Paramount's What Women Want set a December record at the U.S. and Canadian box office over the weekend, earning $33.6 million. The figure, however, was somewhat below the studio's estimate and fell short of the $34.2 million earned by Gibson's biggest hit, Ransom, in 1996. In second place, with $13.8 million, was Fox's teen comedy Dude, Where's My Car? The film, which was not screened for critics, was ignored by many of them after it opened, an unusual rebuff even for a film that several thought seemed designed to test the depths of idiocy. After four weeks at the top of the box office, Universal's Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas slipped to third place, earning $13.8 million. Disney's The Emperor's New Groove opened in fourth place with $9.8 million, almost identical to what Disney earned when it re-released the 1989 feature The Little Mermaid in 1997. Some critics were highly critical of Disney's efforts to promote and market the movie. David Miller of Sutro & Co. told CBS MarketWatch: "I question their decision to release it at such a competitive time period of the year."

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. What Women Want, Paramount, $33,614,543, (New); 2. Dude, Where's My Car?, 20th Century Fox, $13,845,914, (New); 3. Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Universal, $13,805,465, ($213,634,400); 4. The Emperor's New Groove, Disney, $9,812,302, (New); 5. Vertical Limit, Sony, $9,103,866, ($28,811,128); 6. Proof of Life, Warner Bros., $5,382,656, ($18,771,182); 7. Unbreakable, Disney, $3,734,493, ($83,119,244); 8. 102 Dalmatians, Disney, $2,664,601, ($47,995,472); 9. Dungeons & Dragons, New Line, $2,438,086, ($11,147,608); 10. Rugrats in Paris: The Movie, Paramount, $1,839,832, ($62,968,809).

Source: Studio Briefing