DOCUMENTARY
1982-Present NOTE: Documentary as sub-genre of Non-Fiction.Large format (ex. Everest), concert (music, ex. Woodstock, and comedy, ex. Raw) , compilation (ex. That's Entertainment) and reality TV movies (ex. Jackass) omitted.
TOTAL GROSSES | OPENING WEEKENDS Rows: #1-100 , #101-200 , #201-300 , #301-400 , #401-500 , #501-600 , #601-664 Rank Title (click to view) Studio Lifetime Gross / Theaters Opening / Theaters Date 1
Fahrenheit 9/11
Lions
$119,194,771
2,011
$23,920,637
868
6/23/04
2
March of the Penguins
WIP
$77,437,223
2,506
$137,492
4
6/24/05
3
Earth (2009)
BV
$32,011,576
1,804
$8,825,760
1,804
4/22/09
4
Sicko
LGF
$24,540,079
1,117
$68,969
1
6/22/07
5
An Inconvenient Truth
ParC
$24,146,161
587
$281,330
4
5/24/06
6
Bowling for Columbine
UA
$21,576,018
248
$209,148
8
10/11/02
7
Madonna: Truth or Dare
Mira.
$15,012,935
652
$543,250
51
5/10/91
8
Capitalism: A Love Story
Over.
$14,363,397
995
$231,964
4
9/23/09
9
Religulous
LGF
$13,011,160
568
$3,409,643
502
10/1/08
10
Winged Migration
SPC
$11,689,053
202
$33,128
1
4/18/03
11
Super Size Me
IDP
$11,536,423
230
$516,641
41
5/7/04
12
Mad Hot Ballroom
ParC
$8,117,961
202
$45,348
2
5/13/05
13
Hoop Dreams
FL
$7,830,611
262
$18,396
3
10/14/94
14
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed
RM
$7,720,487
1,052
$2,970,848
1,052
4/18/08
15
Tupac: Resurrection
Par.
$7,718,961
804
$4,632,847
801
11/14/03
16
Roger and Me
WB
$6,706,368
265
$80,253
4
12/22/89
17
The Aristocrats
Think
$6,377,461
234
$243,796
4
7/29/05
18
Spellbound (2003)
Think
$5,728,581
117
$17,508
1
4/30/03
19
Shine a Light
ParV
$5,505,267
277
$1,488,081
276
4/4/08
20
Touching the Void
IFC
$4,593,598
137
$96,973
5
1/23/04
21
Food, Inc.
Magn.
$4,417,674
155
$60,513
3
6/12/09
22
The Fog of War
SPC
$4,198,566
261
$41,449
3
12/19/03
23
Good Hair
RAtt.
$4,153,310
466
$1,039,220
186
10/9/09
24
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
Magn.
$4,071,700
151
$76,639
3
4/22/05
25
Young@Heart
FoxS
$3,992,189
212
$50,937
4
4/9/08
26
The September Issue
RAtt.
$3,819,055
143
$220,633
6
8/28/09
27
Paris is Burning
Mira.
$3,779,620
91
$310,127
23
8/9/91
28
Imagine: John Lennon
WB
$3,753,977
561
$1,412,213
561
10/7/88
29
Step Into Liquid
Art.
$3,681,803
91
$135,985
5
8/8/03
30
Born Into Brothels
Think
$3,515,061
127
$14,605
1
12/8/04
31
The Corporation
Zeit.
$3,493,516
28
$28,671
2
6/4/04
32
Rize
Lions
$3,336,391
352
$1,574,787
352
6/24/05
33
Grizzly Man
Lions
$3,178,403
105
$269,131
29
8/12/05
34
Wordplay
IFC
$3,121,270
154
$32,847
2
6/16/06
35
Capturing the Friedmans
Magn.
$3,119,113
78
$65,154
3
5/30/03
36
The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill
Shad.
$3,058,527
67
$36,731
5
2/9/05
37
Crumb
SPC
$3,041,083
56
$19,859
1
4/21/95
38
Man on Wire
Magn.
$2,962,242
93
$51,392
2
7/25/08
39
Unzipped
Mira.
$2,875,086
119
$71,275
2
8/4/95
40
When We Were Kings
Gram.
$2,789,985
92
$12,479
2
10/25/96
41
Comedian
Mira.
$2,751,988
244
$60,224
4
10/11/02
42
My Architect
NYer
$2,750,707
39
$37,929
2
11/12/03
43
Freeriders
WM
$2,750,064
30
$264,548
11
10/20/98
44
Control Room
Magn.
$2,589,616
74
$27,125
1
5/21/04
45
The Endurance: Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure
Cow.
