18 X Games 3D: The Movie Aug 21, 2009 Documentary PG $1,391,434 185,525
19 Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg Jul 10, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $1,133,662 151,154
20 More Than a Game Oct 2, 2009 Documentary PG $950,675 126,757
21 Tyson Apr 24, 2009 Documentary R $887,918 118,389
22 The Cove Jul 31, 2009 Documentary PG-13 $861,796 114,906
23 The Wonder of it All Jul 17, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $780,661 104,088
24 The Cross: The Arthur Bless… Mar 27, 2009 Documentary PG $741,557 98,874
25 Anvil! The Story of Anvil Apr 10, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $667,911 89,054
26 Roving Mars Jan 27, 2006 Documentary G $545,961 72,795
27 U2 3D Feb 15, 2008 Concert/Perfor… G $544,857 72,647
28 La Danse Nov 4, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $417,932 55,724
29 Outrage May 8, 2009 Documentary R $287,198 38,293
30 Larger than Life 3D: The Da… Dec 11, 2009 Concert/Perfor… PG $246,042 32,805
31 Les plages d'Agnès Jul 1, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $225,188 30,025
32 Enlighten Up! Sep 12, 2008 Documentary Not Rated $213,423 28,456
33 Soul Power Jul 10, 2009 Documentary PG-13 $207,121 27,616
34 Harvard Beats Yale 29-29 Nov 19, 2008 Documentary Not Rated $204,458 27,261
35 Herb & Dorothy Jun 5, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $194,721 25,962
36 Galapagos Oct 29, 1999 Documentary Not Rated $179,782 23,970
37 Fuel Nov 14, 2008 Documentary Not Rated $169,340 22,578
38 Youssou N'Dour: I Bring Wha… Jun 12, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $164,929 21,990
39 Crude Sep 9, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $163,417 21,788
40 The Yes Men Fix the World Oct 7, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $160,901 21,453
41 Brothers at War Mar 13, 2009 Documentary R $153,148 20,419
42 The Horse Boy Sep 11, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $137,495 18,332
43 Examined Life Feb 25, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $120,712 16,094
44 Throw Down Your Heart Mar 13, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $115,778 15,437
45 Ballerina Jan 16, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $114,507 15,267
46 The Way We Get By Jul 17, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $106,542 14,205
47 Afghan Star Jun 26, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $102,115 13,615
48 No Impact Man Sep 11, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $100,028 13,337
49 Under Our Skin Jun 17, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $92,022 12,269
50 Visual Acoustics Oct 9, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $74,898 9,986
51 Lord, Save Us From Your Fol… Jun 13, 2008 Documentary PG-13 $61,941 8,258
52 William Kunstler: Disturbin… Nov 13, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $57,769 7,702
53 Collapse Nov 6, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $56,436 7,524
54 The Boys: The Sherman Broth… May 22, 2009 Documentary PG $55,513 7,402
55 In a Dream Apr 10, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $55,270 7,369
56 Dalai Lama Renaissance May 21, 2008 Documentary Not Rated $49,675 6,623
57 American Casino Aug 14, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $46,710 6,228
58 Until the Light Takes Us Nov 20, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $46,285 6,171
59 Pressure Cooker May 27, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $44,802 5,973
60 We Live in Public Aug 28, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $44,344 5,912
61 The End of Poverty? Nov 13, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $41,880 5,584
62 One Day You'll Understand Nov 21, 2008 Drama Not Rated $38,557 5,140
63 Oh My God Nov 13, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $38,245 5,099
64 Pray the Devil Back to Hell Nov 7, 2008 Documentary Not Rated $38,180 5,090
65 Our City Dreams Feb 4, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $34,972 4,662
66 Trouble the Water Aug 22, 2008 Documentary Not Rated $33,569 4,475
67 Of Time and the City Jan 23, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $32,677 4,356
68 The Betrayal Nov 21, 2008 Documentary Not Rated $29,807 3,974
69 The Singing Revolution Dec 7, 2007 Documentary Not Rated $28,025 3,736
70 The Garden Apr 24, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $26,931 3,590
71 Earth Days Aug 14, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $26,748 3,566
72 Stranded: I've Come from a … Oct 22, 2008 Documentary Not Rated $25,473 3,396
73 Not Quite Hollywood Jul 31, 2009 Documentary R $21,152 2,820
74 Walt and El Grupo Sep 10, 2009 Documentary PG $20,521 2,736
75 A Wink and a Smile May 1, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $20,169 2,689
76 Man on Wire Jul 25, 2008 Documentary PG-13 $19,252 2,566
77 Blessed is the Match: The L… Jan 28, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $18,654 2,487
78 Kabei: Our Mother May 8, 2009 Drama Not Rated $14,416 1,922
79 The Beautiful Truth Nov 14, 2008 Documentary Not Rated $12,361 1,648
80 Fallen Idol: The Yuri Gagar… Oct 2, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $12,345 1,646
81 Sex Positive Jun 12, 2009 Documentary R $12,069 1,609
82 Chelsea on the Rocks Oct 2, 2009 Documentary R $11,799 1,573
83 I.O.U.S.A. Aug 22, 2008 Documentary PG $10,850 1,446
84 Oblivion Apr 22, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $9,939 1,325
85 An American Journey Oct 2, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $8,868 1,182
86 Objectified May 8, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $8,668 1,155
87 Eleven Minutes Feb 13, 2009 Documentary R $7,986 1,064
88 Louise Bourgeois Jun 25, 2008 Documentary Not Rated $7,868 1,049
89 Scott Walker: 30 Century Man Feb 27, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $6,840 912
90 The Good Soldier Nov 11, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $6,000 800
91 Call+Response Oct 10, 2008 Documentary PG-13 $4,183 557
92 Made in Jamaica Jan 23, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $3,149 419
93 Food Beware Oct 16, 2009 Documentary Not Rated $1,181 157
94 Yiddish Theater: A Love Story Nov 21, 2007 Documentary Not Rated $632 84
Total Gross of All Movies$207,527,123
Total Tickets Sold27,670,245

Note: This chart ranks movies by the amount they earned during 2009. It includes movies released in previous years that earned money during 2009. For example, a movie released over Thanksgiving in 2010 will most likely earn money in 2010 and 2011. Click on the individual movie to see its total gross over all the years in which it played.

Inflation-adjusted figures are based ticket sale estimates, and may not be precise due to rounding errors.

Our Theatrical Market pages are based on the Domestic Theatrical Market performance only. The Domestic Market is defined as the North American movie territory (consisting of the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and Guam).

The yearly amounts on our Theatrical Market pages are based on box office years. Each box office year starts on the first Monday of the year, so the previous year ends on the Sunday before the first Monday. For example, the "2017 box office year" started on January 2, 2017 so the "2016 box office year" ended on Sunday, January 1, 2017.