Domestic 1981 Week 51
December 18-24, 1981
Key:New This Week
| Rank | LW | Release | Gross | %± LW | Theaters | Change | Average | Total Gross | Weeks | Distributor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | - | Neighbors | $9,259,122 | - | 1,387 | - | $6,675 | $9,259,122 | 1 | Columbia Pictures |
| 2 | - | Sharky's Machine | $4,317,201 | - | 1,388 | - | $3,110 | $4,317,201 | 1 | Warner Bros. |
| 3 | - | Absence of Malice | $3,734,408 | - | 816 | - | $4,576 | $3,897,187 | 5 | Columbia Pictures |
| 4 | - | Ghost Story | $3,283,067 | - | 548 | - | $5,990 | $3,283,067 | 2 | Universal Pictures |
| 5 | 2 | Taps | $3,246,273 | +1,994.3% | 455 | +452 | $7,134 | $3,401,281 | 3 | Twentieth Century Fox |
| 6 | - | Cinderella 1981 Re-release | $1,733,334 | - | 560 | - | $3,095 | $1,733,334 | 1 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 7 | - | Heartbeeps | $665,266 | - | 493 | - | $1,349 | $665,266 | 1 | Universal Pictures |
| 8 | 3 | On Golden Pond | $103,761 | -13.1% | 2 | - | $51,880 | $375,810 | 3 | Universal Pictures |