$2,453,083
40
$18,931
3
10/5/01
46
Snowriders 2
WM
$2,287,639
-
n/a
-
10/15/97
47
A Brief History of Time
Trit
$2,279,692
45
$84,025
5
8/21/92
48
Riding Giants
SPC
$2,276,368
64
$134,400
26
7/9/04
49
Rivers and Tides
Roxie
$2,200,276
15
$12,256
1
6/26/02
50
The Endless Summer II
NL
$2,155,385
302
$657,292
302
6/3/94
51
Snowriders
WM
$2,068,490
-
n/a
-
10/16/96
52
Beyond the Mat
Lions
$2,053,648
298
$9,532
1
10/22/99
53
Endless Winter
WM
$1,966,454
-
n/a
-
10/20/95
54
Vertical Reality
WM
$1,951,429
-
n/a
-
10/19/94
55
The Story of the Weeping Camel
Think
$1,763,052
55
$21,767
2
6/4/04
56
Valentino: The Last Emperor
Truly
$1,755,134
38
$21,762
1
3/18/09
57
Every Little Step
SPC
$1,725,141
70
$68,504
8
4/17/09
58
Koyaanisqatsi
IsAl
$1,723,872
-
n/a
-
4/27/83
59
Life & Times of Hank Greenberg
Cow.
$1,712,385
31
$21,675
1
1/12/00
60
Who Killed the Electric Car?
SPC
$1,678,874
74
$45,138
8
6/28/06
61
Black Diamond Rush
WM
$1,634,386
47
$161,115
11
10/12/93
62
It Might Get Loud
SPC
$1,610,163
75
$92,679
7
8/14/09
63
Rhyme & Reason
Mira.
$1,608,277
280
$853,589
280
3/7/97
64
Vincent: The Life and Death of Vincent Van Gogh
Roxie
$1,577,480
16
$4,632
1
8/19/88
65
Murderball
Think
$1,531,154
97
$57,286
8
7/8/05
66
Why We Fight
SPC
$1,439,972
64
$53,571
6
1/20/06
67
The Kid Stays in the Picture
Focus
$1,439,232
56
$89,087
4
7/26/02
68
No End in Sight
Magn.
$1,433,319
117
$31,533
2
7/27/07
69
Microcosmos
Mira.
$1,433,210
43
$35,189
2
10/9/96
70
Looking for Richard
FoxS
$1,408,575
81
$33,843
2
10/11/96
71
The Celluloid Closet
SPC
$1,400,591
38
$95,047
9
3/15/96
72
Hearts of Darkness
Trit
$1,318,449
28
$42,992
4
11/27/91
73
Anne Frank Remembered
SPC
$1,310,200
31
$26,697
4
2/23/96
74
Brother's Keeper
CThnk
$1,305,915
15
$10,758
1
9/9/92
75
Dogtown and Z-Boys
SPC
$1,300,682
70
$103,355
20
4/26/02
76
Startup.com
Art.
$1,283,356
35
$16,118
1
5/11/01
77
Gonzo
Magn.
$1,252,100
59
$191,942
26
7/4/08
78
Metallica: Some Kind of Monster
IFC
$1,222,708
147
$46,359
3
7/9/04
79
Shut Up and Sing
Wein.
$1,215,045
84
$50,103
4
10/27/06
80
The Thin Blue Line
Mira.
$1,209,846
23
$17,814
1
8/26/88
81
Festival Express
Think
$1,174,079
43
$12,074
1
7/23/04
82
American Movie
SPC
$1,165,795
29
$20,260
2
11/5/99
83
Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg
ICir
$1,134,623
25
$19,302
2
7/10/09
84
In the Shadow of the Moon
Think
$1,134,358
104
$38,281
4
9/7/07
85
Paper Clips
Slow
$1,121,744
43
$25,535
5
11/24/04
86
The U.S. Vs. John Lennon
LGF
$1,109,146
65
$69,143
6
9/15/06
87
Say Amen, Somebody
MGM
$1,108,299
-
n/a
-
3/11/83
88
Leonard Cohen I'm Your Man
LGF
$1,044,254
55
$17,130
1
6/21/06
89
The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Lions
$1,029,591
51
$46,111
9
7/21/00
90
More Than a Game
LGF
$950,675
111
$182,943
14
10/2/09
91
Encounters at the End of the World
Think
$944,933
39
$17,730
1
6/11/08
92
American Teen
ParV
$942,441
109
$45,589
5
7/25/08
93
35 Up
Gold.
$922,872
21
$13,690
1
1/15/92
94
Jesus Camp
Magn.
$902,544
52
$17,659
13
9/15/06
95
The War Room
Oct.
$901,668
21
$15,264
1
11/3/93
96
Tyson
SPC
$887,918
56
$85,046
11
4/24/09
97
Fast, Cheap and Out of Control
SPC
$878,960
40
$23,665
2
10/3/97
98
Marlene
Aliv
$852,676
6
$14,490
1
11/7/86
99
Sharkwater
Free
$850,920
60
$37,140
60
9/28/07
100
The Cove
RAtt.
$850,001
56
$57,640
4
7/31/09
TOTAL (All Movies): $660,304,231 - - - - AVERAGE (All Movies): $1,003,502 43 $100,042 18 - TOTAL (Wide Releases Only): $298,603,323 - - - - AVERAGE (Wide Releases Only): $33,178,147 1,323 $8,162,852 1,097 -
Rows: #1-100 , #101-200 , #201-300 , #301-400 , #401-500 , #501-600 , #601-664 TOTAL GROSSES | OPENING WEEKENDS
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